These storage methods will help you create food storage space and are very well prepared for an emergency. Learning these ways to preserving food at home is something every family can do to ensure not only survival or readiness, but speed, better health, and collaboration.
Preserve Food at Home by Pressure Canning
Pressure canning is the only safe way to consume non-acidic foods such as certain vegetables, meats, soups, and mixed recipes. The pressure retainer allows the jars to reach a higher temperature than boiling water, which is very important to ensure that all bacteria are killed. When done correctly, pressure canning is a very safe way to keep food in the home. Learn how to use pressurized juice to drain my 4-part streak so there is ready-made food all year round.
Preserve Food at Home by Dehydrating
Dehydrated food takes up very little space and is light enough to travel on the road, making it the best way to store food in the home. Store dried foods in a cool, dark, dry place to extend their shelf life. We dehydrate our herbs the old-fashioned way, hanging them in a warm, dark place, but we use an electrifying agent for our fruits and vegetables.
Preserve Food at Home by Freezing
Freezing foods, if properly packaged, allows them to be stored for months or even years. We use a freezer for beef, chicken, and some fruits and vegetables. Many foods that people usually don't think of can be frozen. You can freeze butter, milk, cheese, and even eggs. Yes, you read that right. In the summer, when the chickens are laying like crazy, you can put some of the eggs in the refrigerator for later use. You can also freeze the bread dough! And one of my favorite things to save time on busy days is to throw a party and a fridge to prepare to eat by hand.
Preserve Herbs by Making Homemade Herbed Salt
You can dehydrate herbs, but not all herbs retain the dried flavor all at once, especially basil. If you know how to make herb salt, you will no longer dehydrate basil. It tastes fresh and lasts for several months all winter and the following spring.
Preserving Fruit & Veggies by Fermenting
Fermentation is a long-standing form of food storage which in practice improves the health benefits of food, while other methods can make it worse. Fermented foods use a culture of good bacteria to keep food in the home and have many health benefits. Fermentation of vegetables is carried out with salt brine and time.
Preserve Food at Home with Immersion in Alcohol
To preserve them, many foods can be soaked in alcohol. Herbs and fruits are soaked in alcohol to create extracts. We thus manufacture our own extracts of mint, vanilla, and lemon. It is one of the most special ways to store food in the home. Now I wish I could grow my own vanilla pods!