Freeze-dried fruit is shelf-stable fruit that has undergone a process to remove nearly all of its moisture while retaining flavor and nutrients. It’s very light, with a dry, crispy texture and intense, concentrated fruit flavor. Freeze-drying fruit preserves the berry or pieces of fruit exactly as it is, minus the liquids.
According to the FDA, freeze drying, technically called lyophilization, “is a process in which water is removed from a product after it is frozen and placed under a vacuum, allowing the ice to change directly from solid to vapor without passing through a liquid phase.” This process leaves the fruit a crispy shell of the fresh version.
Unopened, freeze-dried fruit so can last 25 to 30 years (according to some manufacturers), only if stored under ideal conditions. Meanwhile, it retains most of its sugars so the fruit tastes like it did before the freezing. Freeze-dried fruit can be used in many of the same ways as you would use sun-dried and dehydrated fruits.
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What is a substitute for freeze dried strawberries?
It’s a Strawberry Festival here! And guess what? You’re invited. 
Recently, I got on a dried strawberry kick and couldn’t stop myself from eating them. Seriously! I was putting these awesome “Strawberry Chips” (as my youngest calls them) in and on everything. First, it started with creating an absolutely scrumptious Dairy-Free Strawberry Frosting that basically you’ll want to spread on everything! 
Of course, my Chocolate Lovers Cupcakes are a great place to start, unless you’re on the Whole30 – sorry, you’ll have to wait! But don’t be sad, because I’ve got lots of other delicious ideas that don’t involve cupcakes So why my fascination with these freeze-dried strawberries? Well, my friends at Honeyville were kind enough to send me a sample of their freeze-dried strawberries so I could create that yummy strawberry frosting.
- And since then, I’ve gone a little overboard coming up with even more tasty ways to enjoy them as you’ll soon discover Although you can purchase freeze-dried strawberries from quality retailers like Honeyville, for most recipes, you can substitute with dehydrated strawberries instead.
- I’ve found that the best flavor comes from strawberries that are fully ripened.
So if your fresh berries are beginning to get overripe, why not make a batch of delicious dried berries that can be used to add a sweet burst of flavor to your favorite recipes. To help, I’m sharing 15 fabulous ways to use freeze-dried (or home dehydrated) strawberries.
Why use freeze dried strawberries?
Freeze-dried fruit has become an increasingly popular snack. It’s light, with a crispy texture, and has an intense fruit flavor. However, you may wonder, “Is freeze-dried fruit as healthy as fresh fruit?” According to Lindsay Yau, a Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers registered dietitian nutritionist, freeze-drying fruit causes some nutrient loss, but the overall method produces a high-quality, nutrient dense treat that is almost equal to that of fresh fruit.
Nutrients Freeze-drying is the most effective food preservation method — maintaining the fruit’s structure, taste and nutritional value. The process allows for better retention of certain vitamins, such as thiamin and vitamin C. In addition, freeze-dried fruit is rarely produced with added sugar, whereas some forms of dried fruit often have sugar added to them. Longer shelf life Freeze-drying increases the shelf life of fruit beyond 25 years. Since freeze-dried fruit does not require refrigeration, it is a great emergency and camping food option. Freeze-dried fruit can also save you space because of its smaller size in comparison to fresh fruit. Most importantly, the fruit can be rehydrated and restored to its original structure while retaining almost all its nutrients. Convenience Freeze-dried fruit is convenient because it’s lightweight, portable and lasts a long time. Almost all freeze-dried fruit is ready to eat and can be enjoyed as a healthy snack.
Fresh vs. frozen vs. dried fruit While choosing fresh or frozen fruit without added sugar over dried fruit is your best option, if convenience, cold storage and portability are concerns, freeze-dried fruit is a good alternative. A downside to consuming dried fruit is it may not be as filling as whole fruit because of the lack of water.
In addition, because it is dry, dried fruit is more concentrated and calorie dense than equal amounts of its fresh counterpart. “The most important part of a balanced diet is to incorporate a variety of fresh, frozen, and if desired, freeze-dried fruit and vegetables,” says Yau. “Always aim for what would make it easier for you to reach for more fruits and vegetables — whether it is fresh, frozen or dried.” Yau also advises to check labels for added sugars and stay within your budget.
Frozen fruit and vegetables are more affordable than their fresh and freeze-dried alternatives. Learn more about nutrition ; get the latest health and wellness news, trends and patient stories from Sharp Health News,
How do you freeze-dry at home?
How to Freeze-Dry Food With Dry Ice – Using dry ice is much faster than using the freezer. This is because dry ice evaporates moisture from the food quickly. Step 1: Pack the food in freezer-safe bags. Step 2: Place the bags in a cooler. Step 3: Completely cover the bags with dry ice and leave it for about 24 hours. Step 4: Once they have completely freeze-dried, remove the bags and store them. 
Are freeze dried strawberries expensive?
Freeze drying vs dehydrating cost – Dehydrated foods are much cheaper than freeze-dried foods. Freeze dried fruits are almost five times more expensive than their dehydrated counterparts. For example, you can easily buy dehydrated strawberries from the store for $0.60 per ounce.
