Freeze Drying Your Favorite Chocolate Bars - Butterfinger, BabyRuth, Snickers, and 3 Musketeers

Have you ever wondered how your favorite chocolate bars might taste if they were freeze-dried? Freeze drying can intensify flavors and change textures, offering a unique twist on traditional treats. Whether it’s leftover Halloween candy or just a creative way to enjoy your sweets, freeze drying chocolate bars could be a fun experiment.

How to Freeze Dry Chocolate Bars with the Stay Fresh Standard Freeze Dryer:

1. Preparation:

   • Unwrap the chocolate bars and cut them into smaller pieces to prevent them from sticking to the tray above as they expand.
   • Arrange the pieces on the freeze dryer trays.

2. Setup:

   • Ensure there is no moisture in the chamber or drain line.
   • Load the trays onto the shelves.
   • Securely close the vacuum and drain valves, and shut the acrylic door.
     

3. Freeze Drying Process:

   • On the main screen, select 'Freeze Drying' and then 'Candy'.

   • Pure chocolate does not freeze dry but melts at high temperature. For this experiment, we set the max shelf temperature to 150°F to in order to test the expansion of ingredients that can freeze dry inside of these chocolate bars. This temperature ensures that if any part of the bar can expand, it will do so fully.

   • Press 'Start' to begin the cycle.

     

4. After Processing:

   • Once the cycle completes, immediately seal the candy pieces in mylar bags or airtight mason jars to protect them from moisture.

Results Discussion:

• 3 Musketeers exhibited no expansion, indicating that it lacks ingredients responsive to freeze drying.
  

• Snickers expanded impressively, primarily due to its caramel content, which reacts favorably to freeze drying even at lower temperatures.
  

• Baby Ruth demonstrated good expansion, though slightly less than Snickers, likely due to its lower caramel content.
  

• Butterfinger showed minimal expansion. While its crispy layers did not respond significantly to freeze drying, the filling between layers expanded modestly. Despite limited visual change, the flavor enhancement was notable.
  

Why Choose Stay Fresh?

The Stay Fresh freeze dryer is ideal for both novices and experts. It simplifies the freeze-drying process with user-friendly automated settings while also providing options to customize settings for specific needs. This flexibility makes Stay Fresh an excellent choice for experimental food preservation, such as transforming favorite chocolate bars into novel snacks. With Stay Fresh, you can explore a wide range of culinary possibilities with ease and reliability.