There is a world of ways to preserve your food

Food storage is one of my passions. I love being able to purchase food and preserve it for my family. It gives me comfort and security for the uncertain times that may be ahead.

People have been preserving food for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. In ancient times dehydrating was done naturally by the wind and sun and the Romans were masters at drying fruit.

Food dehydration is the process of taking moisture out of food. Today the main source of energy to dehydrate food is electricity. Air is moved over the food with a fan that blows the moisture away from the food and out exhaust vents. The heat in a food dehydrator usually ranges from 130 to 155 degrees.

You can get canned food anywhere, why should you dehydrate your own food?

It preserves the freshness from your garden
It is less expensive to “Do IT Yourself” than purchasing already dehydrated food
You can control the quality of the product
Dehydrating extends the shelf life of your food for up to 5 years
It’s perfect for getting your pantry together. See the post 3 Month Food Supply – Stocking Your Pantry for more ideas

Dehydrate

Each fruit and vegetable has its own level of dryness and drying time. Some are dehydrated until they are crisp and some are pliable. You’ve got to do your research to know which it is. This publication from the Georgia State University Extension office – How to dry Fruits & Vegetables is a great place to start. I also have several books that I recommend for food preservation. My favorite for dehydrating is Keeping the Harvest: Preserving Your Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs by Nancy Chioffi and Gretchen Mead

How to Dehydrate Melon Slices for Healthy Snacks

Melons Are a Favorite Summertime Treat. If You'll Take the Time to Dehydrate Melon Slices You Can Have That Wonderful ...
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How to Dehydrate Spinach

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You may love to stock your freezer with the garden harvest, but hate to blanch vegetables ahead of time. Is it an extra step you can skip? Maybe, if you follow the rules | PreparednessMama

How to Blanch Vegetables: Prep Your Veggies for Dehydration and Freezing

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The Joys of Dehydrating Herbs - 5 Methods to try | PreparednessMama

5 Failproof Ways to Dehydrate Herbs

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6 Great Garlic Storage Tips

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Sometimes you need to improvise to get the job done. Need to make a square dehydrator sheet fit a round tray? It's no problem with this trick | PreparednessMama

How to Make a Square Dehydrator Sheet Fit a Round Tray

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Your summer garden is winding down, what can you do with the last bit of the harvest? Saving garden leftovers is a cost saving idea every grower should embrace | PreparednessMama

7 Tips for Saving Garden Leftovers

Your Summer Garden Is Winding Down, What Can You Do With the Last Bit of the Harvest? Saving Garden Leftovers ...
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No bake, no fat, very tasty! Dehydrator zucchini chips | PreparednessMama

No Fat Dehydrator Zucchini Chips

Dehydrator Zucchini Chips are so tasty that your family will gobble them up. You'll have a hard time getting them ...
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Do you know what will happen with every piece of produce from your harvest?You need a food preservation planner | PreparednessMama

Be a Food Preservation Planner

Next Year Have a Plan for Every Piece of Produce. Do you plan what you are going to do with ...
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How to Make Stevia Syrup

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How to Dehydrate Sweet Peppers

This year I have a bumper crop of sweet peppers. So far I've harvested 45 fruits from the garden. What do ...
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How to Dehydrate Herbs

For a Continuous Supply I love herbs! I always have several plants growing in my garden. At any time, you ...
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How Do I Store That?

Have you followed the "How Do I Store That?" Series? This year I have undertaken a quest to learn more ...
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Use a Mandolin Slicer for Food Storage

If you are serious about dehydrating fruit and vegetables for food storage, you should look into purchasing a mandolin slicer ...
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Dehydrated Tomato Leather

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Excalibur Dehydrator Giveaway

Excalibur Is the Premier Dehydrator on the Market This time of year dehydrating is an important part of my food ...
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Growing & preserving kale | PreparednessMama

Rethinking That Whole Kale Thing

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Dehydrating Asparagus: Another Method of Preservation

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Freeze

Freezing is perhaps the simplest way to preserve your purchases or harvest. All you really need is a reliable freezer and containers to put the food in.

I like to use one-gallon freezer zip bags because I think it gives me the most control over portion sizes. You can also use old plastic containers that you find at garage sales. Glad makes those inexpensive storage containers that are reasonably priced. Get creative with what you use, just be sure to leave enough head space for liquids to expand.

My FoodSaver was a great investment and something that I use daily almost daily. Placing food into FoodSaver packages and removing the air will give you even longer freezer storage time.

Make Your Own Sweet Onion Sauce

A Healthy Alternative to Store Bought Dressing My family has a thing for sweet onions. We buy them by the bag, ...
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How to Blanch Vegetables: Prep Your Veggies for Dehydration and Freezing

Learn When and How to Blanch Vegetables This Harvest Now that vegetable season is in full swing, it is an ...
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Freezing Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

I often purchase a box of navel oranges right before Christmas and they end up sitting around the house, we ...
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How to Freeze Fruit for Smoothies Using Dehydrator Sheets

Food Storage Quick Tip #11 : Non-stick Dehydrator Sheets Work in the Freezer Too. Every weekday morning I make a ...
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Take advantage of the pumpkin harvest and learn how to harvest, process and use fresh pumpkin. 16 fresh recipes #OrganicHarvest15 | PreparednessMama

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How to Keep Your Frozen Fruit Happy

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Frozen Food Storage Infographic | PreparednessMama

Recommended Storage Times for Frozen Food

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5 Ways to Preserve 10 Pounds of Blueberries

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Stock Your Freezer – Freezing Berries

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You might not think about these other preservation methods…

What preservation methods haven’t I mentioned?

Preparing and Canning Fermented Foods and Pickled Vegetables a publication from the US Department of Agriculture

My Asparagus is in a Pickle | PreparednessMama

Vegetable Storage in Root Cellars a publication from the University of Alaska

Meat Curing a publication from the University of Oklahoma

Take some time to view the other food storage pages by PreparednessMama: Canning Techniques – Food Storage Basics– Wholesale Bulk Buys – Long Term Food Storage – Other Preservation Methods – Grains – Thrive Life – Kitchen Tips – Recipes – for other in depth articles on getting your food storage plan together.