Australia's Best Freeze Dried Candy & Crunchy Sweets

The Growing Popularity of Freeze Dried Sweets in Australia

Freeze dried foods have become increasingly popular in recent years, both globally and in Australia. This process allows foods like fruits, vegetables, and even candies to retain most of their flavor, nutrients, shape, and color - while removing the water content to create a lightweight, crunchy finished product.

One of the most beloved applications of freeze drying is for sweets like lollies and chocolates. The freeze dried version of these tasty treats have developed a growing cult following across Australia for their unique texture and concentrated sweet flavors.

Why Freeze Dried Sweets are Trending

There are several reasons why freeze dried lollies and chocolates appeal to Australian candy lovers:

• They are extremely crunchy and crispy, providing a fun eating experience.
• The drying process condenses the sugary flavor into an intense candy burst.
• They are lightweight and less messy than traditional sticky candies.
• Long shelf life makes them ideal for hiking, traveling, or storage.

Additionally, the bright colors and shapes retain beautifully in the freeze drying process. This allows companies to create visually stunning treats using fruits like strawberries, pineapples, mangoes, and more.

Australia's Best Freeze Dried Sweets

A number of businesses across the country now specialize exclusively in freezed dried candy and chocolates. Here are some of the most popular Australian brands leading this crunchy confectionery trend:

• Snack Brands Australia - their range of Paradice freeze dried fruits pack a sweet punch.
• Amazing Graze - offers creative tray packs mixing chocolates with dried fruits.
• Essentially Australia - specializes in sourcing local fruits for freeze drying.
• Nutra-Life - produces the popular "Fruit Nuggets" line of bite-sized candies.

Freeze Dried Candy in Gift Shops & Specialty Stores

Beyond established candy brands, many Australian gift shops and specialty food stores now carry their own lines of freezedried candy or may showcase boutique, locally made products.

For those with a sweet tooth, make sure to peruse the shelves of stores like:

• Sugar Republic
• YIROS Foods
• Australian Lolly Shop
• Australiana Fudge & Candy Kitchen

Their rotating selections are likely to include trendy freeze dried options alongside chocolate covered snacks and nostalgic Aussie favorites like pineapple lumps or raspberry candy canes.

Taste Testing Australia's Favorite Freeze Dried Sweets

We ordered an assortment of the most popular freezedried candy and chocolates available from Australian online shops and specialty retailers so we could taste these crunchy treats for ourselves.

Paradice Freeze Dried Pineapple & Mango

These tropical fruit pieces were souredced from the Australia's Sunraysia region. They captured the bright flavors wonderfully while offering a crispy texture similar to breakfast cereal. The pineapple had a tangy zing and the mango was lush and creamy.

Strawberry Fruit Nuggets

These tiny freeze dried lollies packed a powerful strawberry punch. They were also one of the most crunchy, with a very firm bite releasing concentrated sweetness. Addictively good snacking!

Outback Chocolate Drops

A nice blend of rich chocolate flavors with freeze dried fruits like banana chips, mango, and pineapple. Went down smooth with a very pleasing crunch.

Candy ME Happy Freeze Dried Jelly Sours

These tiny sugar crystals on the outside provided tangy flavor that gave way to an airy, crispy jelly center. Fun twist on a classic candy!

How is Freeze Dried Candy Made?

The technical process of freeze drying candy allows so much flavor to get packed into these crunchy sweets.

Freezing

Candy ingredients like fruit juices, chocolate, or liquid syrups are first frozen to lock structure and prevent oozing/melting when water is removed.

Vacuum Sealing

The frozen candy is then placed under a strong vacuum to lower surrounding pressure. This allows ice crystals to sublimate from solid phase immediately to gas without passing through a liquid stage.

Water Vapor Removal

The water vapor emitted from the frozen candy or chocolate is then condensed onto refrigerated coils and drained away, leaving very low moisture content in the final product.

Additional Drying

Depending on candy ingredients and desired texture, additional heat drying may occur to finalize the crispy, crunchy finished product before packaging.

Storing Your Freeze Dried Sweets

One great advantage freeze dried candies have over traditional sweets is their long shelf life. The very low moisture content virtually halts deterioration or spoilage.

As long as you store your crunchy candy in an airtight container, it can last 6-12 months at room temperature without losing crispness or flavor!

For even longer lasting freezedried lollies and chocolate, consider refrigeration or freezing. This can extend optimal taste and texture for several years.

With such great survival ability, freeze dried sweets are perfect for keeping at your desk, bringing along when traveling, tossing in a lunchbox, or having on hand for sudden snack attacks!

FAQs

How long do freeze dried candies last?

In an air-tight container at room temperature, most freeze dried sweets will last 6-12 months without losing freshness or going stale. Refrigeration or freezing can extend shelf life to several years.

Can you freeze dry any candy or chocolate?

Technically many types of candies can be freeze dried, but the process works best for items with high sugar or fruit juice content that will crystallize and maintain structure. Items like gummies may collapse or weep liquids during drying.

Why is freeze dried candy so crunchy?

Removing nearly all moisture allows the sugary ingredients to crystallize completely into a crispy, brittle structure that breaks apart with an enjoyable crunch when bitten into.

Is freeze dried fruit healthy?

Dried fruit does concentrate natural sugars, but maintains most vitamins and nutrients from the fresh versions. When enjoyed in moderation, freeze dried fruits make a very healthy, nutrition-packed snack.

Where can I find freeze dried candy in Australia?

Major candy brands as well specialty shops across Australia now sell both locally made and imported freeze dried sweets. They can also be found easily online from various e-commerce sites.