How to Freeze Dry Candy: Step-By-Step Guide

For a candy addict person, we know that these delicious crunchy, crispy, and chew candies are a miracle. When it comes to freezing these super tasty candies, there are several options to follow. Learning how to freeze dry candy will make you playful and experimental with these sweet delicious candles. You will add a twist of your expertise and love while preparing them and produce a magazical delight that will tantalize your taste buds. 

If you want to know how these candies are prepared, you have landed on the right platform. Here, we have discussed some tested and tried ways for your help.  As a result, you will also be able to learn them and use them to take your adventure of sweet candies to the extra level. The best thing is that all the methods that we have discussed here are easy to follow. So, let’s dig deeper into the following article to learn how to freeze dried candy.

Which Candies Are Good to Freeze Dry

Go through the following table and know which candies are good to freeze to dry:

Materials That You Require for the Best Freeze Dry Candy

Take a look at the following list of materials that you require for the best freeze dry candy:

• Baking tray or baking sheet
• A parchment paper
• Airtight container

Which Machine Should I Use to Freeze Dry Candy

Freeze Candy Dryer is the most common machine that is available in the market to freeze dry candy. However, many commercial companies have introduced different freeze candy dryers with different features, tech specifications, advantages, limitations, and prices. Your extensive research will help you in the end. We will guide you how a freeze candy dryer functions and how to freeze dry candy with its right usage.

Brief Highlights: How Does Freeze Candy Dryer Function

There is not a rocket science behind the freeze candy dryer function. Here are some brief highlights that you should know before you dry freeze candies:

• 1st Step: Deep freeze candies to the temperature of 35 degrees for rapid dry candies formation

• 2nd Step: Vacuum sublimation stage makes the vacuum pump reaches the constant pressure of 20pa

• 3rd Step: Low pressure and extreme cold temperature in the dryer transforms ice crystals into vapor, without leaving any moisture in candies
• 4th Step: Finally, you will get a more intensified, crispy, and prolonged shelf life product. 

How to Freeze Dry Candy with a Machine (Freeze Candy Dryer)

Do you want to enjoy the puffy and intensely flavored tangy taste of candies once they are completely dry, crispy, and crunchy? If yes, you should not miss out on this section on how to freeze dry candy with a machine that will explain to you the whole candy formation in a simplified manner right now. 

First of all, keep in mind that the investment that you make in a frozen candy dryer is worth it if you are a candy addict like me. Here are the steps that you should consider to make the procedure of frozen candies formation happen in a safe manner:

1. Pretreatment of Candies Before Initiating their Ice Formation

   Before initiating the candies’ ice formation procedure, you should make sure that you have given a suitable pretreatment to your candies. Simply put, if they are larger in size. Cut them into smaller sizes. Smaller-size candies usually freeze faster and better than large-size candies.

2. Use a Baking Tray or Sheet with Parchment Paper

   In the next step, you should ensure that you have wrapped the baking tray or sheet with parchment paper. This will ensure that when you spread candies for freezing, they will not stick to the surface of the tray. And yes, make sure that you have spread candies in an even manner to improve the speed of their dry formation.

3. Pre-Frozen Stage – Set the Temperature to -35 Degrees Celsius

      Now, you should know how to ensure the fast freezing of candies. For this, you will have to adjust the temperature to raise your candies to a perfect level.  From there, their ice formation’s speed will double. Hence, the temperature should be -35 degrees Celsius for 1-2 hours. Let your candies’ temperature reach the level of this high temperature. 

4. Start Cooling Vacuum Sublimation Drying (Under Constant Pressure)

   Begin cooling the cold trap of your vacuum freeze dryer. In this step, you should cool down the temperature of your cold trap to -45 degrees Celsius. When you find that the cold trap has become cold enough and reached the temperature of -45 degrees Celsius. You should turn on the vacuum pump. This will make your vacuum pump reach a constant pressure of 20 pa. This is the sublimation procedure because it will speed up the process of candy ice formation. 

5. Post-Freezing Dry Candy Steps

   First of all, make sure that your candies are perfectly frozen and ready to serve. In case they are not formed perfectly, place them back again in the dryer. But, if the formation is complete, switch off your equipment and break the vacuum. Take out the frozen dried candies and seal them in desiccant packets. This will completely absorb their moisture and enhance the product’s shelf life.

Things to Keep in Mind About the Freeze Candy Dryer’s Temperature

Take a look at the following steps to learn how to freeze dry candy with a machine at a perfect temperature: 

1. Rigorously follow the temperature of the cold trap to ensure the sublimation candy drying formation is efficient and rapid.
2. But, make sure that the temperature of candies should not be higher than -35 degrees Celsius during the pre-frozen stage
3. The sublimation of candies drying will come to an end when the temperature of the dry candies reaches the level of the core temperature.

Here is hoping that you have learned how to freeze dried candy using a frozen candy dryer without any flow. 

Can We Freeze Dry Candy at Home?

The answer is yes. Yes, you can freeze dry candy at home with the help of an ice freezer or dry ice. Moreover, The best part is that you don’t need any expertise as you may need with professional freeze dry candies. So, exercise caution and yield the best results with our suggested how to make freeze dried candy methods at home.

