Freeze-Dried vs. Dehydrated: What's the Difference?

“Freeze-dried” and “dehydrated” often get used to mean the same thing, but they are two different ways of drying food, and they give you very different results. Here is the plain difference, and how we use both.

Dehydrating: low heat, slow and steady

Dehydrating uses gentle warmth and moving air to draw the water out of food over several hours. The food shrinks, turns chewy, and takes on a deeper flavor. Think of a dried orange wheel or a piece of fruit leather.

We make our dehydrated oranges and dehydrated limes this way: bright, tangy, and good in cocktails, cooking, or tea.

Freeze drying: frozen first, then vacuum-dried

Freeze drying takes a different path. We freeze the food solid, then draw the water out as vapor under vacuum, without ever melting it. It keeps its shape, turns light and crunchy, and holds on to most of its flavor and color.

That is why our freeze-dried strawberries crunch and then soften on your tongue, while a dried version stays chewy.

How they compare

• Texture: dehydrated is chewy and dense; freeze-dried is light and crisp.
• Flavor: both deepen the flavor, but freeze drying keeps it closest to fresh.
• Shelf life: dehydrated food keeps for months; sealed freeze-dried food can last for years.
• Best for: dehydrated works well in cooking and drinks; freeze-dried makes a light snack and keeps for the long term.

Which should you buy?

It depends on what you want. For a crunchy snack that keeps for years, choose freeze-dried. For a chewy, concentrated ingredient for the kitchen or bar, choose dehydrated. We make both, so you can keep some of each on hand.

Want to know how long each one lasts? Read our guide on how long freeze-dried food lasts.

Browse our freeze-dried snacks and dehydrated and preserved foods.