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Food Storage & Preservation 101 Learning How to Utilize Food Storage Methods Wisely
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prior permission by the author/ publisher.
All ideas, views and thoughts expressed in this manual are the author’s own. Examples of
people and other organizations are mentioned as case studies only. Any comments which
could be deemed as negative or as criticism are completely unintentional on the author’s
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Great care has been taken to ensure all information in this guide is as accurate as
possible. All information contained here is meant to be taken as a guideline. It is
understood that the reader claims responsibility for their own actions.
In no event shall the author or the organization be liable for any direct, indirect,
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All Rights Reserved Worldwide. © 2015 by PrepperZine.com
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Preface Whether you are out hunting fresh meat or you just happened to have a good harvest
from your vegetable garden, you will want to store your extra food properly. Improper
storage methods can put all that lovely produce to risk, allowing it to rot as usual.
Are you tired of wasting perfectly good produce?
Do you want to learn about proper food storage and preservation?
With the help of this eBook, you can discover:
● Food items perfect for storage purposes.
● Different storage methods.
● What equipment you will need to apply a certain storage method.
● Things to look out for.
However, storage of food can be tricky and applying the proper methods for its
preservation can also play a huge role in the shelf-life of that food item.
We try to take a practical approach whenever possible – you are far more likely to take
action that way.
If you are tired of wasting good produce, you can find out the ins and outs of food storage
and preservation through this eBook and more!
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Contents
Introduction
Why Does Food Go Bad?
Bacteria aka Micro-organisms
Enzymes
Air
Exposure to Light
Temperature
Time Period
Pests (Insects, Rodents)
Basics of Food Storage
Three Basic Food Groups
Perishable
Semi-Perishable
Non-Perishable or Staple Food items
How Long Can Things Last In Storage?
Homemade vs. Store Bought
Identifying Good Storage Items
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Freshness
Temperature
Storage Container or Packaging
Common Mistakes of an Average Hoarder
Storing Food Items in the Cupboard
Storing Food Items in the Fridge
Different Modes of Storage
Dehydrating
Tools and Equipment - What Will You Need?
A Heat Source
The Body
Vents
Racks
Which Food Items Should You Dehydrate?
Temperature
Preparation of the Food for Dehydration Purposes
Things to Keep in Mind
Canning
Tools and Equipment - What Will You Need?
Heat Resistant Containers
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Two-Piece Lids
Canning Rack
Large Pans or Pressure Canners
Tongs
Which Food Items Should You Can?
Preparing Food for Canning Purposes
Things to Keep In Mind
Acidic and Alkaline
Pressure and Temperature
Cold Packing or Hot Packing
Freeze Dried
Tools and Equipment - What Will You Need?
Dryer
Freezer
Storage
Which Food Items Should You Choose to Freeze-Dry?
Things to Keep In Mind
Water Content of Any Item
Practice Makes One Perfect
Common Mistakes Made In Storage Methods
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Dehydration
Preparing the Food Wrong
Starting With Complicated Items First
Fiddling with the Temperature
Storing Food Poorly
Canning
Preparing the Food Wrong
Packing the Food All Wrong
Not Applying Enough Pressure
Forgetting to Sterilize the Canning Jars or Bottles and Covers
Storing Food Poorly
Freeze Dried
Not Thinking of Timelines
Water Content
Vacuum Sealed Storage
Conclusion
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Introduction
Food storage is an important part of our lives. Gone are the days when man used to be
forced to only hunt or cook enough to finish in one sitting.
However, with the passage of time, new food
preservation and storage methods have popped up.
Plus, there are plenty of classic and traditional ways
to prolong the shelf life of foods.
These have allowed us to store food in better ways,
while allowing that particular food item to retain its
freshness but there are some pitfalls to look out for.
Food preservation and storage have largely been
means to help perishable items have extended shelf
lives. Preventing food from rotting means you can
eat it later on, even if that later on comes after a
week or so.
How many times have you opened the fridge door to see something rotting, even if you
kept it in the fridge? It can get quite frustrating and annoying when that happens.
