Everything Worth Preserving

If you’ve undertaken a self-sufficiency challenge and grown food in your home, you may wonder how to preserve it. Depending on how big your land is and how much food you’ve harvested, you may be able to preserve it for a long time. Self-sufficiency means you do not have to rely on buying food from stores, which saves money.

Let’s explore the best ways to preserve your food.

Freeze Everything You Won’t Eat Straight Away

Freezing your food is an underrated way of storing it for the long term. This is because food cannot spoil in minus temperatures due to a lack of microorganism growth. If you have a farm with fruit trees and vegetable plants, harvest them during peak seasons and store what you don’t need for later use.

For example, you can safely freeze your blueberries and strawberries to make desserts and eat with your breakfast cereal. Frozen vegetables can also be preserved for a long time if you freeze them, which is an excellent solution if you prioritize self-sufficiency. However, some foods may need to be frozen in a specific way. You can look at which foods need to be frozen on the internet to ensure you are using the best methods available to preserve everything you grow.

Utilize Canning for Storage

One of the oldest ways of preserving foods is through canning, which involves sealing your food in a can to prevent bacteria from entering the container. However, you must sterilize the can before sealing the food inside it, which prevents bacteria from spoiling your food.

You can utilize different canning methods depending on what you’re trying to store. These methods ensure that you seal your foods for long-term use, meaning if the world experiences a food shortage, you can rely on your canning techniques for rationing your food. Although it’s unlikely that global food crises will occur, they are still prevalent in many parts of the world. This makes canning a great option for preserving your food.

Use Drying for Meats and Other Foods

Drying your food is important because it prevents the growth of mold, bacteria, and yeast, which can quickly spoil your food, making it inedible. Since moisture can ruin foods quickly, it helps to use drying techniques like air drying, which can preserve your foods and facilitate their long-term storage.

For the best food preservation results, you should store your food in a cool and dark place. If you do not have an air dryer, you can use a regular oven or invest in food dehydrators that produce the same results. You can find tons of DIY information on the internet and follow their tips for guidance.

Final Verdict

Self-sufficiency is a new global trend that has arisen due to world conditions. People take more responsibility for their circumstances and choose to grow their food at home. Of course, there are limitations to this. However, if people can learn to preserve their foods using the right techniques, they can become self-sufficient to a considerable extent.