About
The math behind a good batch.
What freeze drying yield means
Yield is the ratio of finished dry product to starting wet product, expressed as a percentage. A 10% yield means 1 kg of fresh strawberries became 100 g of freeze dried strawberries — the rest was water removed during sublimation.
Why tracking yield matters
Consistent yield numbers reveal whether your cycle finished, whether your trays were overloaded, and whether your raw ingredients are consistent batch-to-batch. For businesses, yield directly drives cost-per-gram and pricing.
Benefits for hobbyists
Hobbyists use yield to compare ingredients, plan portion sizes for backpacking meals, and validate that the freeze drier ran a full cycle. Lower-than-expected yield often signals incomplete drying.
Benefits for businesses
Producers use yield as a quality control metric, an input to cost calculations, and a planning number when scaling production. Track it per ingredient, per cycle, and per supplier.