How to Freeze Dry Candy at a Home without a Machine?

Wondering whether or not you can freeze dry candy at home? So, rest assured!! You can make this magic of how to make freeze dry candies happen. Here are two simple and innovative methods that will help you know how to freeze dry candy at home without its machine. So, embark on the journey of freezing candies adventure and enjoy!!!

Freeze Dry Candy in an Ice Freezer

Candies often transform an ordinary day into an extraordinary one with their intensified flavors and sweetness. Additionally, the best part is that you can easily freeze your favorite sweet candies at home, using an ice freezer. 

So, are you ready to experiment with your crunchy and chewing candies? Let’s understand how to make freeze dried candy at home. Here are the steps that you need to follow to make the magic of sweet candies happen in your freezer. 

1. Preparation Step of the Candies on a Baking Tray

   Take out the moisture candy from the wrapper and then, spread it out in a single layer very carefully on a baking tray or sheet. Make sure that the baking tray or sheet is wrapped with parchment paper to avoid the sticking issue of dry candies.

2. Slip the Tray into a Freezer at 0 Degrees Temperature  

   Then, load the candies in your ice-freezer. Do not overload your freezer, otherwise, it may take a long time to freeze candies. And yes, make sure that you have set the limit of your freezer to 0 degrees Fahrenheit to achieve the best results.

3. Wait for a Few Weeks Until the Magic Happens

   Now, let the freezer make the magic happen. Wait for 2-3 weeks to complete the drying process of your candies. In the meantime, do not open the freezer over and again. It will delay the drying process because your freezer will lose the highest level of cooling power in case you open it again and again.

4. Check for Candies’ Doneness- Are They Perfect?

   After 2-3 weeks, check the doneness of your dried candies. If they are easily breakable and light, it means that they have dried in the best manner. Otherwise, wait for a few days more to let them perfectly dry.

5. Remove the Candies Gently Post their Dry Formation

   If your candies are perfectly dry, it’s time to remove them. But, you should remember that they are easily breakable. So, handle them gently and place them in freezer bags in a cool dry place.

6. Rest the Candy at Room Temperature and Savor

   Before relishing the intense flavor of these crunchy and crispy sweet candies, wait for some time. Let them adjust to room temperature. And then, see how quickly their sweetness melts in your mouth.

Use Dry Ice to Freeze Candy 

Don’t worry if you are new to freezing candies at home! This is a super easy and playful recipe but you should exercise a little bit of caution. Before you implement the following steps in real-world freezing dry candies experiments, make sure that you have thermal gloves and other safety types of equipment. Let’s set on the journey of learning how to make freeze dried candy. Here are the rigorous steps that you should follow to make candy freeze-drying possible via the dry ice method:

1.  Place Candies in Freezer Bags with CAUTION

   First off, take out your favorite flavored moisture candies from the wrapper. Then, place them in freezer bags. But, ensure that you have not sealed the freezer bag tightly. Otherwise, there may be an explosion.

2. Use Dry Ice to Cover Candies Without Humidity

   In the next step, you should cover candies with dry ice for at least one day or 24 hours. But before this, slip in your thermal gloves. Dry ice is extremely cold. Therefore, it can harm your hand’s skin. There should not be humidity in those 24 hours. But, again, take care of the fact that you will tightly seal the mouth of freezer bags.

3. Check the Freezing Candies’ Formation to Find their Doneness

   After 24 hours, you will wide open the mouth of your freezer bags. Check whether or not your frozen candies are airy or fragile. If they are lightweight and easily breakable, it means that you have completed the freezing candies procedure.

4. Transfer the Candies to New Clean Bags

   Now, it’s time to enjoy the sweetness of the candies. The curiosity about dry candies has ultimately come to an end. So, you should transfer your candies from freezing bags to new clean bags.

5. Store them to Prolong your Favorite Sweets’ Shelf Life 

   The last step is very crucial. In this step, you should place your candies in a cool and dry place. Preferably, choose an airtight container to completely keep them away from moisture. Consequently, this will prolong the shelf life of your crunchy and chewy candies. And yes, keep them away from the reach of your kids.

Conclusion 

So you know now how to freeze dry candies via different methods. Experimenting with how to make freeze dried candy is a super easy thing. There are two different ways to make the dry formation of candies at home. One is a professional using the freeze candy dryer. And another one is by using home appliances like a freezer or a cooler. But, one thing is sure, professional candy methods taste better than homemade candies. So, when you have learned to freeze dry candies in both ways, we recommend that you go with the professional one.

FAQs

How do candy companies freeze-dry candy?

Candy companies use a frozen candy dryer to freeze candies. They initiate a vacuum sublimation dryer procedure to freeze the candies dry. Since they use the sublimation dryer procedure. Since they follow temperature standards while manufacturing candies, they taste better than homemade frozen dry candies.

Is it bad to freeze candies?

It is good to freeze candies to enhance their shelf life. Freezing does not let them lose vitamins and nutrients. It retains its nutrient values while prolonging its shelf life. In some cases, it increases their nutritional value.