Freeze-dried strawberries are dehydrated strawberries that retain their shape and flavor. They are made by freezing and drying the berries, and can be used in baking, as a crunchy topping, or eaten as a snack. They are low in weight and high in carbohydrates.
Freeze-dried strawberries are strawberries that have been processed in a way that preserves their fresh flavor and extends the shelf life of the berries for years. When strawberries are freeze-dried, nearly all of the moisture within them is removed, leaving a slightly spongy — but mostly brittle — fruit that can be reconstituted with liquid, crushed, and used in recipes or eaten in its dried form. One benefit of using freeze-dried strawberries in some recipes is that they can be baked or placed in a mix and retain their shape and most of their original texture without going mushy. Additionally, the taste of freeze-dried strawberries, when not reconstituted, is much more concentrated than normal, allowing them to be used almost like a spice.
The way freeze-dried strawberries are made begins with the freezing process. This involves cleaning and drying the strawberries and placing them in a special machine that freezes them at temperatures as low as -112° Fahrenheit (-80° Celsius) to quickly turn the moisture into ice. After being frozen, the strawberries are dried in a chamber where the air pressure is lowered and some heat is applied, evaporating the ice crystals without first turning into liquid and making the berry flesh moist. The strawberries are then reheated to remove any residual moisture, leaving only the mostly intact dehydrated fruit. The freeze dried strawberries are then sealed in vacuum sealed containers to prevent moisture from reaching them as they are shipped to their final destinations.
A good use for freeze-dried strawberries is in baked goods like cakes or breads. They are well suited for this type of cooking because, when added dry to a batter, strawberries slowly rehydrate as steam from the cake or bread is released during baking. They can also be rolled inside puff pastry. The end result will be a baked product that contains nearly whole strawberries with a ripe taste and minimal color bleed.
Another popular use of freeze-dried strawberries is as a crunchy accent on breakfast cereals. They can also be added to yogurt, oatmeal or fruit drinks. These strawberries can also be roughly chopped and used as a topping for cakes or ice cream.
An often overlooked aspect of eating freeze dried strawberries is that they are deceptively light. After being freeze-dried, the berries weigh much less than they otherwise would, and it can be easy to use too many in a recipe or eat too many as a snack. Strawberries in this state are almost all carbohydrates, which can be a problem for some people on a special diet.
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