Freeze Drying and Dehydrating are similar in some ways but vastly different in others. Both preserve food for storage without refrigeration, but the taste, texture, quality, and usability of the foods are dramatically different with the two methods.
Freeze drying and dehydrating are both incredibly popular these days, and while freeze drying may seem new, it's actually just as old as dehydrating, though historically, it was done on icy slopes in both Scandinavia and Peru, but without electricity.
The same is true of dehydrating, where people hung food to dry, either in the sun or above campfires.
Both methods have come a long way from their ancient roots, and they're a lot more efficient and dependable these days with home dehydrators and home freeze dryers.
Both methods are designed to remove moisture from food, making it shelf-stable and easier to store. However, these two processes are quite different in terms of how they work, their impact on food quality, and their long-term benefits.
If you're trying to decide between the two for preserving food at home, I just wrote a really comprehensive guide to the differences between freeze-dried and dehydrated food (along with how each process works).
I know many of you are looking for the quick version, so here’s what you need to know if you’re deciding between the two.
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Which One Should You Choose?
Choosing between freeze-drying and dehydrating depends largely on your goals, your budget, and the types of food you want to preserve.
For Budget-Conscious Beginners: If you're new to food preservation or have a tight budget, dehydration is the more accessible option. It requires less investment upfront and is easier to manage. It’s ideal for drying fruits, vegetables, and making jerky, as long as you’re okay with a bit of texture and flavor change.
For Long-Term Storage & Nutrient Retention: If you're looking to preserve food for long-term storage (for emergencies, camping, or long trips) and want to retain the highest nutritional value, freeze drying is the way to go. It offers longer shelf life, better flavor retention, and versatility in what you can preserve.
For Variety and Convenience: Freeze drying is the best choice if you want to preserve a wide range of foods—like full meals, dairy, or even ice cream—and enjoy quick and easy rehydration. It’s perfect for backpacking, prepping, or preserving surplus food for the long haul.
If you're looking for a budget-friendly dehydrator, the Nesco stackable dehydrator is hard to beat. It's a beginner model, and you can't adjust the temperature, so it's not ideal for all foods. All your food will be dehydrated at the maximum temperature (165 F), which is what's required for food safety when working with meat.
Fruits, veggies, and herbs do better when dehydrated at much lower temperatures, and for that, you'll want an adjustable model for the best quality. Those are a bit more expensive, but good brands include Corsori Dehydrators and Excaliber Dehydrators.
For freeze dryers, there's nothing that really compares to a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer. They were the first ones on the market, and they've stood the test of time. They've actually come down in price over the years as the technology and manufacturing process get more advanced, and the smaller models are about the same price as a home refrigerator.
The bigger models are a bit more expensive, but you can put up a lot of food in those, and they'll save you money in the long run, especially if you have a big garden or plan to do a lot of camping.
Both methods are great for food preservation, but the right choice depends on your needs and how much you're willing to invest in the process.
Freeze Drying Guides
At this point, we’ve put A LOT through our home freeze dryer, and I have a number of freeze-drying tutorials on the blog for you:
Dehydrating Guides
Our home dehydrator also runs a lot during preservation season, and I have guides for dehydrating as well:
What questions do you have about freeze-drying or dehydrating? Leave me a note in the comments and I’m happy to help out!
(Comments only, please. Emails tend to get lost in my inbox, and as much as I’d love to get back to each and every one, my screen time is very limited…and things fall through the cracks, and emails get buried in my inbox. If you comment here, they’re all in one place, and it’s much easier to get back to every single one.)
Until Next Time,
Ashley at Practical Self Reliance
Ashley, I’ve followed you thru the years and your post are always so helpful! I love how you get to the point. I don’t have a lot of time to sit and read each blog post or article I’m interested in, so I appreciate how you sum up what’s important. I saw no one had posted a comment yet, so I didn’t want you to think your time isn’t valuable. It is, and I am sure I’m speaking for a lot of your reader. Thank you again!
I have a dehydrator that is maybe 30 years old. It has two settings - on or off. I have used it to make jerky and fruit rolls. I have dehydrated apples, bananas, tomatoes. The deydrated ripe tomatoes taste like sun-dried tomatoes and have a similar color. Apple chips and banana chips hardly last a week. The tomatoes can last a year.
I would like to get a freeze-dryer; but, I can't afford the $2,000 prce and I'm not likely to have one gifted to me. I've seen small food dehydratos at the thrift store; but, never a freeze dryer.