Freeze drying is a technology successfully used by NASA and the US Navy since the 1960s. Due to minimal heat involved in the process and using negative pressure for sublimation of water molecules allows retention of maximum structure of the food. The phenomenon giving the backbone support to the process is known as phase rule, this explains how at negative pressure and under vacuum water molecules escape through the food molecule’s structural formation. Keep in mind no chemical treatment, addition of preservatives or sugar and no high temperatures are used that could harm the product or individual consuming it. The structure of the food is not altered, and this helps greatly in maintaining stability of food and retention of water is optimum when water is added. Moisture level in the food is around 4%, reducing chances of food decay to a minimum. This is the reason why freeze-dried foods retain the majority of nutrients, aroma and taste. This successfully allows non-inclusion of additives, preservatives and/or added sugar. While adding water, stir well and leave the food to mix well for 5 mins or so, you can blend it for best result.
It’s the next best thing to fresh raw because it retains almost 96% of original nutrition without the loss of taste or colour and all this without adding any preservatives. Isn’t that FAB??? And how is that possible, you might ask…. Well, its all thanks to the technology called freeze drying, which is used by NASA for astronaut’s food and US Navy as well since early 1960. This technology uses very low heat (temperature at which there is minimum loss of nutrients from food). The process uses low heat and high pressure under vacuum to preserve food.
Thus, allowing one not use preservatives, added sugar and other artificial agents at all.
The only thing one needs to take care of is that once the sealed processed food is opened, needs to be consumed in a short time the same way that we would use cut raw fruits and vegetables. For all the technology enthusiasts, the freeze drying process is explained in a simple manner.