Michael David Talks Food 9

Food Preservation Part 2

How does food preservation help feed the world?

Ok first of all I'm not speaking to mass produced, preservative laden food.

I mean at home food preservation.

Preserving food that you make that is to your tastes and liking.

Well, when we have fresh food sometimes we have to much don't we?

I mean, most plants harvest in certain timing. Making us have surplus when it's ready and potentially none a different time.

When we have to much fresh food, preserving it literally makes more because your other alternatives are eating it and throwing it away. If it is indeed "to much" or "to much for now" then you're clearly not eating it, making throwing it away you're only real option.

If we are preserving food when it's in abundant for us on a personal level, then we have more food later.

If a person has very little food they can even preserve some of it. If you're really not eating a lot, it's better to have a little each and every day than a bunch then nothing for a while.

Using preservation techniques when you're hungry can help to smooth that curve and get you eating something daily.

When you preserve food, you are sacrificing some of what you have now so that you have something later.

Any time that we have more than what we need, if we preserve it, it will be there when we need it. It is also there to give away if you choose.

So what are some preservation techniques?

I'll list the big ones:

Cold storage. Like a root cellar or similar, a cool dark place to keep things. This type of preservation does not last very long for many things, yet winter squash and root veggies seem to do pretty well.
Dehydrating. Another primitive preservation technique, dehydrating can keep things good for several months or up to a year with certain items. If combined with oxygen absorbers and sealed in Mylar dehydrated items can last far longer.
Canning. This is a bit more modern but still a pretty old technique. There are a few ways to can. Pressure canning will allow most things to last for a very long time. You will hear people telling you shit like home canned/jarred food will last one year. Seriously gain some experience before writing bullshit on the internet people. Properly pressure canned food can last over 15 years. I've seen it and eaten it myself. Even canned meat. If that seal has not popped and it does not smell funny when you open it, its good.
Freezing. Ok now we need technology. We have to have electricity and a freezer for this one. Yet, Freezing is a great way to preserve food for the short end of things all things considered. I've seen things go over a year but freezer burn is real and will ruin shit sometimes.
Freeze drying. This one requires a ton of electricity and equipment that is very expensive. This process can make food last for a very very long time though. When combined with oxygen absorbers and Mylar people are seeing 30 years plus freeze drying food. With this method people are even able to preserve a complete homemade meal.
Salt or sugar preservation. Salt preservations of meats have been touted to last forever when done right. Forever is a long time but I know people keep meat hanging like that a seriously long time when it's been done right and all the water is out. This is again pretty low tech and primitive. Just needs salt.
Oil immersion/infusion. You can preserve herbs and spices in oils for 6 months or more if kept right.
Tincture, or alcohol infusion. Generally here you are removing the solids and keeping what infused into the alcohol. This can keep indefinitely. This is why tinctures are so great as medicine from herbs.
Pickling or vinegar infusion. On it's own people say they only last weeks from vinegar infusion. I've found that if you remove the solids after a week, you can get a year in the fridge.
Fermentation. Another low tech one. Depending on the foods and tech you are looking at 4-18 months storage for fermented foods.

Now, There are plenty of methods that are a combination of 2 or more of these techniques as well. Pemmican would be a great example. Its dried meat and berries in fat. Pemmican is touted lasting 30 years in just a tin, not totally sealed.

Do any of these techniques for preserving food look like anything you could do with your extras?

Do it.

Even if you don't end up eating it, you can always give it to someone else.

Having the food preserved, over time and practice, can give you food abundance and freedom. This is where food wealth starts.

That is what feeding the world is all about.

It is not about dropping off food boxes, though this does help many. It's about teaching and learning what to do with food so it's there when it counts then spreading that knowledge to those that truly need it as you might with a food box.

Feeding hungry people for a day, day by day is great and helpful to many...

It also causes dependence to that help and the cycle continues.

It's also far to easy for people to use this dependency in predatory ways.

We must start to teach people about food. Especially hungry people. What it is, what it means, how to acquire it abundantly, and how to keep it.

Help them see past the buy it perception ^{(described here)} and broaden their scope into food freedom.

That is something you can do without any money. Conversation is fun so barely notice you're doing anything. 😉

Michael David Talks Food 9 | Food Preservation Part 2
by Michael David
Co-founder of #thealliance and loyal since before the egg.