Contributed By: Adventures in Freeze Drying
1 Large bag will fill 2 medium trays*
Directions:
- Set the temperature of your Freeze Dryer to 135, I always have my machine set to 24 hours of extra dry time, you will only need 4-6 hours to freeze dry these. (You can also run these on a piggy back from another candy run at 135)
- Start your machine and let it cool for 15 minutes
- While your machine cools, line your trays with parchment
- Spread out your M&M’s, it’s okay if these touch some, but you want some empty space on the trays too as these will double in size.
- Put the trays in the machine, turn the Candy Mode Button to On, and then press Start. The machine will be set for 1 minute of tray warming, this will allow the machine to come to temperature before it turns the vacuum on.
- Time is machine and environment dependent. I run 6 hours in the summer, but can run 4 hours in the fall and winter.
- Store Appropriately (See Tips and Tricks for storage help)
Note: Caramel M&M’s and some other chocolate candy have a warning that they may contain Peanuts or Tree Nuts or they do contain Peanuts and Tree Nuts. If you are intending to sell candy and only have one machine, a deep cleaning is necessary before you put any other candy in, if you have multiple machines consider keeping one for running candy that contains or may contain these ingredients.
* Extra Large Tray = 15 Cups/Tray Large Tray = 8 Cups/tray Medium = 6 Cups/Tray Small = 4 Cups/Tray Cycle times & rehydration for reference only. Your results may vary.
