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The Ugly

Yesterday, I talked about the changes that have been made to the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer in their new model that made it worthwhile to upgrade. We also reviewed some of the annoying things about the unit that make it difficult. Today, I’m going to review some of the “uglier” aspects of this unit. SurvivalBlog holds a high standard when it comes to product reviews. You’re going to get the bad with the good here. If you purchase this unit based upon our reviews, you’re going to know what to expect. I already covered the major changes that Harvest Right made to the new unit. These “uglier” aspects deal mostly with just owning and operating this type of device. Unless otherwise noted, it applies to both the older model and the newer model.

The Elephant In The Room – Price

Let’s get this out in the open right up front. Most people complain about the price on this machine. But it’s really a matter of perspective. Prior to Harvest Right, you had basically two options: 1) Make your own, or 2) Spend more than $10,000 (and usually closer to $30,000) for one of comparable capability. Is price really an issue then? If you purchase this unit at full Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Pricing, you will still be paying less than half of what any other freeze drying unit I’ve found costs. Sure, we want it all. I’d love to have the capabilities of this unit for the price of a good kitchen appliance. I don’t think that’s being very realistic.

Continue reading“Harvest Right: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Part 2, by HJL”

Hugh,

First, let me share a little background. I spent 20 years in the industrial labeling area, putting labels on everything from small engines to processed food.

This experience has given me a critical eye on the expiration dates printed on consumer packaging. I can tell you that the production people, the ones sweating on the packaging lines, are very concerned about the safety of what they are working on. Most of them consider the dates they have to put on the cans, jars, boxes, et cetera as a joke. They know that the packaging they are sending down the line is good for decades.

With apologies to the bulk packaging/home canning advertisers, I feel you just cannot, in a home kitchen setting, match the quality of an industrial kitchen run by professionals. Is it “over cooked?” Maybe, but it is safe. (If you are canning home grown stuff, go for it! I grew up on that kind of thing.)

Continue reading“Letter Re: Food Storage Expiration”

I have always wondered about food storage manufacturers’ claims about the shelf life of their products. Many claim 30 years shelf life for what they sell. Of course, the question is how can the consumer ever know that this is true?

Many purchasers are dead and buried by the time 30 years pass. Who could ever go back and demand that their money be returned if it did turnout that the product had gone bad?

I know one fellow who obtained No. 10 cans of wheat from a small survival food manufacturer. When he opened a can several years later, to his horror, he found the contents to be moldy. He began opening other cans and found that all of the others were similar. That would obviously be a very bad thing, even something fatal to discover during a long-term emergency.

I believe that many survivalist/preppers, like me, are reluctant to open relatively expensive cans of stored products to test them. Having paid the money for the product, they are reluctant to “waste” it by using it during normal times.

Continue reading“Letter Re: Food Storage Expiration”