Will it Freeze Dry? POTATO SALAD in Harvest Right Freeze Dryer

Another segment of EpicenterBryan's "Will It Freeze Dry?" project: No Mayo Potato Salad. The reactions in the video say it all.

Here is the story, in Bryan's words: I used 10 pounds of Russet potatoes, and baked them in the oven. I put them in the refrigerator and let them cool. Later, I scooped the goodies into a pot eliminating the skins. I know, people say not to use Russets, but I get lots of compliments on my potato salad because it blends well while sill leaving satisfying chunks to bite into. In this test I assumed the compliments would still flow in this freeze dried version. NOT!

The origin of my Russet potato salad obsession is that when I was a broke student and worked at a steak house, there were always potatoes left over at the end of the night and employees were allowed to take them home for free... so I found ways to use them.

The sauce (since I didn't want to use Mayo) was made with two "one pound tubs" of sour cream and was thinned with pickle juice for the right consistency (I've done this for years in my May version). It adds that vinegar kick and dill flavor and salt at the same time. Then the sauce was seasoned to taste with some salt added, and ground black pepper and garlic powder. Then a bunch of green onions were thinly sliced and added with a bunch of sliced / diced celery. A yellow onion was also minced and added.

No mustard was added. I never use mustard in my potato salad.

The result? The potato texture, in my opinion, was the issue but the overall response was so negative! The crew trashed my attempt at freeze drying a "no mayo" version of potato salad! Really, it came down to an issue with how the potatoes re-constituted, in my opinion.

Yes, Bryan was crushed. But sometimes a "fail" isn't a failure at all! It's all about what not to do next time, right?

For more information on the benefits of home freeze drying, an introduction to Harvest Right Freeze Dryers, and information on how you can own your own freeze dryer, please visit our Harvest Right Freeze Dryers page @ TheEpicenter.com.