The present invention is a system and method for performing freeze drying of small quantities of a liquid for personal use, wherein a liquid material is disposed within a single-use container, the container is then coupled to a small-scale freeze-drying unit which extracts liquid from the material in the container using a freeze-drying process, and the freeze-dried material is then left in the container and the container is stored until rehydration. The container may be a specialized single-use container that may be used to rehydrate the liquid and then fitted with a delivery device to feed an infant or child.