If you have a mulberry tree, you will know first-hand the abundance of fruit they can provide – as long as you beat the birds to them!
With a freeze dryer, you can preserve some of that abundance so you can enjoy the sweet taste of summer all year round.
Freeze-dried mulberries retain their shape, flavor, and nutritional value, and can be stored long-term without the need for electricity. In fact, studies have shown that vacuum freeze-drying is superior to hot-air drying in retaining the original quality of mulberries.
Ready to turn your mulberry harvest into delicious snacks and versatile fruit powders?
Here is a step-by-step guide to the easy process of freeze-drying mulberries.
How to Freeze-Dry Mulberries
Freeze-drying mulberries is an excellent way to preserve their sweet flavor and health benefits. The process concentrates the flavor, making the dried mulberries incredibly moreish. Plus, it allows you to store them long-term without sacrificing nutritional value.
A study comparing vacuum freeze-drying and hot-air drying methods found that freeze-drying is more beneficial for retaining the original quality of mulberries. The freeze-dried mulberries maintained better physical properties, nutrients, functional components, and antioxidant activities than those dried with hot air.
Having eaten both dehydrated (hot-air dried) and freeze-dried mulberries, I can attest to the findings of the study. Dehydrated mulberries turn into dry, hair little lumps that are not nearly as nice to eat as their freeze-dried counterparts!
Don’t have a freeze-dryer yet and wondering if this appliance is right for you? Read my two-year, hands-on, no-holds-barred review of the Harvest Right freeze dryer here.
Materials Needed
- Home Freeze-Dryer (and trays)
- Chest Freezer (for pre-freezing) – optional
- Mylar Bags or Mason Jars
- Oxygen Absorbers
- Impulse Sealer
- Blender (optional, for making mulberry powder)
- Labels and Marker (for labeling your storage containers)
- Freeze dry up to 10,000 lbs of fresh food every year.
- Preserve your gardens harvest & prepare for emergencies.
- Make your own camping & hiking meals.
- Freeze dry your own pet food.
1. Harvest or Purchase Mulberries
If you’re harvesting mulberries from your own tree like we do, pick them when they’re perfectly ripe. They should be juicy and full, but not mushy, with a deep, rich color.
Since mulberries don’t all ripen at once you might need to pick them over several days or even weeks. Freeze the mulberries as soon as they’re picked to retain maximum flavor and nutritional value. Once you have accumulated enough, you can begin the freeze-drying process.
You can also purchase fresh or frozen mulberries if you do not grow your own.
2. Clean & Prepare the Mulberries
Gently place the mulberries in a colander and rinse them under cool running water. Allow them to air dry completely to prevent excess moisture during the freeze-drying process.
You can choose to remove the stems, but to save time, we prefer to freeze-dry the mulberries whole with the stems on. The stems are edible and don’t detract from the flavor.
Be careful when handling the mulberries to prevent their thin skins from splitting.
3. Pre-Freeze the Mulberries
This step is optional but pre-freezing your food is a good habit to get into as it reduces the time spent in the freeze dryer and, with some food, will prevent unfortunate ‘explosions’.
Arrange the frozen mulberries on your freeze-dryer trays. You can place them in a single layer to prevent sticking, or load the trays a bit more densely if you have a ton of mulberries. Keep in mind that piling up the mulberries may result in some drying in clumps, but these can be easily broken apart after drying.
Place the trays in your chest freezer overnight to allow the mulberries to freeze completely.
4. Run the Freeze-Dry Cycle
Once frozen, you can load your trays into the freeze dryer using whatever settings are standard for your machine. I like to have mine set to a default of 24-hours extra dry time. It means I can choose when to package the mulberries and a cycle won’t finish while I am out of the house (or asleep!).
The length of the cycle will depend on how loaded your trays are and what else you are freeze-drying the mulberries with if they do not make up the full load.
As a reference, expect the cycle to take at least about 30 hours.
If you are freeze-drying your mulberries with other foods, try and choose ones with a similar moisture content, for example, other berries or fruit slices.
5. Check the Mulberries
After the cycle is complete, check a few mulberries to ensure they’re fully dried – they will be light, easily crumble and may feel slightly warm to the touch.
If you break some mulberries apart and they feel moist, soggy or cool inside, you will need to keep them in the freeze dryer for longer.
