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
How to Dehydrate Spinach
How to Blanch Vegetables: Prep Your Veggies for Dehydration and Freezing
5 Failproof Ways to Dehydrate Herbs
6 Great Garlic Storage Tips
How to Make a Square Dehydrator Sheet Fit a Round Tray
7 Tips for Saving Garden Leftovers
No Fat Dehydrator Zucchini Chips
Be a Food Preservation Planner
How to Make Stevia Syrup
How to Dehydrate Sweet Peppers
How to Dehydrate Herbs
How Do I Store That?
Use a Mandolin Slicer for Food Storage
Dehydrated Tomato Leather
Excalibur Dehydrator Giveaway
Rethinking That Whole Kale Thing
Dehydrating Asparagus: Another Method of Preservation
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
How to Blanch Vegetables: Prep Your Veggies for Dehydration and Freezing
Freezing Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
How to Freeze Fruit for Smoothies Using Dehydrator Sheets
Harvest, Store & Use Fresh Pumpkin
How to Keep Your Frozen Fruit Happy
Recommended Storage Times for Frozen Food
5 Ways to Preserve 10 Pounds of Blueberries
Stock Your Freezer – Freezing Berries
You might not think about these other preservation methods…
28 Uses for Oranges – Never Waste Another Orange
15+ Ways to Use Ginger Syrup and How to Make it
Seven Ways to Preserve Eggs
How to Preserve Basil: 4 Surefire Methods
My Daily Kefir Grain Routine
My First Ferment: Sauerkraut
11 Things to Make in Ice Cube Trays
Experiments with Homemade Slow Cooker Yogurt
3 Ways to Preserve Herbs in Salt
PreparednessMama on Preparedness Radio
14 {Other} Ways to Use a French Coffee Press
Embrace the Sponge: Beyond Basics with Natural Yeast
Add a Thermal Cooker to Your Preps
Use the Meals in a Jar Book to Create Your Own Recipes
Book Review: Drink the Harvest
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.