Meals Preservation is a course of used to retailer meals safely for prolonged durations. Not solely does it assist maintain your meals at its very best quality, however it minimizes the opportunity of micro organism development. Additionally, eliminating meals waste can prevent vital cash in the long term. As lots of you understand, a number of meals storage strategies exist.
Which Strategies of Meals Storage are Right?
I need to take a number of moments to share with you not solely what meals storage strategies can be found, but additionally lots of their professionals and cons. That approach, you’ll be able to resolve which meals storage methodology is finest for you. This isn’t a complete Information to Meals Storage however an outline of right meals storage strategies. The primary aim is to keep away from meals spoilage, so let’s take a look at these strategies!
Canning
What number of of you keep in mind licking your chops whereas watching your grandmother or mom canning scrumptious jams, jellies, applesauce, and greens whereas rising up? Possibly a few of you’ll proceed with this follow right this moment? Canning is an economical meals preservation methodology that has been practiced for hundreds of years. Canned meals make for wonderful items, particularly round Christmas time.
One other advantage of this methodology is you could get 1 to five years of shelf life from canned meals, relying on what you’ve canned. The USDA states one yr, I get it. I admit I’ve eaten peaches that had been 4 years outdated. They had been nonetheless sealed and tasted nice.
I used a Presto Strain Canner for a few years and saved up for an All-American Strain Canner. The Ball Water Tub Canner proven is the one I’ve been utilizing for the previous couple of years. After taking my Grasp Canning and Preserving Class, I bought The Ball Electrical Water Tub Canner.
The Vital Steps for Profitable Canning
The fundamental steps for canning embrace sterilizing the jars and lids, making ready your meals (washing, peeling, slicing), packing the meals into the jars, sealing them with an hermetic lid, after which heating them to a particular temperature for a selected period of time to kill micro organism and get rid of the chance of the expansion of micro organism or another microorganisms. You may additionally want so as to add acids like vinegar or lemon juice in the event that they aren’t acidic sufficient.
Canning is very useful for these residing in rural areas as a result of it may be achieved with produce out of your backyard. Nonetheless, it has some drawbacks, comparable to the truth that it’s a must to make sure the meals is free from micro organism earlier than canning.
Canning additionally does enable sure meals to lose a few of their dietary worth, however not completely. The canning methodology remains to be tremendous widespread right this moment! I can solely suggest these two books for canning: The Ball Canning Ebook and the USDA Canning Information. Please be protected when preserving your meals.
Dehydrating
Dehydrating is one other sort of meals preservation that dates again centuries. It may be used for fruits, greens, and even meats. Dehydrated meals don’t take up an excessive amount of room as a result of the water has been eliminated, making them nice for long-term storage.
Dehydrating entails slicing your produce or meat into skinny items so you’ll be able to take away moisture shortly and evenly, then heating it till all of the moisture has been eliminated. Dehydrated meals are usually saved in hermetic containers, which makes them a handy snack on the go.
The first advantage of this methodology is that you just don’t have to fret about spoilage since there’s no liquid concerned within the course of. Nonetheless, it requires electrical energy, which could be a bummer for these trying to reduce their power consumption. A few of the meals’s vitamins might also be misplaced whereas dehydrating them. Dehydrating meals objects is likely one of the hottest meals preservation strategies! I exploit an Excalibur Dehydrator.
Freezing
This methodology of meals storage might be one of many extra frequent strategies used right this moment. Everyone knows how handy it’s to pop one thing within the freezer for later use! In the event you maintain your freezer at 0°F or much less, frozen meals are protected to eat for as much as 6 months after being ready and saved accurately. Freezing is very useful for these residing in city areas as a result of most don’t have yard gardens.
The method of freezing meals is easy. First, prep the meals by washing, peeling, slicing, and packing it into hermetic freezer containers or baggage. You’ll need to press out as a lot air as potential earlier than sealing it and putting it within the freezer.
Freezing is a good way to protect meals whereas nonetheless holding their nutritional vitamins and minerals intact, as a few of them usually are not misplaced throughout this methodology like they might with canning. The draw back is that in case your electrical energy goes out otherwise you overlook to place one thing again within the freezer after taking it out, you’d be losing cash on spoiled items. You’ll be able to “store” in your individual freezer as an alternative of going to the grocery retailer in an emergency. Simply ensure you have sufficient freezer cupboard space.
