The summer months are the most busy here on the homestead. One of the jobs to do towards the end of the summer is building your food storage to last you though the harshest of winters.
Where I live my winters last nearly eight months with temperatures dropping below zero on many of those days. The wood heat stays burning during those days and I often crank on the freeze dryer to dry up some food as it keeps it nice and warm in the house.
Here are the four ways I’m currently building my winter food storage.
Canning Both water bath and pressure are great ways to can up fresh foods from the garden and make them last. I’m also starting to experiment with a steam canner and hope to do a full review on that soon. It’s just like a pressure canner but it uses far less water.
Vacuum Sealing is one of my favorite ways to quickly store up extra foods and stick them in the freezer. By removing the air in the bags of food they can last for months. I like creating quick meals in them such as chilis that I can toss into the slow cooker and warm up for a nice meal during the winter.
Vinegar there’s so much you can do with it! Creating delicious pickling recipes and then canning them up will stay good for a few years.
Last but not least is my favorite and that’s freeze drying! I love this thing and the food tastes great. Food I freeze dry can last 25-30 years and holds a vast amount of the nutrition unlike other food preservation methods. Just add a little water, let sit for a bit and eat it up. You’ll be surprised how great it tastes.
Above all else however you need a plan. Be sure to check out my food storage course and the garden planner bundle below.
▶️ Food storage course
📓 Garden Planner
▶️ 3Speak