Freeze-dried candy is a modern science discovery. We've found candies that don't freeze-dry well. We'll talk about which candies don't freeze-dry well and why.
Candies that don't work with freeze-drying just don't change much. Freeze-drying doesn't ruin candy; it leaves it the same shape and texture. So, why run the machine for so long?
Some candies shouldn't freeze-dry
We'll talk about why candies might not respond well to freeze drying.
They don't have enough moisture. Freeze drying removes water from candy or food. If there isn't much water in the candy, you won't see much change.
They have too much oil. Freeze drying doesn't evaporate oil. Candies high in oil don't change much when freeze-dried. Oil goes rancid over time. If you add oily freeze-dried candy to your long-term food storage, it won't age well.
They are too liquid. Sugary liquids are difficult to freeze dry. This is because sugar binds with water. The more water in the substance, the more difficult it is to remove.
10 Candies That Should Not Be Freeze-Dried
1. Chocolate doesn't freeze-dry. It contains cocoa butter, so it doesn't freeze. Chocolate-covered candies can be freeze-dried. The caramel in Milk Duds expands to several times its volume while the chocolate remains soft.
Oreos don't do well in a freeze-dryer. If you think about what they're made of, you'll understand. Two layers of hard, crumbly cookie with a layer of hydrogenated vegetable oil in between. The cookies are dry inside and out, so they won't freeze-dry.
3. Peppermint Patties – They have a chocolate coating and peppermint fondant inside. Chocolate doesn't change. The filling is low in fat but low in moisture. Peppermint patties aren't good for freeze drying.
4. Jelly beans are fat-free but have little moisture. They might become slightly crunchier, but it won't change the texture much.
5. Peanut butter cups – Peanut butter is high in oil, so they won't change much. We've already covered why chocolate doesn't change. Sorry, Reese's.
6. Stale candy – Why freeze-dry stale candy? Maybe you want to make it taste better. This probably won't work because it doesn't have enough moisture.
7. Any candy you don't like.
This one is a little deeper than you might think. Freeze-drying changes the texture but not the flavor. If you don't like the texture, try freeze-drying it.
If you don't like black licorice, you probably won't like freeze-dried black licorice. It has a crispy texture.
8. Honey and syrup – This is interesting. Many people have found it hard to freeze-dry liquids with a lot of sugar. It becomes a thick, semi-solid, but not completely dry, substance. Honey can stay edible for thousands of years.
9. Jams and Jellies – These may not freeze-dry well because they are too liquid and sugary.
10. Nutella – Nutella doesn't freeze-dry because it contains oil from nuts and chocolate.
What Candies Do Freeze Dry?
This post is negative. Many candies taste great when freeze-dried.
Candies change a lot when they're freeze-dried. Moisture expands and makes the sugary structure balloon up. It's crispy and melts in your mouth. The flavor is the same, but stronger.
The answer to "What candies do freeze-dry?" is pretty much everything else. That would be too long for this blog. Check out our online store.