Summary of the Process

1. Food is placed in the freeze drying chamber and sealed
2. The food chamber and cold trap are chilled to target temperatures
3. The water in the food freezes into ice
   
4. A vacuum is drawn and maintained on the entire system by drawing down on the cold trap, which will then draw down on the food chamber
   
5. The ice in the food begins sublimating into gas and is drawn into the cold trap
6. The cold trap then converts the cold water vapor into ice
   
7. The air being drawn out of the system exits the vacuum pump, but it is void of all water, so the pump does not freeze up.