How to Freeze Flowers
Tip
Ensure all moisture is removed for a perfectly dried specimen.
Warning
If you freeze flowers in a regular freezer, they will freeze, but the moisture will not be removed. Upon thawing they will be damaged.
By freezing flowers, you can preserve their natural beauty and shape. A regular freezer, though, will not preserve your flowers. The key is to remove all the moisture, which a freezer will not do. You will need to purchase freeze drying equipment in order to do this properly. Once you have a freeze dryer, it will be easy to freeze flowers.
Instructions
Allow the flowers to open up naturally as far as you like. Warm water will open up your flowers faster.
- By freezing flowers, you can preserve their natural beauty and shape.
- The key is to remove all the moisture, which a freezer will not do.
Let your flowers absorb the water naturally for approximately 12 hours. Verify that the stems are freshly cut and fluff the flower heads.
Remove all foliage from the stems and cut to the desired length. The heads dry faster than the stems, so shorter stems will allow for faster drying times.
Cool the freeze chamber to -5 degrees F. Turn on the vacuum for 10 seconds to seal the door. Load the flowers onto the rack and transfer them into the pre-cooled chamber.
Put the blackout cover on the door and ensure the interior light is off. Turn the vacuum pump on and leave them in the chamber at -5 degrees for 24 hours.
- Let your flowers absorb the water naturally for approximately 12 hours.
- Put the blackout cover on the door and ensure the interior light is off.
Increase the temperature in the chamber every two days by 5 degrees F. In 10 days the temperature should be up to 20 degrees F.
After 10 to 12 days, open up your equipment and see whether the flowers are dried. If the flowers are cold to the touch, they are not completely dried. Dried flowers should not be cold because of their lack of moisture.
Related Articles
References
