What Foods Should I Avoid Freeze Drying?

“Hey there! I’ve just started freeze drying some of my garden produce this year, and I absolutely love the end results… most of the time! However, I’ve tried freeze drying a few different foods that just seem to come out… weird. They don’t rehydrate the way I think they should, or they just taste off after being stored for a bit. I’m wondering—is there a list of foods I should avoid freeze drying altogether to prevent issues down the line? I don’t want to waste time or energy on something that won’t work well in the long run. I could use some advice on what NOT to freeze dry. Thanks!” — Brittany, Sunshine Coast, Australia.

What Foods Should I Avoid Freeze Drying?

Hi Brittany! Great question—I know how frustrating it can be when something doesn’t turn out the way you’d hoped, especially when you’ve spent all that time growing your food and eagerly anticipating preserving it. Freeze drying is amazing for extending the shelf life of most foods, but it’s not the magical preservation method for every single item in your kitchen. Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way on a few of these myself.

Let’s go through this together by exploring what foods tend to *not* freeze dry well and why they might create more hassle than they’re worth. This way, you’ll know how to avoid these common issues in the future.

1. **High-Fat Foods**

First off, foods with a higher fat content just don’t freeze dry well. The freezing and vacuum steps involved in the freeze drying process work better for foods that have a higher water-to-fat ratio. When it comes to fats, they don’t contain water, so they don’t “dry” the same way that water-rich foods do.

Examples of High-Fat Foods to Avoid:

• Butter and Oils: Oh, Brittany, I can’t tell you how much I wished butter would freeze-dry (imagine the possibilities!). But oils and fats don’t evaporate during the freeze-drying process, leaving you with greasy or spoiled results.
• Full-Fat Cheeses: Cheddar lovers beware—anything like brie or your favorite creamy cheese won’t fare well. The fat makes them prone to spoilage, even after freeze drying, and the texture turns funky.
• Fatty Meats: Bacon, pork belly, or any cured meats with a lot of fat aren’t ideal—freeze-drying leaves the fat soft and prone to rancidity.

If you’re determined to try meats, opt for lean cuts that have very little fat (more on that later!).

2. **Sugary or Syrupy Foods**

Anything with a high sugar content can also be problematic. Sugar absorbs moisture from the air, so once removed from the freeze dryer, foods like honey or pure sugar-based sweets can start to feel sticky or degrade over time.

Examples of Sugary Foods To Avoid:

• Honey and Syrups: Honey is known for being naturally shelf stable, so you don’t need to freeze dry it anyway. But if you tried, it would come out sticky, clumpy, or never fully solidified.
• Fruit Jams and Preserves: I thought the same thing, Brittany—wouldn’t a plum jam be nice to have in powder form to rehydrate later in smoothies? Unfortunately, all that sugar makes jams hard to properly freeze-dry and causes sticky messes.
• Caramel or Candied Foods: High sugar = lots of water retention. Freeze-dried caramel usually ends up more soft than crunchy, making it unsuitable for long-term storage.

The rule of thumb here is that if something is really sticky before freeze drying, it’ll probably stay sticky or become unstable after freeze drying.

3. **Breads and Pastries**

Brittany, I wish I could tell you that freeze drying your extra sourdough for future toast was a good idea, but bread products usually don’t handle the process well. Here’s why: bread has a certain airiness to it (thanks to yeast), and freeze drying tends to suck out all that texture along with the moisture. You’re left with a crumbly, bale-of-hay type texture that just isn’t appetizing once rehydrated.

Specific Examples of Bready Foods To Avoid:

• Cakes and Cupcakes: You’ve had a slice of leftover cake a day later, right? Imagine that but *freeze dried*. Yikes.
• Pastries: Croissants, scones, and muffins all tend to crumble and won’t rehydrate into anything close to what they were originally.
• Sandwich Bread: Though it seems like a good idea, freeze dried bread just falls apart as soon as it hits moisture again. Consider drying breadcrumbs, but anything else won’t work well.

For crispy, crunchy snacks, you’re always better off sticking with things like crackers, veggies, and freeze-dried fruits rather than baked bread products.

4. **Foods with High Moisture Content**

Now, this may sound counterintuitive since we think freeze drying works by removing water from food, but too much moisture can make things trickier. Food that’s really high in water can end up with a spongy or airy texture that’s just not great once rehydrated.

Examples of High-Moisture Foods:

• Watermelon: I’ve actually tried this one myself, hoping for a sweet, crunchy snack. What I got instead was a weird foam piece that disintegrated in my mouth like cotton candy… but not in a good way.
• Lettuce: While you might think leafy greens would be ideal, lettuce is again too water-heavy and breaks down into fragile, paper-thin layers that dissolve into mush almost instantly when rehydrated.
• Melon: Like watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew will leave you with a chalky, puffed-up disaster of a snack.

Instead, stick to denser fruits and veggies like apples, bananas, or green beans—they freeze-dry beautifully.

5. **Certain Dairy Products**

Dairy can be hit or miss. While powdered milk appears to handle freeze drying just fine, other dairy items are not so cooperative.

Here’s What Dairy to Skip:

• Eggs with Dairy: Scrambled eggs alone freeze-dry wonderfully, but if you add cheese or cream, you’ll have a pile of unappetizing goop upon rehydrating.
• Yogurt: I hate to say it, Brittany, but yogurt on its own doesn’t always freeze-dry well. Just like with cheese, the fat and moisture stability isn’t very good. You could get yogurt chips but expect them to be hit or miss in texture.
• Soft Cheeses: As I mentioned earlier, brie or cream cheese types should really be left for other preservation methods (or just enjoyed fresh—yum!).

However, if you’re craving some added protein and calcium, low-fat milk, powdered milk, and even hard cheeses (in very small shredded bits) tend to freeze-dry with much better results.

Troubleshooting Common Freeze-Drying Problems

Now that we’ve covered what kinds of foods to avoid freeze-drying, let’s chat about what to do if you accidentally go ahead with a tricky food anyway. We’ve all had those moments, right?

• If something turns out sticky: This is often the result of freezing too sugary or too moist a food. The best workaround? Stick it back in the freeze dryer at a lower temperature for a second cycle if you absolutely want to salvage it.
• If something is rock hard or crumbly: The food may have lost too much moisture during the vacuum process or wasn’t a good candidate for freeze drying to start with. For bread or pastry situations, save these ruined batches as breadcrumbs or croutons!
• Spoiled fats: If a food smells rancid or goes off after freeze-drying, it’s likely because it contained fats. These break down quickly over time, so lean on the side of avoiding high-fat foods entirely.

Alternatives to Freeze Drying?

You might be asking yourself, “What other methods work if freeze drying isn’t an option?” Well, Brittany, in my own experience, a few other tried-and-true techniques might just be your new go-to.

• Dehydrating: Perfect for fruits like watermelon that don’t fare well in freeze-drying but might still make good snacks in their shriveled, chewy form.
• Canning: Want to preserve jam without dealing with high sugar issues? Canning is still the best route for keeping fruits and spreads shelf stable for years.
• Fermenting: Freezing greens like lettuce doesn’t work, but fermenting leafy greens can add shelf life and gut-friendly benefits!

Final Thoughts…

Brittany, thanks for sending in your question. It sounds like you’re already on a great path, but it’s clear you want to avoid any mishaps along the way. Stick to low-fat, low-sugar options, and remember to stay away from high-moisture or bready foods. I’ve had more than my fair share of trial and error here, so hopefully, this will save you lots of unnecessary experimenting! Best of luck with your freeze-drying adventures—I can’t wait to hear how it turns out!