Wicked Good Foods of Beatrice, Neb., sells freeze-dried candy, fruit, vegetables and confectionary treats.
Freeze-dried food isn’t just good. It’s wicked good. Shrimp Iqf
Just ask entrepreneur Kylee Schoen, owner of Wicked Good Foods out of Beatrice, Nebraska.
The phrase “wicked good” derives from the east coast, meaning “awesome.” The freeze-dried produce, candy and novelty confectionary items made at Wicked Good Foods live up to their name in superior quality and taste.
Since beginning to freeze-dry candy in her home three years ago, Schoen has grown her inventory to include fruits, vegetables, cheeses and confectionary items. Her business now includes a storefront in downtown Beatrice, and her wholesale products can be found in 24 Hy-Vee stores and boutiques in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Nebraska. She also supplies Rushmore Candy Co., and its sister company, Candyland, both in South Dakota.
Kylee Schoen has grown her business from freeze drying in one machine at home to owning a storefront and running 28 machines at once. She has plans for expansion as demand is still growing.
“We are the only company right now in the state of Nebraska authorized to freeze-dry and sell fruits, candy and vegetables,” Schoen said.
Demand for the wholesale products has increased so much that Schoen recently quit her 17-year career as a 911 dispatcher to dedicate time solely to her business venture. The entire Schoen family is involved, including her husband Aaron and two daughters, ages 9 and 11. In addition, Wicked Good Foods employs about 10 people.
Schoen has actively been advertising her freeze-dried products by spending her weekends at events. Last year alone, Wicked Food Foods made its appearance at 95 shows. Its online presence is expanding, as well. To market her goods on Amazon, Schoen purchased barcodes specific to each product.
After showcasing Wicked Good Foods at the 2022 Nebraska State Fair, Schoen sold an estimated 275,000 bags of freeze-dried foods. Sales have more than tripled since.
Reaching this point has required research, trials and patience.
Schoen spent six months testing products to ensure proper temperature was achieved and foods were being processed long enough. Working with the food lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Schoen had each ingredient analyzed with a water test at $35 per item.
These Jolly Rancher candies are cut into fourths before being put into the freeze dryer, otherwise they would expand so much they would hit the tray above them.
“I paid the fee for a water test on each item to make sure we were going above and beyond to be in compliance,” Schoen said.
As demand for Schoen’s freeze-dried candy increased, she outgrew her one freeze dryer machine.
“We quickly found out there was a need for fruits and vegetables, so we started branching out and buying more machines,” Schoen said.
Because Schoen wanted to sell more than just freeze-dried candy, she needed a commercial kitchen. In Nebraska, any food product not considered shelf-stabled (i.e. sliced fruit, cheese) must be prepared in a commercial kitchen.
The Schoen’s purchased a building in Beatrice and began renovations. They installed sinks and other kitchen equipment, put in a large walk-in freezer and rewired the rooms to accommodate the freeze dryers. Each machine has its own circuit to avoid tripping breakers.
These are the same Jolly Rancher candies after being freeze dried.
Schoen began with seven freeze drying machines and now has 28. She is looking to purchase a larger freeze dryer with the capacity for 250 pounds of fresh food.
Wickd Good Foods products begin with the freshest produce. Schoen said she is very particular about what food is freeze-dried and has rejected fruits or vegetables with blemishes. She does not add any preservatives or sweeteners to the foods before processing. The only exception is cinnamon and sugar on the apple slices.
“We are big on keeping everything as natural as possible,” said Schoen.
Many of her customers cannot consume any sugar or other additives, she said, so she wants them to trust they are getting just the fruit or vegetable without any “extras” from Wicked Good Foods.
As a precaution against cross-contamination for food allergies, foods are kept separate during the entire freeze-drying process, from the preparation stage to freeze drying to packaging. Trays are cleaned and then sanitized between each batch.
The freezers run 24 hours a day, or as long as a cycle takes to process the food. A two-hour defrost is required in between the cycles. Foods without much moisture, such as confetti brownies, take an average of 24-28 hours. Peaches or pineapple cycle in 40-80 hours.
“We’ll run everything an extra 24 hours to ensure it is dry,” Schoen said.
To cut down on the freeze-drying time, all foods except candy are pre-frozen at least 24 hours. Schoen said this extra step eliminates about 12 hours in the machine.
“Pre-freezing helps the pump a lot because the machine has to get down to 5 to 20 degrees below zero,” said Schoen.
Pre-freezing foods can help cut down freeze-drying time by about 12 hours.
Almost any food can be freeze-dried. Some of the novelty items at Wicked Good Foods are freeze dried cheese cake bites and freeze dried Caprese salad, which is an Italian entrée with tomato and cheese. She is also partnering with a local Dairy Queen to freeze dry ice cream cake. Working with another local company, she will soon be offering freeze-dried salsa.
She has not had success freeze drying Mike and Ike’s, Red Hots or Cinnamon Bears. Schoen wonders if an ingredient such as cornstarch prevents these candies from changing when freeze-dried. Sadly, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or any food with peanut butter, does not fare well in the freeze drying machine, either.
“The peanut butter just melts into a puddle,” said Schoen. They are looking for a peanut butter alternative.
Schoen’s next project is freeze drying homemade meals. Selling soups, stews and prepared meals requires a few extra steps, but Schoen has already been taking course about food handling and food contamination.
“Any classes I can take to better my knowledge to make sure we are offering a quality and safe product,” said Schoen.
Her commitment to her customers is part of what makes Wicked Good Foods successful. Schoen said that she has had overwhelming support and is grateful for those individuals and companies who have been willing to give her a chance.
Find out how “wicked good” freeze-dried food can be by trying any of the products offered by Wicked Good Foods. Check out their newly-updated website at https://www.wickedgoodfoodsne.com/.
Reporter Kristen Sindelar has loved agriculture her entire life, coming from a diversified farm with three generations working side-by-side in northeastern Nebraska. Reach her at Kristen.Sindelar@midwestmessenger.com.
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Wicked Good Foods of Beatrice, Neb., sells freeze-dried candy, fruit, vegetables and confectionary treats.
These Jolly Rancher candies are cut into fourths before being put into the freeze dryer, otherwise they would expand so much they would hit the tray above them.
These are the same Jolly Rancher candies after being freeze dried.
Pre-freezing foods can help cut down freeze-drying time by about 12 hours.
Kylee Schoen has grown her business from freeze drying in one machine at home to owning a storefront and running 28 machines at once. She has plans for expansion as demand is still growing.
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