Freeze dried candy is probably the biggest phenomenon in the candy business from the past couple of years. It’s blown up on social media, to the point that tracing back just who kickstarted this internet-wide obsession is practically impossible. The craze has taken over, to the point that I still see (sometimes daily!) videos of people ordering bags of freeze-dried Skittles on TikTok shop for the first time.
As the kid of a candy store owner, it’s our job to keep up with these trends. When we first opened the store, we wanted to take as many suggestions as possible from our customers on what they wanted to see. And pretty quickly, we were getting a lot of requests for freeze drying. My mom, who was once a daycare teacher, was familiar enough with freeze drying as a concept — it was always a fun activity to have kindergarteners try freeze dried ice cream for the first time. With my dad’s connections as a collectible’s store owner, we were shockingly able to get our hands on a freeze-drying machine of our own. Suddenly, we were not only able to freeze dry candy but anything we wanted!
Freeze drying, actually, is probably the most popular service that we offer. In the very back of the store, we hide our coveted freeze dryer. My mom started with the basics — smarties, Nerds gummy clusters, and Starbursts. But as time went on, we’ve expanded into things that even I’m a bit dubious of. (My least favorite item in the whole store is the freeze dried Strawberry Shortcake.) We even help out people who just want their own food freeze dried, like if they’ve grown too much fruit in one season.
The freeze drying process is pretty easy once you get used to it. You spread out your candies on a pan, as you would if you were baking something, and then insert them into the freeze drying oven. The process can take anywhere from an hour to two days, depending on just what it is you’re freeze drying. And after, you get a fluffier, lighter candy that’s sure to amaze. Often our biggest sales come from a family or group of friends buying as many different freeze dried items as possible, and even putting in requests we haven’t thought of for us to test out.
Whenever a new customer walks in, they’re always fascinated by the freeze dried wall. They tend to ask a ton of questions — so much so that my mom now has a “Freeze Dried Fun Facts” handout that we can give any curious consumers — and now you! I’m going to go through them, with me and my mom’s own commentary.
What is freeze drying?
Freeze drying is a method of preserving food by removing most of the moisture in the food. This is done by flash freezing whatever items, then reducing the pressure in the chamber, while slowly raising the temperature, which causes the moisture to evaporate. This process is called sublimation. Freeze drying removes 98-99% of an item’s moisture.
Is freeze drying the same as dehydrating?
No — dehydrating food uses heat alone to remove some moisture from food in order to preserve it. As my mom says, “Dehydrating foods is quicker and less expensive than freeze drying, so it would be a lot better if that went viral!” But alas, food does not retain its shape or nutrients after dehydrating, like they do when freeze dried. Additionally, dehydrated foods typically have a shelf life of up to a few years, whereas freeze dried food can last 20 years or more. Some food, especially liquid-based foods like ice cream, cannot be dehydrated but can be freeze dried.
Why does candy expand or ‘blow up’ when freeze dried?
Most candies are semi-solid. As such, when forced, they will rearrange themselves structurally when under the right conditions. This occurs during the previously mentioned sublimation. When under very low pressure and the moisture gasifies, the remaining sugars will rearrange themselves and expand, often blowing up like a balloon. This creates the strange shapes of certain freeze dried candies, like the coke bottles below.
Can I freeze dry at home?
Freeze drying requires special freeze drying equipment. Unlike a dehydrator, freeze dryers are typically not affordable for your average citizen looking to freeze dry foods for their own enjoyment. Basic freeze dryers begin at about $3000 and can reach prices over $10,000, depending on your freeze drying needs. (That’s why it was so great that the candy store was able to find one for cheap!)
Why is freeze dried candy so popular?
When talking to my mom, she told me that the origin of freeze dried candy was actually as an invention for kids with braces, who couldn’t eat typical chewy candies. This way, they were able to still have their favorite candies, just in a different form! Then, of course, it was introduced on TikTok and blew up.
Can anything be freeze dried?
Sadly, no. Foods with little moisture to begin with or foods that have a lot of oil or corn starch are no-gos. Some foods that don’t freeze dry well are peanut butter, plain chocolate, butter, syrup, and jams. But most candies are on the table!