Preserve Your Food. Reduce Waste. Enjoy It When You’re Ready.
Have you ever grown more vegetables than you could possibly eat?
Bought fruit on sale only to watch half of it spoil?
Prepared a large batch of soup or stew and wished you could save it for another day?
Freeze drying offers a simple way to preserve many foods while maintaining much of their original flavour, colour, and texture.
At Blue Gypsy Homestead, I now offer custom freeze-drying services for individuals, families, gardeners, hunters, and anyone looking to preserve their own food.
What is Freeze Drying?
Freeze drying removes almost all of the water from food while it remains frozen.
Unlike traditional dehydration, which uses heat, freeze drying helps foods maintain their original shape, colour, flavour, and much of their nutritional value.
The result is food that is:
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- Lightweight
- Shelf stable
- Easy to store
- Simple to rehydrate
- Great for camping, hiking, emergency preparedness, or everyday use
Many fruits can even be eaten straight from the package as a crunchy snack.
What Can Be Freeze-Dried?
Most foods with high moisture content freeze dry extremely well.
Examples include:
-
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Soups
- Stews
- Cooked pasta dishes
- Cooked meats (raw meat is NOT ACCEPTED)
- Dairy products
- Herbs
- Complete meals
Important
Foods containing significant amounts of oil or fat generally cannot be freeze-dried successfully.
Even when freeze-dried, oils eventually become rancid because the freeze-drying process removes water—not oil.
If you’re unsure whether your product is suitable, simply contact me before scheduling. I’m happy to evaluate your product and let you know whether it is a good candidate for freeze drying.
Service Options
Option 1: Simple Freeze Drying
Your food is freeze dried and returned in the same container you provided.
Perfect if you already have your own storage containers or intend to consume the product soon.
Price: $10.00 per tray
Option 2: Value-Added — Short-Term Storage
Your freeze-dried food is packaged in vacuum-sealed 500 ml Mason jars.
This option is ideal for pantry storage and products expected to be used within approximately 12 to 16 months.
Price
-
- $10.00 per tray
- Plus $3.00 per 500 ml Mason jar
Option 3: Value-Added — Long-Term Storage
For maximum storage life, your food is packaged in:
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- Food-grade Mylar bags
- Oxygen absorber included
- Professionally labelled
When stored properly in a cool, dry location, many freeze-dried foods have an expected shelf life of 5 to 25 years.
Actual storage life depends on the food, packaging integrity, and storage conditions. Shelf life cannot be guaranteed.
Price
-
- $10.00 per tray
- Plus $3.00 per one-quart Mylar bag (more than 1 may be required)
Tray Size
Each tray measures approximately: 7 inches × 17 inches
Products should be loaded no more than 1 inch deep for best results. Stacked food takes significantly longer to process and the results may be less than satisfactory,
Save Money
Fill all four trays during a single run and receive: $10 OFF your order
Don’t have enough product?
Feel free to combine your order with family, friends, or neighbours.
Turnaround Time
Typical turnaround is approximately: 10 days
Orders are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Rush Service
Need your food back sooner?
Rush orders can move to the front of the queue for a flat fee of: $20
Strong-Smelling Foods
Foods such as:
-
- Garlic
- Onions
- Liver
- Similar strongly scented products
require a dedicated machine cleaning after processing.
The freeze dryer must be thoroughly cleaned using food-safe procedures (including vodka) and aired out before processing another customer’s order.
This cleaning process may take up to 24 hours and means that your order will occupy the machine exclusively during that run.
A $20 cleaning fee will apply where required.
You will always be advised in advance if your order falls into this category.
Pickup & Delivery
Pickup and delivery are available.
Orders within 30 km of Kemptville are included.
Orders beyond that distance will incur a delivery fee between:
$10 and $20, depending on travel distance.
Scheduling
Every order begins with a conversation.
This allows us to:
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- Determine whether your product is suitable
- Estimate tray requirements
- Discuss packaging options
- Set realistic expectations
- Schedule your production run
Because every food behaves differently, all orders must be evaluated and scheduled before work begins.
Blue Gypsy Homestead reserves the right to decline any product that may:
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- Produce unsatisfactory results
- Damage the freeze dryer
- Create food safety / cross contamination concerns
Deposits & Payment
A deposit of:
$5 per tray
is required before processing begins.
Payment may be made by:
-
- Cash
- Debit
- Credit Card
All prices are subject to 13% HST.
HST Registration Number: 848017927
If Something Goes Wrong
Although every effort is made to complete every order successfully, mechanical equipment can occasionally fail.
If the freeze-drying process is unsuccessful because of equipment failure or the machine becomes unavailable before your order is completed:
-
- Your food will be returned.
- All money paid will be refunded.
Cancellations
Orders may be cancelled by email.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours before your scheduled processing date.
Cancellations received with less than 48 hours’ notice will incur a $10 service fee, deducted from the deposit.
Ready to Get Started?
Questions are always welcome.
Please contact me before preparing your order so we can determine whether your product is suitable and schedule your production run.
Email:
I look forward to helping you preserve your harvest, reduce food waste, and enjoy your favourite foods for months—or even years—to come.