07/12/2025
Good morning!
Thank you all for following along with my journey and for all of your support. I have some new followers and wanted to share a little about myself and my business 🫶🏻
My name is Jessica and I make fresh, homemade freeze-dried candy right here in Portsmouth, Virginia!
People often ask- what got me into freeze drying? Well, I am working towards self sustainability on my homestead and anyone who raises animals on a small scale knows that it is not exactly profitable. I was looking for something that could supplement my feed bill during “off” seasons and help me improve my enclosures and enrichment. I wanted something that has lots of potential for different projects/applications, and with sustainability in mind a freeze-dryer was a no-brainer! Freeze-dried food, when stored properly, can last up to 25 years and what you can do is really only limited by your imagination.
For now I only freeze-dry candy for sale, but as I get my homestead up and running I will be looking to (eventually) add products from my animals! At Beak & Burrow I raise coturnix quail and Creme d’Argent rabbits (very rare) and I also have some chickens just for fun.
I am also a SAHM to an amazing 3.5yo so as you can imagine, I stay pretty busy. I may not always have the time or the spoons to update my socials as often as I probably should, but those spoons are spent on my daughter and my animals first and that’s what it’s all about, right? She’s going to know how to care for animals, how to improvise and work with curveballs and weather, and she’s going to know where her food comes from. I am able to do all of that in part because of everyone’s support with our candy 🫶🏻
At Snack Alchemy I strive to make the best product I can to keep your business and your trust. As a nurse, I am very aware of health and safety and take them very seriously. I also take pride in my work and do everything I can to make sure that my products are as dry and stay as dry as I can make them. I don’t cut corners! Some things I do to achieve this are:
- I put every batch through hours of extra dry time to compensate for the higher humidity in this area
- I run a dehumidifier almost all day in my house to keep humidity down while I am packaging
- I trialed several kinds of containers and buy the ones that keep the candy dry the longest. These are also re-usable and microwave and dishwasher safe!! 😻 Containers also get heat sealed, which is mostly for tamper-proof but i think it helps the seal too.
- I keep meticulous records of each batch on each tray in my machine and make adjustments as needed based on time of year, humidity, and even batches of candy
- If a candy looks like it is *starting* to become past its prime, I either give it away or discount it close to cost. I can tell when a container is too far gone, those get tossed.
I want everyone to have a sense of wonder while eating my candy. The way that the textures change and the flavors become concentrated is actually kind of amazing, and I want to share that experience! If you ever receive a container that is less than perfect (because despite all my efforts to protect the candy, the heat and humidity of the summer can sometimes still be too much for it) please let me know and I will make it right! I do this for my animals and for fun, I don’t want anyone feeling disappointed 🫶🏻
If you have tried my candy and love it, please take a moment to leave me a review in the review section on my page! It really helps to get my name out there ✨
Thanks for reading my book, stay safe and cool out there and I hope to see you out at markets soon!
