David Fiske Affiliate marketing & web development musings from Fiske Towers

I've got some space food for sale on eBay if anyone's struggling for gift ideas this Christmas. They're all freeze dried and have a novelty factor about them!
 
Here's how they freeze dry ice cream:

Freeze-drying, or lysophilisation, removes water from the ice cream by lowering the air pressure to a point where ice shifts from a solid to a gas. The ice cream is placed in a vacuum chamber and frozen until the water crystallises. The air pressure is lowered, creating a vacuum, forcing air out of the chamber; next heat is applied, vaporising the ice; finally a freezing coil traps the vaporized water. This process continues for hours, resulting in a perfect freeze-dried ice cream slice.

Just to reassure you, I have tried all of these myself and I was very suprised. I didn't expect them to taste anything like they should do but they really do. Plus, it's interesting seeing ice cream freeze dried - it's got the same sort of consistency as the crunchy part of a Crunchie bar!