Tools for freeze-drying food production facilities
- Karel Schmiedberger
- May 30
- 3 min read
In the previous article, we focused on choosing the premises themselves and on basic equipment such as a sink, freezer, preparation counter, etc. This time, we will look at smaller equipment – tools that will come in handy to make your production more efficient.
First of all, it should be said that while stationary equipment is more or less the same whether you plan to freeze-dry fruit, ice cream, pet food, ready meals or yoghurts, smaller tools will be specific to your particular focus. The best teacher is practice itself, as it will show what is needed and what is just an unnecessary item taking up space. If you are only going to dry fruit and vegetables, you will never use a ladle or a silicone mould for freeze-drying ice cream.
Knife – this will always be needed. Even liquid foods usually have packaging that needs to be cut open.
Hamburger spatula – even if you do not plan to flip burgers, it is useful for scraping product off the tray. Above all, it is much faster than peeling individual pieces off by hand.
Baking paper – I recommend trying it to see whether it suits you. Dried products will not stick to the tray, but you will need to spend more time on preparation. Some foods can also be layered thanks to it, for example when making fruit or vegetable chips.
Kitchen scale – a necessity, because you always need (and want) to know how much product you have loaded on each product tray. Not only for economic calculation, but also for potential process tuning and optimization.
Containers (e.g. Lock&Lock) – in most cases, it does not make sense to carry out final packaging immediately after taking the product out of the freeze dryer. You only want to protect the product from ambient moisture and, above all, prepare the machine and load the next batch. That is why it is better to store the product in hermetically sealable containers until final packaging.
Measuring cylinder / large measuring jug – this can replace a scale for liquid products such as juices, soups, sauces, etc. It is useful for keeping the same volume on each tray and also for fast dosing. Ideally, it should measure between 1 and 2 litres, but once you have a routine, you will probably mark the required quantity with a line anyway and repeat that for every product tray.
Silicone moulds – every layer between the product tray and the product naturally worsens the transfer of thermal energy, but a silicone mould may be the only way to dry various yoghurt bites or ice cream, while also giving them a shape defined by the mould.
Thermocouple thermometer – necessary if you want to know the temperature of the product in the freezer or before starting the drying phase in the freeze dryer. By buying several thermocouples, one can always be placed in the product during preparation and subsequent freezing, and the operator can then check the status with the thermometer.
Canister / oil measuring jug – the oil in the vacuum pump will need to be changed regularly. With the AMARU freeze dryer, we supply more than a year’s worth of oil; however, you will still need to measure the exact amount for topping up the pump, and it is also useful to have at least a 10-litre canister for the used oil drained from the pump.
That is probably enough for a basic list, which of course cannot be complete. As I wrote at the beginning, only practice will gradually show which small tools and improvements will help specifically in your production of freeze-dried foods.
