How To Freeze Dry Apple Pie Filling
Jul 6, 2023
Guava is a fruit with a distinct flavor that’s hard to describe, just like mangosteen. The fruit has green, slightly bumpy skin that has a smooth texture. As it ripens, the skin gradually turns yellow or almost maroon. The smell is close to that of a lemon with a less citrusy note. The pink flesh has a mild sweetness, like a fusion of pear and strawberry.
However, this tropical fruit can be hard to find. You’ll commonly find it in Latin markets and specialty stores. If you happen to find one, you have to eat it in 2-3 days, especially ripe ones. So, how can you preserve it and enjoy the sweet, tropical taste? The best option is to freeze-dry guava and turn it into a crunchy snack or powder.
Guava should be free from blemishes or bruises. Go for those that have yellowish skin, although a green one is fine. The ripe ones are just sweeter, milder, and have more juice compared to ripe ones.
Ripe guava would be soft to the touch. It has a sweet, musky scent that you can smell even without putting it close to your nose.
If you can’t find ripe ones, then hard green ones would work. You can freeze-dry them as-is or wait for them to ripen at room temperature. Some bury them in rice to speed up the ripening process. Don’t worry; the rice won’t get the guava taste. Just remember to take them out before they fully ripen, or they will spoil your rice.
Clean the guava thoroughly under running water to remove all dirt and debris. Then pat dry with paper towels for processing. Once they’re dry, cut out the sepal and stem parts of the fruit.
Afterward, cut the guava into pieces that will fit into your juicer. Blender will work too, but on the lowest setting that’s capable of pureeing your fruit. This will help pulverize the flesh and rind yet still leave the seeds intact. After processing, strain the puree and take out all the seeds that you can. This will help make freeze-drying efficient and make your freeze-dried guava last longer.
Why not slice the fruit instead? Because of the hundreds of seeds inside the fruit that you can only take out by processing the guava. If you take them out manually, it will take a lot of time, and you’ll also end up with pulverized fruit afterward.
Pre-freezing is an option, but it would certainly help you make your freeze-dried guava efficiently. In addition, you’re working with semi-liquified food, so pre-freezing makes the process convenient and less messy.
You can use ice cube trays to help mold the guava into small pieces. There are also special silicone molds that are not as deep and smaller in size. Just remember to keep the thickness to a maximum of 3/4 inch. This way, your food will freeze-dry deep into the middle and store better.
You must put the guava ice cubes on ice-cold trays. Keep them evenly spaced so they have more surface area for the freeze dryer to work on. They don’t expand like Nerd Clusters and Hi-Chews, so you don’t need that much space between them.
Only bring out the frozen food and trays when your freeze dryer’s ready. The less condensation your food has, the better results you’ll get.
Got all the trays ready? Then let’s turn on your freeze dryer!
Freeze-drying guava can take about 24-48 hours, maybe even longer. The time usually depends on:
Your freeze-dried guava should be dry, flakey, light, and crumbly. There should be a crunch when you bite into it. If any of the cubes feel cool, soft, and has a bit of moisture in the middle, put the trays back for 2-3 hours of extra dry time.
You can pack the freeze-dried guava cubes as they are for a crunchy snack. Or you could put them in a blender and turn them into freeze-dried guava powder for your smoothies and juices. You can also use the freeze-dried powder as an ingredient to a sour soup base for fish, chicken, and pork.
You can use Mason jars and Mylar bags for storing. Mason jars are best for short-term storage because they’re resealable. Mylar bags are great for long-term storage as they block out light and some heat that causes food nutrients to degenerate.
Throw in oxygen absorbers before sealing to remove residual oxygen from the containers. About 1-2 of the 300cc packets are good for every gallon size of your container.
After packing, store in a cool, dark place with a temperature below 72°F (22 °C). Relative humidity should also be 15% or less because moisture is also the major cause of food spoilage.
If you can’t have guava, buying freeze-dried guava online is the next best thing. Here are a couple of the brands people look into.
Indus Farms offers freeze-dried fruits such as mango, banana, and guava. What they do with the guava is they puree the fruit and freeze-dry them into cubes. The product is GMO-free, paleo, vegan, and has no refined sugar.
The bag comes in a 0.7 oz pack, but Walmart offers it in packs of 5 for $20.49. There are no product reviews yet, but there the reviews of the seller aren’t good. One said the seller was okay to talk with about shipping, but the bag he got wasn’t resealable. Another said it’s a ripoff. The other two didn’t give feedback on why they gave their rating.
They do have their own website and offer the same bundle pack for the same price., But if your order is above $25, you get FREE NextDay delivery in the US. But there are no reviews there. Make sure to study the seller well before you purchase your freeze-dried guava here.
SATVIKZONE has one simple vision: to provide 100% pure & natural products of superior quality at a competitive price. The name SATVIK comes from a Sanskirt word “SATTVA”, which means one that is “pure, natural, energetic, vital and clean.”
The company not only caters to consumers but also offers freeze-dried food wholesale. For consumers, they offer freeze-dried guava in 0.7oz packs for $4.99. If you’re interested in buying wholesale, feel free to email them.
Retail orders usually take 2-15 days for the packs to arrive. Unfortunately, Satvikzone doesn’t accept returns. Refunds are conditional, and you would need to send them information plus detailed images of your order for them to investigate.
Freeze-drying guava takes a lot of work because of the seeds, but the entire process is going to be worth it. After processing, you have a shelf-stable food high in nutrition and versatility.
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