First freeze dryer batch – bread!

I bought a loaf of wonder bread to use for my first freeze dryer batch. It is recommended your first batch be bread to get rid of the “new car” type of smell the machine has. And it definitely has a smell at first, lol. So glad I did the bread, because it did really help!

While the Ice Queen was doing her initial cool down, I tore the bread up and put it on the trays. For many things, pre-freezing them helps to speed up the process. I did not do this for the bread, because nothing said to do it. Plus, I think part of the point is to have the machine go through the entire process, without speeding it up.

So how long did it take to freeze dry the recommended loaf of bread?

The bread took a total of 9 hours and 45 minutes to run through the freeze drier. Once it was done, I ran the two hour defrost. Check out the video below to see the final product!

Happy freeze drying!!

Good morning! ☀️
Hope y’all have a wonderful New Years Eve!!!
Freeze dryer woke me up around 230am, lol. But now I can put something else in it, which is awesome! pic.twitter.com/msrycWCg65

— Buck Hills Farm (@buck_hills_farm) December 31, 2023