It always pays to check your food before setting your freeze dryer to defrost mode (or turning off if you allow it to defrost naturally like we do), that way you can just load the food back in and add a few more hours to the cycle before checking again.
6. Package for Long-Term Storage
For optimal shelf life, store your freeze-dried mulberries in Mylar bags or Mason jars with oxygen absorbers.
- Mylar Bags: Ideal for long-term storage. Use an impulse sealer to seal the bags after adding an oxygen absorber.
- Mason Jars: Suitable for shorter-term storage or if you plan to use the mulberries regularly. Don’t forget the oxygen absorber and ensure the lid is sealed tightly. You can also vacuum seal your Mason jars.
Don’t forget to label your bags with the contents and packaging date so you know what they are once added to your freeze-dried food stockpile. Then store them in a cool, dark place to further maximize their shelf life.
7. Powder Your Mulberries (Optional)
I am a big fan of making fruit powders out of some of my freeze-dried fruit. That way I have whole fruit to snack on and add to baking, but I also have powders which can be added to smoothies or also used in cooking.
But the main advantage of creating fruit powders is that they take up a lot less storage space than whole, freeze-dried fruit.
To make mulberry powder, simply add the desired volume of freeze-dried mulberries to a blender like a Vitamix, and blend until you achieve the texture you want.
Package and store the powder the same way you would whole freeze-dried mulberries.
Creative Uses for Freeze-Dried Mulberries
Unsure what to do with your mulberries now they are freeze-dried? Here are some of the ways we use them:
- Healthy Snacks: Eat them straight out of the bag or jar for a crunchy, sweet treat.
- Breakfast Boost: Add them dry to cereals, oatmeal, or yogurt for added flavor and nutrition.
- Smoothies: Grind the freeze-dried mulberries into a powder and blend into smoothies for a nutrient-rich boost.
- Baking: Incorporate whole or powdered mulberries into muffins, breads, and pastries.
- Desserts: Rehydrate the mulberries by soaking them in water for a few minutes. Use them in desserts like pies, tarts, or compotes.
Enjoy the Taste of Summer all Year!
Freeze-drying mulberries is a fantastic way to make the most of your harvest and enjoy these delicious berries all year round.
The process is straightforward, and the results are very rewarding.
Why not give it a try?
Have you tried freeze-drying mulberries or other fruits?
We’d love to hear about your experiences and any creative ways you’ve used freeze-dried fruits in your recipes!
Equipment
- 1 Freeze Dryer and trays
- 1 Impulse Sealer
- 1 Blender optional for making mulberry powder
- 1 Mylar bags or Mason jars in sufficient quantity for storage
- 1 Oxygen absorbers for each bag or jar
Ingredients
- 1 bowl fresh or frozen mulberries to your desired quantity
Instructions
Harvest or Purchase Mulberries
- Harvest perfectly ripe mulberries while plump and juicy.
- Alternatively, select high-quality ripe fresh or frozen mulberries from a store.
Clean & Prepare the Mulberries
- Place the mulberries gently in a colander and rinse under cool water.
- Allow them to air dry completely then remove stems and chop if desired (we leave ours whole with stem on).
Pre-Freeze the Mulberries (optional)
- Spread the mulberries onto your freeze dryer trays and put in the freezer overnight.
Run the Freeze Dry Cycle
- Load the trays into the freeze dryer.
- Start the freeze dry cycle ensuring adequate extra dry time is set to package at your convenience.
- The cycle will take roughly 25-50 hours depending on how loaded your trays were.
Check the Mulberries
- The mulberries are dry when they are light, slightly warm and crumble easily.
Package for Long-Term Storage
- Use Mylar bags or Mason jars with oxygen absorbers. Seal the Mylar bags with an impulse sealer and label each bag.
Make Mulberry Powder (optional)
- Blend the mulberries into a fine powder using a blender such as a Vitamix and package as above.
Notes
- Snacking: Enjoy freeze-dried mulberries straight from the jar or bag.
- Breakfast Boost: Add to cereals, oatmeal, or yogurt.
- Smoothies: Blend mulberry powder into smoothies.
- Baking: Incorporate whole or powdered mulberries into muffins, breads, and pastries.
- Desserts: Rehydrate by soaking in water for a few minutes; use in pies, tarts, or compotes.
Don’t have a freeze-dryer yet and wondering if this appliance is right for you? Read my two-year, hands-on, no-holds-barred review of the Harvest Right freeze dryer here.
