freeze-dry

• POS: Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

freeze-dry, v. t. 

 to remove the moisture from (e.g. food) by first freezing and then subjecting to a high vacuum; -- used as a mild method for drying foods or chemicals while causing little decomposition, in contrast to heat-drying.
"This is a relatively gently drying process used to preserve food or sensitive biological materials. For biochemical materials, the term lyophilize is often used."  [PJC]