Freeze dried foods hold the same flavor, shape, and color. Freeze dried foods can taste as good as fresh. Before the food has been rehydrated it will have a light airy, crisp texture that will crumble when you squeeze it between your fingers. Because there is no water content in the freeze dried food it can sometimes increase the original flavor making a more concentrated flavor because freeze drying takes out the water/moisture not the flavor.
Things like freeze dried fruits and vegetables are commonly eaten without rehydrating because the flavor is so good on its own. They are also often used in yogurt or smoothies.
DOES PROCESSED FRUIT CONTAIN MORE SUGAR THAN FRESH FRUIT?
A common misconception is that freeze-dried or dried (unsweetened) fruit contains more sugar than fresh fruit. The real difference is the sugar concentration, not the amount of sugar. During the freeze-drying process, water is removed from the fruit, which means that the fruit’s weight is reduced, which in turn concentrates the sugar, making it easier to consume more servings with less product than when fresh. In other words, dried fruit (unsweetened) or freeze-dried fruit does not have a higher sugar content than fresh fruit, but it’s easier to eat in large quantities and get a higher sugar concentration in less time. Therefore, they should be introduced as a diversification in diet, and not as a substitute for its diversity.
Freeze drying does not remove any of the sugar content. However, to decide whether the food is healthy is not only about the amount of sugar. Portion size and other nutrients should also be taken into consideration. Freeze drying does not lose as many nutrients as drying or canning. So while freeze dried fruits may have a higher sugar content than canned or dried foods it also has much higher nutrients overall.
Freeze dried fruits and vegetables can be a superior option to canned fruits and vegetables because it locks in a considerable amount more of the nutrients than the other food preservation methods.
