How To Freeze Dry Apple Pie Filling
Jul 6, 2023
Spaghetti is one of the best meals because it’s so comforting and familiar. We’ve all had it when we were kids, and when we have kids, we make it for them. The problem is that you can’t seem to store it for long. And to get the best flavor, you must admit you have to spend hours simmering and stirring. Or maybe you can only eat your mom’s cooking, but you can only have it when she comes over. So here’s how to freeze dry spaghetti sauce so you can store it long-term and have a ready meal in minutes.
You can freeze-dry any kind of spaghetti sauce. The best one, of course, is homemade. You know what’s in it, and it’s got the flavor you’re craving. There’s nothing like having the taste you grew up in and having it with you whenever you need it.
If you don’t have your own special recipe, you can try these. Just make sure that you taste before you freeze dry because this will be how your batch of sauce will taste.
If you create your pasta sauce from scratch, feel free to use your freeze-dried food supply. You can use your freeze-dried tomato, onion, beef, thyme, and whatever ingredients you need for a fantastic sauce.
You can also go for just plain tomato pasta sauce or make your freeze-dried meal more flavorful by adding meat. There’s no limit or restriction on what kind of sauce you’d want to make, so go crazy, frugal, or extravagant if you want to.
But if you’re going to use meat, use lean ones. If you can’t get lean ones, that’s okay. Let the sauce cook for a few or several hours, then skim off the fat from the surface. This may take out a layer of flavor out of the spaghetti sauce but will help make it last longer.
That said, don’t use too much expensive oil when cooking the sauce. You’re just going to take out the excess, so it would be a waste.
Pre-freezing is optional but can go a long way, especially if you have a runny sauce. The more liquid your food has, the longer it takes to freeze. To help cut the freeze-drying time and wait time if you have a lot of food lined up, pre-freeze your spaghetti sauce.
Freezing in the deep freezer overnight or for several hours produces large ice crystals. The bigger the size of ice crystals, the easier it is for the machine to sublimate it into water vapor. As a result, the freeze-drying process is faster. Of course, this means leaving behind air pockets, but that won’t matter. You’ll reconstitute the sauce in water, so this airy texture isn’t going to affect your eating experience.
If you’re going to pre-freeze, use the same trays in which you’ll be freeze-drying your sauce. Or you can use a different tray, but make sure it’s half in size shorter. The height of the frozen sauce also shouldn’t be higher than the lip of your freeze dryer tray. The thicker the sauce layer, the harder it is to freeze-dry.
Got your sauce ready? Then let’s freeze-dry it now!
Depending on how much sauce you’re freeze-drying, it can take about 35-42 hours or longer. It can go to as high as 60 if you extend the time when you’re busy doing your thing.
The sauce should be hard, and crusty, with an airy, flakey feel. If there’s a cold, soft spot Or two that’s moist, put the trays back in the freeze dryer. Let the machine run for an extra dry time of 2-4 hours to remove residual moisture.
If you’re going to use the spaghetti sauce within weeks or months, Mason jars are good. For long-term storage, Mylar bags are your best option. Not only do they take little storage space, but they’re also lightweight. You can put them in your bag and not worry about breakage when camping or hiking.
Add 1-2 pieces of 300cc oxygen absorbers per gallon-size container before you seal your jars or bags. This will remove any residual oxygen inside the container and keep your food fresh.
To reconstitute your freeze-dried spaghetti sauce, you can use 1 part warm or hot water to 1 part sauce. You can reconstitute it in a bowl, then cover it with saran wrap to keep the heat and moisture in. Use less if you want a thicker sauce or more if you want it runny.
It takes about 15-20 minutes to reconstitute, depending on how much meat or protein you have in it. If it’s pure vegetable sauce with no protein whatsoever, reconstituting can take 5-10 minutes only.
Stored properly, your freeze-dried spaghetti can last for 25 years or more. Keep it in a dark, cool, and dry place with a temperature lower than 72°F (22 °C). The relative humidity level should be 15% or less, even if the Mylar bags protect your food from moisture.
What’s your favorite spaghetti sauce recipe, and what do you want to do with it freeze-dried? Let us know in the comment section.
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