Our Lab Process — How We Freeze-Dry
How We Freeze-Dry Fruit at −50°C
Our Ajman lab, 6 steps, 24 hours, zero heat.
The science in one paragraph
Freeze-drying is the process that separates Nukha snacks from everything else on the shelf. It's sublimation under vacuum at sub-zero temperatures — water leaves the fruit as vapour without ever passing through the liquid phase, so the fruit's cellular structure, colour, and natural sugars stay intact. No heat, no browning, no added preservatives, no shortcuts.
The scientific record on this process is specific. A 2011 peer-reviewed study on five freeze-dried tropical fruits — starfruit, mango, papaya, muskmelon, and watermelon — found no significant change in ascorbic acid (vitamin C) content between fresh fruit and the freeze-dried samples (Shofian, N.M. et al. 2011, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 12(7):4678). That's a published finding on this process preserving a heat-labile nutrient. We don't publish Nukha-specific retention percentages until we commission our own peer-reviewed study.
What we do commit to, batch by batch: real fruit sourced at peak ripeness, 24 to 36 hours in vacuum, moisture under 3%, halal-compliant end-to-end, shipped at ambient temperature across the UAE with no dry ice and no refrigeration.
The 6-Step Lab Process
Sourcing at Peak Ripeness
Every Nukha batch starts with fresh produce picked at peak ripeness — not under-ripe supermarket overflow. Mangoes from India and Pakistan. Strawberries from Spain and UAE hydroponic farms. Dragon fruit from Vietnam. Figs from Turkey.
We source by flavour potential, not cost-per-kilo. Every delivery is inspected on arrival: colour, sugar brix, firmness. Under-ripe fruit is rejected.
Washing, Prepping, Slicing
Everything is triple-washed in food-grade water, hand-inspected, and sliced to thickness matching each fruit's cellular structure. Mango slices 3–4mm. Kiwi wheels 2mm. Strawberries halved.
Too thin and pieces crumble. Too thick and the centre stays tough. Slicing thickness is documented per-fruit and audited monthly.
Flash Freezing at −40°C
Prepped produce drops to −40°C in under 90 minutes. The rapid freeze creates tiny ice crystals that don't rupture cell walls — why our fruit keeps its colour and shape.
Slow freezing creates jagged crystals that destroy texture. We don't slow-freeze. Every tray logged with freezing duration and core-temperature readings.
Sublimation at −50°C in Vacuum
The magic step. Frozen produce enters the freeze-drying chamber, which drops to −50°C, creates a near-total vacuum (pressure under 1 millibar), and applies a gentle heat pulse to the shelf — not the product.
Ice sublimates — turns directly from solid to vapour, skipping liquid entirely. Over 24–36 hours, the bulk of the water leaves. What remains is dry, crunchy fruit with shape, colour, nutrients, and flavour intact.
Quality Check
Every batch inspected for crispness (shatters easily, no soft spots), colour retention, moisture under 3%, and taste (two team members per batch).
Fail any of the four — batch rejected. QC log retained for UAE regulatory inspection.
Nitrogen Flushing & Sealing
Finished product packed into barrier pouches, flushed with nitrogen before sealing. Removes oxygen — the biggest enemy of shelf life.
Pouches keep the crunch 12–18 months at room temperature. Every pouch date-stamped and traceable to its lab batch.
Why not vacuum-fry everything?
We use vacuum-frying (low-temp oil frying under vacuum) for two specific products: Broccoli and Yellow Peach. These benefit from a slight oil-crisped texture freeze-drying alone can't produce. Vacuum-frying at low temperature means far less oil absorption than conventional frying.
Everything else — every fruit, ice cream, rainbow candy bite — is freeze-dried. No compromise.
What about the ice cream?
Our ice cream range (Nutella, Saffron-Pistachio, Mixed) goes through the same sublimation, with one twist: we freeze it first at −40°C to set the structure before the drier kicks in. Dairy fats stay intact, creaminess reappears when rehydrated (by your mouth's saliva), same 12–18 month shelf stability.
Try what this process produces
Follow the lab on Instagram
@alnukharoastery — daily process shots, new drops, customer stories.
Come See the Lab
Book an appointment to visit our Ajman facility. Watch a batch come out of the chamber, taste it seconds after it's sealed, meet the team.
📍 Shop 8, Rawdha 2, Ajman, UAE
📱 WhatsApp: +971 55 426 9409
✉ Email: contact@alnukharoastery.store