Why Does Food Go Bad?
We all know the answer at a high level. But taking a few minutes to really understand
what’s happening can provide some insight that can make food last longer for you and
your family.
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One of the main reasons why food items go bad is not because of an accident but because
they naturally start to deteriorate and decompose. This is a natural process so there is not
much you can do to truly eliminate it. It happens largely because of various factors. It may
be possible that unwittingly, you are exposing your food to the following:
Bacteria aka Micro-organisms
Micro-organisms are present everywhere and it can be rather hard to eliminate them
completely. However, certain measures can be taken to ensure there are none on the
food you eat. Simply cooking can kill those micro-organisms.
However, once you have prepared a meal, if you leave your food lying around, it will get
bacteria in it again. This can be because of airborne bacteria or dirty hands and utensils.
Often, some of them can even survive in the fridge because it is not set at the perfect
temperature to kill them off. Even if it is the right temperature though, some bacteria will
slow down but continue to grow and cause decomposition in the food. Eventually, it will
begin to go bad and spoil.
Presence of bacteria in food does not always mean it is bad. Pathogenic bacteria are
responsible for causing diseases through food but they do not always start to decompose
the food. Bacteria which spoil food will cause the
food to decompose and emit a bad smell.
Enzymes
Many foods contain natural enzymes which can
start to decompose those fruits. These enzymes
are largely responsible for ensuring the fruit or
vegetable ripens to maturity.
For example: Bananas are green and hard before
they turn yellow and the texture of the fruit
becomes tastier and softer. The enzymes in the banana are responsible for this.
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Unfortunately, these same enzymes will ensure that the process continues, even after the
fruit has been plucked. These enzymes are largely responsible for causing apples, bananas
and other fruit to go soft, develop brown spots and decompose completely.
Air
You may not have noticed this but leaving food outside can cause a reaction, namely
oxidization with the air. Certain molecules in oxygen are reactive with the enzymes in the
food item. This is one of the main reasons why certain fruits, vegetables and meats will
change color if they are left outside.
While this may be a natural process, oxidization only helps to quicken the decomposing
process of those food items so it is necessary to take measures to ensure this doesn’t
happen. Covering up the food will not always work and at times, you may have to think
about getting vapor proof packaging to reduce oxidation.
My household bought a vacuum sealer which was a game changer. Keeping food air tight
will make it last amazingly longer.
Exposure to Light
Sunlight may not seem strong but it can wreak
havoc on a molecular level. Whether you are
exposing your skin or a food item, strong sunlight
can begin to seep the vitamins and nutrients out of
it and break down the molecular structure of the
proteins and other vital nutrients.
Direct sunlight can often raise the temperature of food items, making them perfect
breeding grounds for bacteria which were otherwise lying dormant. In a dormant state,
bacteria are not harmful. However, when they are activated, they can spread illnesses,
cause the food to go bad and start producing more bacteria as well.
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Temperature
The temperature of the food can play a huge role in its storage and decomposition. High
temperatures are more likely to cause food to go bad as compared to low temperatures.
Even if you are storing something in the cupboard, your fridge or the freezer, they all
need to be set at certain different temperatures to work effectively.
At room temperature, bacteria thrive well and can multiply easily. By storing food at low
temperatures, you can slow down the oxidation, enzymatic and bacterial growth
processes. However, you will have to check to be sure what temperatures your cupboard,
fridge and freezer are at currently.
Ideally, the temperature in your cupboard should be at 50o to 70oF, the temperature in
your fridge should be at 34o to 40oF and the temperature in your freezer should be 0oF or
even lower than that.
Time Period
Storing perishable food items is only possible for a short time period, even if it is 6 months
or so. Many food items can stay good for years or more but the foods must be
strategically selected.
It can be disconcerting if you have kept a food item in storage for 6 months since some
bacteria may often grow in the food without ruining its appearance.
The best thing you can do is identify what kind of food you actually have. Certain food
items go bad faster than others.
Even with different storage methods, they will have a shorter shelf-life as compared to
food items which are hardy and more durable.
