Having a home garden on your property offers several benefits to homesteaders. Aside from allowing you to grow fresh, organic fruits and vegetables in your backyard, gardening also gives you the option to preserve some of your harvests for future use.
If you're not sure which method to try, detailed below are some of the best techniques for food preservation. (h/t to ZeroWasteHomestead.com)
Dehydrating
Dehydrating is an easy technique that doesn't require expensive or complicated equipment. Some herbs, especially those with woody stems, can be hang dried with twine and then stored in airtight containers.
Follow these steps to preserve herbs by hang drying:
- Harvest herbs from your garden.
- Wash the herbs to remove any dirt and debris.
- Dry the clean herbs in a salad spinner or use a towel to gently pat them dry.
- Remove the lower leaves from the stems until you have about an inch and a half of bare stems at the bottom of each sprig.
- Gather the bare stems and carefully tie them in bundles with twine or fishing line.
- Hang the herb bundles to dry on a clothing line or place them on an herb drying rack.
Below are some of the best herbs for hang drying:
- Basil (6 days)
- Chives (24 hours)
- Dill (24 hours)
- Marjoram (1 ½ days)
- Mint (1 ½ days)
- Oregano (4 days)
- Rosemary (4 days)
- Sage (4 days)
- Tarragon (2 days)
- Thyme (2 ½ days)
If you want to dehydrate tender-stemmed herbs (such as parsley), or make fruit leathers or dry larger food items (like apples or sundried tomatoes), you may want to purchase a food dehydrator.
You can also dehydrate some foods using your oven. Make sure to set the oven on the lowest temperature setting.
Pressure canning
Pressure canning requires temperatures higher than what's used in water bath canning, allowing you to process low-acid foods.
Since pressure canning is more advanced than water bath canning, it's best to try water bath processing first before using pressure canning.
When you're ready to try pressure canning, you will need several Mason jars and a pressure canner. Pressure canners aren’t recommended for gas or glass-topped stoves since they can potentially damage glass cooking surfaces.
Pressure canning is ideal for foods such as canned recipes with meat or dairy and premade soups.
While it can also be used for vegetables, it's not recommended for vegetables that have been preserved in vinegar. (Related: Top canned foods with the longest shelf life.)
Water bath canning
Compared to pressure canning, water bath canning is simpler and more accessible.
For this method, you only need to invest in affordable equipment such as quart-sized and small, jam canning jars and a large pot for canning. You can also try using jar lifters and funnels to make things easier, but these tools are not necessary.
Canning using a water bath is ideal for high acid foods such as fruit jams, pickles and salsas.
However, temperatures don’t get high enough with this technique so it doesn't suit low acid foods such as beans and non-pickled vegetables.
Where to buy lab-verified supplies for your food stockpile
The Health Ranger Store is here to help you prepare for survival scenarios and build your food stockpile.
That's why we're proud to introduce an assortment of many clean, lab-verified and healthy food options such as Freeze Dried Organic Apples, Freeze-Dried Organic Whole Blueberries and Freeze-Dried Organic Mango Diced.
The Health Ranger Store wants to help you experience the full nutritional benefits of organic apples, which is why we're bringing you freeze-dried, organic, diced apples in long-term storable #10 cans.
Health Ranger Select Freeze-Dried Organic Diced Apples are made from fresh, high-quality apples that are grown under strict organic standards without the use of synthetic pesticides. Our freeze-dried apple pieces are non-GMO, certified Kosher and organic.
They are also thoroughly lab-tested for glyphosate, heavy metals and microbiology. Eat Freeze Dried Organic Apples as a snack, sprinkle them onto cereals, or rehydrate them by soaking them in water.
You can also try Health Ranger Select Freeze-Dried Organic Whole Blueberries.
Packed with beneficial vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, Health Ranger Select Freeze-Dried Organic Whole Blueberries are the perfect health snack that you can enjoy all year round. The freeze-drying process preserves the taste, texture and nutrients of fresh blueberries better than other food preservation methods.
Lastly, you can also stock up on Freeze-Dried Organic Mango Diced. Our freeze-dried mango pieces are grown in Mexico under strict organic standards. The freeze-drying method preserves the taste, texture and nutrients in mangoes better than any other food preservation method.
Visit FoodSupply.news for more information on other food preservation methods. You can also check out Health Ranger Store and Brighteon Store for more clean food supplies for your prepping stockpile.
Click on this link to learn how to make delicious Blueberry Chia Jam.
Watch the video below to learn how Organic Apples can support good health even after disaster strikes.
This video is from the Health Ranger Store channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Health Ranger Store explains freeze-dried food vs. dehydrated food.
Home gardening tips: Guide to harvesting seeds from fruits and vegetables for propagation.
Emergency food storage: Preparing for calorie shortages.
Convenient food storage solutions for easy relocation.
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