How To Freeze Dry Avocado

Freeze Dried Vegetables

Avocado gets bad really quick. It oxidizes or browns quickly because of phenols, an enzyme naturally found in potatoes, bananas, peaches, apples, and pears. Unfortunately, it also gets rotten quickly, so you can’t stock up on it at its peak ripeness. Here’s how to freeze dry avocado and have your avocado fix any time of the year.

How Do I Prepare Avocado For Freeze Drying?

Preparing the avocado is almost just the same as you would with peaches. It’s got a core seed that’s easy to take out with the right technique.

1. Place the avocado on a chopping board. Make sure the table is stable.
2. Slice around the avocado lengthwise up to the depth where you feel the seed.
3. Twist the halves in opposite directions until the halves separate.
4. If you don’t want to preserve the seed, tap your knife on the pith with enough force to sink it half an inch deep.
5. Twist the knife and pull the seed out.

You can also use a spoon to pry the pit out. It’s going to be easy when the avocado’s ripe, but it’s a battle if the avocado’s raw. There’s also an avocado slicer that can help with the cutting, pitting, and slicing.

You can make long avocado slices, or you can make cubes. Thin slices freeze dry faster because they have more surface area. Cubes take longer, especially if they’re thick. Whatever shape you choose, the thickness should be 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Keep in mind to keep them no higher than the lip of the tray.

Do I Pre-Freeze Avocado?

Pre-freezing is an option for freeze-drying avocado. Pre-freezing, though, cuts your freeze-drying time significantly. Some have the freeze dryer set to 9 hours of freeze drying time for unfrozen vegetables.

If you have food processing in your freeze dryer, pre-freezing helps you cut the waiting time. For example, your avocado is already freezing in your freezer while you’ve got a batch going.

If you’re going to freeze your avocado, use the same tray you’ll be freeze-drying it in. This way, you don’t melt your slices or cause a temperature interruption in your freeze-drying tray.

Also, remember to pre-cool your freeze dryer until it’s colder than your frozen food. This usually takes 15-30 minutes or until the freeze dryer reaches -8°F (-22 °C).

How to Freeze Dry Avocado

It’s easy to freeze dry avocado using a Harvest Right freeze dyer.

1. Turn on the machine and select “NON-LIQUID”.
2. Choose “NOT FROZEN” for non-frozen avocado.
3. Pre-cool your machine if you’re using pre-frozen slices by choosing “FROZEN.”
4. Close the drain valve to suck out all the air from the machine and create a vacuum.
5. Load your trays when the machine tells you to.
6. Close the chamber door and press “CONTINUE”.

How Long Does Freeze Drying Take?

Your harvest Right freeze dryer comes with presets for vegetables. Usually, it’s around 9 hours of freeze time and 7 hours of final dry time. However, the process can take up to 24-34 hours, depending on how you prepared your avocado.

How Do I Store Freeze Dried Avocado?

Storing your freeze-dried vegetable is easy. You can use Mylar Bags for storing your freeze-dried avocado long term. The material keeps the air and moisture from seeping through the bag. If you have too big of a bag, you can use the heat sealer to “cut” portions, so you don’t expose unused food unnecessarily.

Mason jars or Ball jars aren’t only good for canning. They’re also excellent for freeze-dried avocado, especially if you eat a piece or two every now and then. They’re easy to open, and you can reuse the lids when necessary.

Remember to put in oxygen absorbers before you seal your bags or jars. Oxygen is the number one enemy of this vegetable, and the best way to keep it away is to use OAs. About 1-2 of the 300cc packets are good for every gallon-size container. Of course, you can use more, but it wouldn’t make a difference. But don’t go down that path of saving the oxygen absorbers. Using less can ruin all your hard work, so stick to the recommended number of packets.

Also, replace the oxygen absorbers when you open the bag or jar. Oxygen absorbers are sold by the tens and even hundreds. Sure, the best ones don’t come cheap. But it’s a small price to pay to keep your food fresh and safe to eat.

How Do I Reconstitute?

Avocado is one of the rare food that don’t reconstitute well, like ice cream and watermelon. Many experience the avocado turning black or dark brown on them during reconstituting. The taste and texture are also weird, so the avocado’s better eaten in its freeze-dried state.

However, some find success by rehydrating them inside the fridge. Spritz it with a bit of water, just not too much, because it will turn soggy. Then place it in an airtight container and let it rehydrate in the fridge. Depending on how thick your avocado slices are, it would probably take 5-10 minutes.

How Long Does Freeze-Dried Avocado Last?

Properly stored, your freeze-dried avocado can last for 25 years or more. Keep it in a dark, draft-free, moisture-free room with a temperature not going above 72°F (22 °C).

What made you interested in freeze-drying avocado? Let us know in the comment section.

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