Southwest Region schools serve freeze-dried carrot chips from 2,300 pounds of summer vegetables

Students in the Southwest Region School District's eight rural schools are snacking on freeze-dried carrot chips this fall, the result of a summer spent preserving more than 2,300 pounds of local potatoes and carrots.

The district's Local Foods for Schools grant, which pays for buying food from local producers, arrived late in the school year, Jania Stephen wrote in the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development's October school meals bulletin. So the district bought the vegetables from DiTomaso's before summer break and preserved them itself.

Two staff members ran the district's freeze dryer from May through August, about 50 pounds at a time in cycles that each took 36 hours. Stephen wrote that freeze-drying keeps 90% to 97% of the food's nutritional value and makes it cheaper to ship.

The carrot chips have become a favorite with students, especially teenage boys, she wrote. They also help short-staffed kitchens meet vegetable requirements with little prep. The district is freeze-drying corn now and hopes to try salmon next.

"Better nutrition for our students will always be worth the effort," Stephen wrote.