Make-Ahead Food for Your Next Summer Party

Summer means burgers on the grill, corn fresh off the cob, homemade salsa, potato salad, and lemonade. A home freeze dryer makes it easy to prep most of these ahead of time, and to save whatever you made a little too much of — which means more time outside and less time in the kitchen when the next party rolls around.

Freeze-Drying Fresh Ground Hamburger

Bulk sales on fresh ground hamburger are common this time of year — if you find a good deal, or just buy more than you end up serving, your freeze dryer is the easiest way to not waste it. Form patties no more than ¾-inch thick, freeze-dry them in a single layer on the trays, and store in an airtight container like a mylar bag with an oxygen absorber. Label raw freeze-dried meat clearly, since it still needs to be handled and cooked like any raw ground beef.

To rehydrate, submerge the patties in water for a few minutes, then pat dry with a paper towel. From there, grill or cook them exactly as you would a fresh patty — rehydrating only brings back the texture, it doesn't cook the meat. Leftover patties also work well crumbled into a hamburger casserole or another favorite recipe, or simply kept in long-term storage for whenever you need a quick meal.

A Healthier Chip

Crunchy, salty chips are practically mandatory at a summer party. Freeze-dried root vegetables and summer squash, tossed with a spritz of olive oil and some seasoning salt, make a lighter alternative to the usual bag of potato chips. 3 freeze-dried veggie chips to replace potato chips goes deeper into the specific technique if you want to make a real batch rather than a quick one.

Fast Potato Salad

The most time-consuming part of potato salad is cubing the potatoes. Pre-cube and freeze-dry a batch sized for your usual recipe, then add the freeze-dried cubes straight to boiling water the next time you want to make it — the prep work is already done.

The Best Tangy Lemonade

Lemons freeze-dry well either way: sliced with the rind on, or peeled first if you'd rather skip the bitterness. To make lemonade, pour cold water over the freeze-dried slices and add sugar to taste. Freeze-dried lemon can also be ground into a powder and used in lemon cakes or tarts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can freeze-dried hamburger patties be cooked straight from rehydration?
Submerge them in water to rehydrate, pat dry, then cook or grill them exactly as you would a fresh raw patty — rehydrating restores the texture but doesn't cook the meat.

How do you make lemonade from freeze-dried lemons?
Pour cold water over freeze-dried lemon slices and add sugar until it reaches the flavor you want.

What's a quick way to speed up making potato salad?
Pre-cube potatoes, freeze-dry them in recipe-sized batches, and add them straight to boiling water next time you're ready to make the salad — skipping the cubing step on the day of.