How To Freeze Dry Apple Pie Filling
Jul 6, 2023
Ever wish you could munch on Jello without worrying about refrigeration? Here’s a way to freeze-dry it so you can have a quick snack anytime, anywhere.
Preparing the Jello for freeze-drying is easy. You can make it as hard and soft as you want, giving you amazing results. “Hard” Jellos will give you denser freeze dried treats, while “soft” Jellos
Someone said to use the freeze dryer tray to set the Jello. This could work, but you may have a problem taking out the Jello after freeze-drying. The dessert tends to stick to the sides of the mold it sets so taking it out might be difficult.
For your convenience, you can set it in a different tray or in ice cube molds. Use the one that has a silicone bottom to make it easier to push out the sweet. You can do those if you prefer to use ones in individual cups too.
Whichever you prefer, what’s important is you cut the Jello in half-inch thickness. Thicker-sized globs don’t freeze dry well. They still feel soft and a bit gummy, so you might add more freeze-drying time or cut them in half before extending the drying time.
Place your sliced Jello on freeze-dryer trays lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. This will keep the Jello from sticking, but some found success with unlined rays.
Pre-freezing is an option for Jello, although it does save you time and electricity. If you have a deep freezer running and some space, use it to your advantage. Use the trays when you do so that you don’t cause any sudden drop in temperature.
You don’t need to space them wide because they don’t expand as Skittles or Taffy do. They’re going to bubble a bit because of the sugar, but they won’t go crazy like orange juice.
It’s easy to freeze-dry Jello when you have your own Harvest Right freeze dryer.
Freeze drying can take about 24 hours or more, depending on how thick your Jellos are. If you don’t customize the time, the sensors would let the freeze dryer know that the treats are ready. You’ll be alerted with a beep and it will instruct you to open the valve.
Just ensure that the hose doesn’t touch any water when you open it. Otherwise, the machine will suck in the water, leaving you with a wet mess.
If you have a sweet tooth, this will make you go crazy. They’re super sweet, and have twice the flavor of the Jello you prepared.
Many say they have the consistency of extremely light styrofoam. Something that can possibly amuse kids, imagine eating sweet, Jello-flavored styrofoam as a snack.
They’re very light, crumbly, and melts in your mouth. Each chew gives you an explosion of flavor that will make your sweet tooth do the rhumba.
There are three ways to store freeze-dried Jello.
These are the most popular storage option because they’re airtight, light, and don’t take up much space. You need channeled bags if you want to have a vacuum seal using a vacuum packing machine. But a straw attached to the hose attachment and a hair iron can do the trick.
These jars are second-best choice for Mylar bags because they’re virtually poreless. Nothing can get pass the material, making it a great choice for humid places. You can also vacuum seal it using a special tool to make your Jello last longer.
You can place them in airtight containers that you can open and close easily for snacking. Some plastic containers like Lock&Lock, and OXO have airtight lids that you can conveniently seal and open. The seal is so tight, it won’t let air and moisture in or out of the container.
Whatever you choose, don’t forget to use oxygen absorbers. Rule of thumb is to use one to two 300cc oxygen absorbers per one-gallon container. If you have a small container, it’s fine. You can still use one. It never hurts to use this in excess, but using less is a pain.
Yes, you can rehydrate it, but it won’t return to its fun, wiggly shape. Instead, you get something close to the appearance of a colorful toy slime. Yes, it’s not really that appetizing to eat rehydrated.
But the good thing is you can use this to make another batch of Jello. If you were able to measure its weight before and after freeze-drying, you’d know how much water to use. Much like what you would do with freeze-dried breast milk. Boil the right amount of water and let the Jello melt until you get a good consistency.
What do you plan to do with your freeze-dried Jello? Let us know in the comment section.
Also, our YouTube channel’s getting ready for freeze-drying videos, so please subscribe!
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