Freeze-dried strawberries in similar packaging cost at least $3 per ounce. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with freeze dried fruit vs dehydrated fruit. It all depends on what you’re looking for, how you intend to use it, and how much you want to invest in its purchase. Below we have identified some of them.
Conclusion Freeze dried fruits are closer to fresh fruits in terms of nutrients, shape, and flavor. They take longer time to produce, but less time to rehydrate. Dried fruits may lose half of their nutrient content and taste due to heat treatment. And they take a longer time to rehydrate.
Sometimes you have to cook them to rehydrate. However, freeze dried fruit and dehydrated fruit are both healthy and tasty snacks. Thank you for reading this article. Please tune into our website for more posts. FAQ Are freeze dried fruits the same as dehydrated fruits? Dehydrated fruits have a chewy texture because they keep nearly a third of their moisture.
But freeze dried fruits have lost almost all of their moisture content so they feel crispy. Does freeze drying fruits remove nutrients? Freeze drying uses low temperatures, resulting in freeze dried fruit retaining about 97-99 percent of its nutrients.
What is the difference between freeze dried and dehydrated?
Freeze Dried Food vs Dehydrated Food. Wait, they’re different?! 
Many people use the terms “freeze dried” and “dehydrated” interchangeably when referring to dried food. While both freeze dried and dehydrated result in a very similar end product (eg, dried shelf stable food), the process is very different and the results vary as well! Dried food is inclusive of both dehydrated food and freeze dried food; simply put, the term dried food implies that the water content of the food item has been reduced either by old fashioned methods such as air and sun drying or by modern appliances such as dehydrators or freezers and vacuums. 
So what exactly makes these two processes so different? I’m going to focus on the three big points: equipment, texture, and nutrition. But first, let’s define what the two processes are. Dehydrating Food: Accomplished either by 1) sun dried or air dried, placing food outside in the sun on days where there is low humidity and high temperatures or 2) utilizing an electrical device with trays that has a fan either at the bottom forcing air up vertically or in the back forcing air through horizontally.
- In dehydrator devices, a temperature dial gives the operator control over how hot the air is, and the air temperature generally ranges from 95 F to 165 F depending on the food group.
- To dehydrate food you need both airflow and heat.
- To have the longest shelf life, food should be dried until 95% or more of the moisture is removed; food can be dried to a higher moisture content (lower moisture removed percentage), but the food will have a short shelf life.
Sun dried food is the oldest form of food preservation and can be found throughout many ancient cultures. Freeze Drying Food : Compared to dehydration which has been around since antiquity, freeze drying is relatively new to mankind being invented in 1906, though it wasn’t widely used until World War II when the USA and Europe needed a way to distribute shelf stable blood serum (which until then needed refrigeration) to treat the wounded.
- Freeze drying is a much more complex process and requires specialized equipment that the average household wouldn’t need or be able to afford.
- Food is subjected to extremely low temperatures (-40F or colder) until frozen.
- Once frozen, a vacuum is formed around the food, and then the temperature is slowly raised.
The heat energy causes the frozen water to sublime (sublimation: a process in which frozen liquids are converted to vapor without going through a liquid phase.) Freeze drying is a more complex process compare to dehydrating and is utilized most typically in commercial kitchens, not home kitchens.
Is there a difference between freeze dried and dehydrated?
The main difference between freeze drying and dehydrating is the shelf life of the finished product and the consistency of the finished product. Freeze dried products can have a shelf life of up to 20-25 years, whereas the shelf life of dehydrated foods is more around the 5-15 year mark.
What do freeze dried strawberries taste like?
Strawberries: Smell: like fake super sweet strawberry powder. Flavor: sour. Texture: crunchy with a chewy flavor, similar to styrofoam.
Is freeze-dried fruit better than frozen?
Freeze-Dried Fruit Nutrition – While fresh fruit is still the most ideal option, freeze-dried fruits are the next best thing. In fact, research shows that more antioxidants and nutrients may be preserved during the process, This is because fruits are harvested while in season and immediately freeze-dried to lock in all the nutrients while they are in the best condition.
Freeze-dried strawberries (34 grams): 120 calories and 15 grams of sugar Fresh strawberries (34 grams): 11 calories and 1.7 grams of sugar Freeze-dried bananas (40 grams): 150 calories and 30 grams of glucose Fresh bananas (40 grams): 36 calories and 5 grams of sugar Freeze-dried raspberries (34 grams): 130 calories and 13 grams of sugar Fresh raspberries (34 grams): 18 calories and 1.5 grams of sugar Freeze-dried peaches (34 grams): 130 calories and 24 grams of sugar Fresh peaches (34 grams): 14 calories and 3 grams of sugar Freeze-dried pineapples (100 grams): 70 calories and 14 grams of sugar Fresh pineapples (100 grams): 50 calories and 10 grams of sugar
Although it may seem like the freeze-dried options are less healthy because of their higher calorie and sugar content, this information shows us how well freeze-drying can preserve foods to be more nutrient-dense, which can be more advantageous.