Category Guides

Starting a freeze-dried food business

Cottage food law, costing and pricing, packaging for retail, and the point at which you need a commercial machine.

Soft batches, vacuum that will not hold, cycles running long, milky oil and ice in the wrong places — diagnosed in order of likelihood.

Oil changes, gaskets, filters and the three-part routine that prevents most of the failures owners report.

Mylar thickness, absorber sizing, sealing technique and the storage conditions that decide whether food lasts decades or months.

Loading trays, slice thickness, pre-freezing, knowing when a batch is actually dry, and rehydration ratios that work.

Fruit, vegetables, dairy, raw meat, complete meals, candy and pet treats — plus the short list of things that will never work.

Machine prices run $2,699 to $13,495. Electricity is about $6 a cycle and packaging about $0.72 a bag. Here is the whole bill, itemised.

Sublimation in plain language: what freeze drying does to food, what it does not do, and why the result rehydrates in minutes rather than hours.