drying them under yacum. The resulting product has only

drying them under yacum. The resulting product has only 2 percent of its original 'Water. For example, 100 pounds of raw deboned chicken meat is reduced to 29 pounds of freeze-dried chicken. And 100 pounds of fresh mushrooms, when freeze-dried, weigh only 11 pounds. _. Tr ee ze-dr led foods retalTf their original shape, but look much like a dried sponge. To rehydrate them, the nome maker simply soaks them in water. Or, there are many other possibilities. They may be cooked in soups, and rehydrated in this way. Straw* berries can be rehydrated with syrup,- meats with water to which tenderizer has been added, and fish with water and lemon juice. . At present, seven u»n>. panieshavefce e z e-drieJ _foods_ on the market. Some “of Thesfe foods are campersr, .fare. But two soup companies use freeze dried chicken and' beef, onions, and mushrooms in their dried soups. And two other firms are working on freeze-dried foods for res_ taurant and institutional use ’ — one with shrimp, chicken, and crab; the other with fruit and vegetable products. The taste tests indicate that freeze-drying works better on some products than on others. Also, the knowhow in processing has much to do with the quality of the product. Chicken, turkey, ham, and hamburger were rated acceptable in their preliminary testing. Shrimp and crab, which had previously been market tested, are assured successes. Among the vegetables, asparagus and a few members of the cabbage family, for example broccoli, have potential. Mushrooms are now being freeze-dried in large quantities. Among the fruits, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, pineapple, apples, apricots, and others appear economically feasible. Products like fish, cakes, sausages, stews, soups, puddings, and even whole prepared meals may have a place in the food marketing system. Specialty foodsseasonings, spices, coffee, and fruit powders- also appear promising.