Pickling
Pickling is a wonderful various to canning and freezing, however extra so for individuals who get pleasure from fermented meals. This methodology of meals storage works finest with greens like cucumbers, okra, onions, and carrots. When you pickle these veggies in a jar stuffed with vinegar, sugar, water, and spices, seal them up tightly earlier than refrigerating them; they may final a number of months!
The professionals of this methodology are that there’s no want to make use of superior tools or warmth meals over excessive temperatures. Pickled meals maintain their crunchy texture and have an prolonged shelf life because of the vinegar resolution used, which helps shield them in opposition to micro organism. The cons are that this meals storage methodology doesn’t protect meals so long as different strategies (about 4-6 months) and doesn’t work with all greens. In the event you comply with meals security tips, then pickling is simple!
Freeze-drying
While you hear freeze-drying, you in all probability consider astronauts and their house meals! Nonetheless, freeze-drying dates again to World Battle II when the US Army used it. It’s wonderful for long-term storage as a result of meals could be saved at room temperature in an hermetic container or bag with out shedding their authentic taste, texture, or dietary worth.
The freeze-drying course of entails freezing a meals merchandise after which subjecting it to a vacuum chamber that removes any moisture from the meals. This methodology is dear, so except you intend on feeding a complete military, this is probably not your best choice.
Nonetheless, if cash isn’t a problem, freeze-drying could also be a good way to protect and retailer meals for an prolonged interval. Correct meals storage that shops meals merchandise long run consists of the strategy of freeze-drying! While you ask, “Which strategies of meals storage are right?” ..it will be freeze-drying!
It is a methodology I’ve targeted on for the previous few years. I buy most of my freeze-dried meals which is commercially packaged by Thrive Life. There’ve been some value will increase previously yr or so attributable to plenty of components like dangerous climate, wildfires, work shortages, and provide channel points. My storage room is stuffed with several types of meals, together with dairy merchandise within the type of on the spot milk and eggs, floor beef, rooster, turkey, inexperienced beans, onions, cucumbers, candy corn and peas, and way more.
Utilizing freeze-dried meals merchandise in stews, soup, and casseroles is simple and the meals has a recent style.
Chilly Storage
Chilly storage is a good way to retailer vegatables and fruits for lengthy durations. It entails holding meals under 40°F, often with further humidity or carbon dioxide. This methodology works finest with meals that don’t want oxygen, like potatoes, apples, beets, carrots, and onions. You’ll be able to retailer them at house by putting the product in an hermetic container after which storing it in your fridge crisper drawer or perhaps a root cellar you probably have one obtainable.
The professionals of chilly storage are that no electrical energy is concerned, and the meals will stay recent longer than saved with out this methodology. The cons are that not all sorts of meals do nicely with any such preservation, so that you’ll need to analysis what meals work and which don’t.
Moreover, the objects should be dealt with rigorously to stop them from rotting or changing into moldy. There are various completely different meals varieties that you are able to do chilly storage with; make certain it’s the most effective strategies for the meals you need to protect and that your loved ones will eat.
Storing Dry Items
Many objects don’t want any particular processing to protect them for longer durations, so long as they’re saved in hermetic containers and saved out of direct daylight, excessive humidity, and excessive warmth circumstances. Pure grains like wheat have been saved for a few years this manner after which put to make use of to make flour. Rice and pasta varieties like macaroni are additionally good for long-term storage and make for a staple you’ll be able to depend on. Salt is an merchandise that may be saved indefinitely however MAY change into laborious, so don’t retailer it in massive containers.
The storage in hermetic containers additionally protects the meals from bugs, rodents, and different pests that may get into the unique bundle and destroy the meals.
Ultimate Phrase
So, which strategies of meals storage are right? Concerning long-term meals storage, every methodology has professionals and cons relying in your particular person wants and preferences. Canning is useful for these with in depth gardens, and freezing is superb for city dwellers who don’t have a lot room to backyard. Plan to comply with the FIFO methodology for utilizing the meals you retailer. This implies “first in, first out” so you utilize the oldest objects first earlier than they get too outdated.
In the event you like fermented greens, pickling might be a superb possibility, whereas freeze-drying is the only option if cash isn’t a problem and also you need the meals for an extended time interval. Irrespective of which methodology you select, just remember to analysis how finest to arrange, retailer, and eat your meals earlier than diving in! Could God Bless this world, Linda
