Best Home Freeze Dryer Accessories for the Harvest Right Medium
When I first started researching home freeze dryers, I focused entirely on the machine itself. The sticker price felt significant enough without thinking about what else I might need. But like most kitchen investments, the initial purchase is just the beginning. After two years of regular freeze drying, I've learned that the accessories and ongoing supplies can add up quickly, and some are absolutely essential for getting the most out of your investment.
If you're considering a freeze dryer, understanding these additional costs upfront will help you budget properly and avoid surprises down the road. Some of these items are must-haves for proper food storage, while others are convenience upgrades that make the process much smoother.
Disclosure
Some links on FiberMaiden are affiliate links. When you click and purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I partner only with brands and tools I trust and use in my own kitchen, studio, and garden. Your support means a lot.
The Non-Negotiables: Storage Supplies
These aren't optional if you want your freeze dried foods to last years rather than months.
Mylar Bags Every batch of freeze dried food needs proper packaging, and mylar bags are the gold standard. They block light and provide an excellent moisture barrier when heat sealed. You'll go through these constantly, and quality matters. Cheap bags can develop pinhole leaks that compromise your food over time.
I typically use 1-quart bags for most items, though smaller and larger sizes come in handy depending on batch sizes and family needs. Budget at least $50-100 annually for bags if you're freeze drying regularly.
Oxygen Absorbers These little packets remove oxygen from sealed bags, preventing rancidity and extending shelf life dramatically. They're single-use and have a limited shelf life once opened, so you'll need to factor them into every storage session.
The key is buying the right size for your bags and using them quickly once a package is opened. I learned this the hard way when a package of absorbers I'd left open for too long didn't work properly, and several bags of expensive freeze dried berries didn't store as well as they should have.
Heat Sealer Your bags are only as good as your seal. A quality impulse sealer is essential for creating airtight packages. I started with a basic model but quickly upgraded when I realized how much time and frustration a better sealer saves.
Get 3 Free Recipe Sheets
Ready for recipes that don't require a culinary degree to follow? Get seasonal recipe sheets designed for real kitchens and busy lives, the kind that work even when your kids are asking for snacks mid-prep.
The Game Changers: Tray Accessories
These accessories transformed how efficiently I could use my freeze dryer.
Tray Covers This was one of my best purchases. The covers allow you to stack loaded trays in the freezer, which means you can prep multiple batches while one is running. During peak harvest season, this becomes incredibly valuable.
I can load strawberries on one set of trays and get them freezing while the freeze dryer finishes a batch of vegetables. It maximizes efficiency and helps prevent that bottleneck feeling when you have lots of produce ready at once.
Extra Tray Sets Having a second complete set of trays means one set can be in the freezer pre-freezing while another set is in the machine. This simple addition nearly doubled my processing capacity during busy times.
The extra trays also mean less washing between batches. Instead of rushing to clean trays so I can start the next batch, I can take my time and rotate between sets.
Silicone Mats These aren't strictly necessary, but they've saved me countless hours of cleanup. Sticky items like bananas, mangos, or anything with natural sugars can be nightmarish to clean off the standard trays.
The silicone mats make removal effortless and cleanup almost trivial. For the relatively small investment, they're worth every penny if you plan to freeze dry fruits regularly.
Storage Solutions Beyond Bags
While mylar bags work beautifully for long-term storage, I've found other options useful for shorter-term storage and everyday use.
Glass Jars For items we'll use within a year, glass jars work perfectly and feel more sustainable than constantly using mylar bags. They're ideal for freeze dried herbs, small batches of fruits, or items you want to display in the pantry.
Jar Vacuum Sealer This attachment removes air from canning jars and creates a good seal for medium-term storage. It's not as effective as mylar bags with oxygen absorbers for truly long-term storage, but it's perfect for items you'll use relatively quickly.
The convenience factor is huge, too. It's much easier to grab a jar of freeze dried strawberries for the kids' snacks than to open a sealed mylar bag.
The Hidden Costs
Electricity Freeze dryers use significant electricity, especially during the initial freeze phase. My electric bill definitely reflects frequent use, though the cost per batch has decreased as I've learned to maximize each cycle.
Running costs vary by location and local electricity rates, but budget $3-8 per batch depending on your local rates and the length of your cycle.
Replacement Parts Over time, you'll need to replace vacuum pump oil, door seals, and potentially other components. These aren't huge expenses, but they add up over years of use.
Making It Work: My Purchasing Strategy
I didn't buy everything at once. My first priority was proper storage supplies, mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and a decent heat sealer. These are essential for making freeze drying worthwhile.
The tray accessories came next, and they made such a difference in efficiency that I wish I'd bought them sooner. The silicone mats were my most recent addition, and while not essential, they've eliminated one of my biggest frustrations with the process.
For storage, I started with mylar bags for everything, then added jars and the vacuum sealer as I figured out what worked best for different foods and usage patterns.
The Bottom Line
Factor in ongoing costs like mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, jars, jar vacuum sealer, and increased electricity usage if possible. I also highly recommend buying the covers for the trays so you can stack them in the freezer, extra trays so you can have one set freezing while the other is in the freeze dryer, and one tray set of the silicone mats. The mats are not do or die but they are very helpful for sticky items like bananas and mangos. Just makes clean up easier.
All these items add up over time but are either necessary for proper long-term storage or ease of use. The key is understanding these costs upfront so you can budget appropriately and prioritize what you need most.
When I factor in all these additional expenses, my true investment in freeze drying is significantly higher than just the machine cost. But for our family, the ability to preserve peak-season produce with minimal waste and maximum nutrition retention makes it worthwhile.
The real value comes from using the system regularly and efficiently. The accessories and supplies that seemed expensive initially have paid for themselves many times over in reduced food waste and better preservation results.
