FAQ about Freeze-dry
Preservation
What
is freezedry? Freezedrying is the process of drying animal or vegetable material while it is in a frozen state. Moisture (ice crystals) is removed as a gas, similar to evaporation. This process is technically called sublimation. What effect does it have on muscle tissue? Because cells within the tissue are being dried while still frozen the cells do not collapse and the muscle itself does not collapse or shrink. The cellular structure hardens to what could be compared to bulsa wood. Why doesn't the meat and skin rot? Moisture promotes the growth of bacteria. Once the bacteria is absent then rot and deterioration is stopped. We also use preservatives which are injected into the meat and applied to the skin to safeguard against moths and bug infestation just as is used in conventional taxidermy processes. Why use the freezedry process? Freezedrying in most cases leaves the muscle unaltered throughout the drying process. Therefore the finished product is anatomically correct. Muscle detail is retained and looks just as it did when the specimen was alive. Freezedrying also makes it possible to mount very small and very fragile specimens and preserve them perfectly. Is everything freezedried whole? Please note that domestic pets are treated differently than other mammals. This process takes somewhat longer to dry. Some specimens are freeze-dried whole, others are skinned, artificial bodies and are prepared similar to conventional methods. But unlike conventional taxidermy, when freezedrying, heads are usually left in tact. Fish, ducks, pheasant, small game animals are either dried whole or at least the heads are dried whole. Is freezedry taxidermy going to cost more? No. Anglers Taxidermy & Freeze-dry's prices are very competitive and our quality is superior to conventional methods. Will my mounts last as long as conventional mounts? Absolutely. We have been preserving specimens both freezedried or conventionally for more than 25 years and freezedried specimens will last you a lifetime with proper cleaning and care. Any questions we haven't answered here? Feel free to send us an email with any other questions you might have. |
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