Freeze Drying Yogurt (and Yogurt Bites)

Does your family eat a lot of yogurt?  Or maybe you just like having a yummy and healthy snack option that you can easily take on the road after school or on family trips.  Freeze drying yogurt is a great alternative to prepackaged snacks.

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Plus, if you make your own pressure cooker yogurt, you'll have even more say in what ingredients go into your body.

But what is freeze drying?  Learn all about freeze drying and how it can benefit your family.

Why freeze dry yogurt?

Freeze dried yogurt is a great way to preserve excess yogurt you might have and keeping in fresh over time.  You can store finished freeze dried yogurt in air tight jars or in Mylar bags for long term storage.  

Do yogurt cultures survive freeze drying?

Yogurt cultures do survive in the freeze drying process.  This is because the process doesn't get hot enough to kill off all the cultures.  Most freeze driers are set to a standard setting of 125°F and yogurt takes 130°F to kill the cultures.

How long does freeze dried yogurt last?

Freeze dried yogurt can last on the shelf for up to 25 years.  That makes it a great way to store healthy protein and probiotics for you family.  It is also super lightweight and can be carried easily in backpacks and bags.

Not only will you get a yummy snack but you'll get the healthy benefits from storing and eating freeze dried yogurt.

What do you need to freeze dry yogurt?

You'll need a few ingredients and a bit of equipment.

• Yogurt
• Piping Bags
• Harvest Right Freeze Dryer - we have the large
• Trays
• Mylar Bags - I like to store my large pieces of yogurt in the 10x14 bags

Supplies Needed to Freeze Dry Potatoes

Freeze Dryer Machine:  We use the large Harvest Right Freeze Dryer.  We decided to go with the large because it can hold more, which means filling less often versus running the machine more often.  But they come in small, medium and large.  And they released an Ex-Large version in 2023.

Vacuum Sealer: A vacuum sealer is a good investment if you plan to store your freeze dried goods in jars.  This eliminates the cost and need for oxygen absorbers.

Mylar Bags:  A Mylar bag is a great choice for storing freeze dried foods.  They come in many sizes and keep light from getting to foods.  They can be stored in tubs or 5 gallon buckets for easy access.  Make sure to purchase thick bags to avoid foods puncturing through and ruining your food supply.

Impulse Sealer: An Impulse Sealer is used to seal Mylar bags.  Heat is applied to the bag layers to seal them together and avoid moisture, air and light from penetrating the bags.

Oxygen Absorbers: Whether you plan to use Mylar bags or canning jars, you'll want to invest in oxygen absorbers.  These will be added to each Mylar bag and short term shortage jars.  This ensures that any oxygen in the packaging is absorbed and keeps the food from spoiling.  

You can purchase these in many places including from Harvest Right and even on Amazon.  We've had success with both, but you may need to try a few brands until you find one that works best for you.

How to Freeze Dry Yogurt

Place yogurt into a piping bag and cut off a small opening at the bottom. Pipe 1/2" to 1" dots of yogurt right onto the Harvest Right Tray.

Place remaining yogurt onto the tray and spread it around evenly.

Add trays to the freeze dryer. Close the door and start the process.

When the freeze drying process ends, remove the trays from the freeze dryer. Make sure all the yogurt is puffy and their are no cold or wet spots.

Place yogurt bites into mason jars and add an oxygen absorber.

OR place chunks of yogurt into Mylar bags with an oxygen absorber and heat seal. Store for up to 25 years.

How to Reconstitute Yogurt

Reconstituting yogurt is really simple. Take about a cup of freeze dried yogurt and add a 1/2" cup of water. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Stir water and yogurt and decide if you need more water. You can make your yogurt thick like Greek yogurt or thin it down for like a syrup on pancakes or waffles.

You don't have to reconstitute yogurt to eat it. You can just break off a piece and enjoy its fluffy goodness.

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