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Pests (Insects, Rodents)
Food attracts all sorts of pests and rodents and you if you don’t store your food properly,
you may find a hoard of ants, cockroaches or even
mice having nibbled on and ruined your food item.
Take proper measures to ensure all food items are
stored in a proper manner and are inaccessible to
any curious rodents. Even if these pests have not
damaged the food items, they will have
contaminated them with their bacteria and it can be
a huge health issue to consume those food items.
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Basics of Food Storage Now that you know what makes your food go bad, you can turn your focus on how you
can store your food to make it last longer. Storage is actuality is not difficult. In fact, it is
so simple that people over complicate it.
Nonetheless, if you take the time to go over the basics, you can store your food properly
and avoid making the same mistakes that other people are making.
Three Basic Food Groups
To successfully start storing food, you need to identify what kind of food items you
actually have in your fridge and your pantry.
Of course this does not mean you make a list which states you have: ‘16 vegetables and 4
meat items’.
Since the common food groups are fruit, vegetable, meat, grains, etc, it is an
understandable mistake. However, when you are thinking of storing these food items, you
have to classify your food in broader terms.
All food items fall under the following three food groups:
Perishable
Perishable food items includes fresh, raw
fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy and
other items which need to be stored in a
refrigerator or in the freezer. The food items
are usually raw or cooked in the simplest
form.
Even when they are refrigerated, perishable
food items need to be consumed within a week or so. The biggest factor about perishable
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food items is their short shelf lives and they need proper storage methods more than
other food items.
Semi-Perishable
Semi-perishable food items also include some fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and other
items but they have longer shelf lives. They are usually cooked or cured in a manner
which also helps to extend their shelf lives and stops the decomposition process from
occurring at its normal rate.
If they are kept well, semi-perishable food items can last for extremely long periods of
time, ranging from 6 months to a year. Items like dried fruit, grain, flour, dry mixes and
other similar food items can be considered semi-perishable too.
Non-Perishable or Staple Food items
Staple or non-perishable food items are not likely to spoil anytime soon. Generally, they
keep well for years even if they are stored in an improper manner. Exposure to sunlight
can quicken the decomposition process but they can still last longer than perishable or
semi-perishable goods.
However, these food items do start to lose their quality over a certain period of time.
Even if stored in optimum conditions, these food items can lose their quality and potency.
Food staples like sugar, salt, spices and other canned goods are non-perishable food
items. They can be easily stocked up and stored for long periods of time.
How Long Can Things Last In Storage?
Now that you have identified your food items and divided them into groups, you can try
to understand how long food items actually take to decompose in storage. Moreover, this
will also give you a definite idea of how food will fare.
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While the three groups mentioned above can have an impact on the storage life of your
food items, there are also two different factors which can also play a role in ensuring your
food lasts longer in storage.
Homemade vs. Store Bought
Many people contend that homemade food items not only taste better but also have
longer shelf lives. Since you have complete control over the food item if it is homemade,
you can influence the storage life of the
product. However, certain food items like
yogurt can have the same shelf life even if it is
made at home.
While there is not much data which supports
this theory, it does make some sense that
homemade food items makes it possible for
one to have more control over the ingredients
being used.
The fresher the ingredients are, the better the
food will taste and last longer too. On the other
hand, shop bought items can often last better
in storage.
However, store bought perishable items
usually have chemicals (some good, some bad)
injected in order to make them last longer.
Vegetables and fruits in particular may have
this quality.
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Meat, canned food items and all can last longer too but then again, you have to ensure
you also deploy the proper storage methods at home. In short, your food items probably
can last in storage for a month or more but you have to help them along too.
Identifying Good Storage Items
Now when you have to start preparing or setting food aside for storage purposes, take
some time to identify if that food item is good for storage or not. The most basic thing you
have to do is find out which group the food item belongs to: Perishable, Semi-Perishable
or Non-Perishable.
Once you have done this, you will be able to greatly sort out which items are best for
storage and which ones are not. The storage life of a food item is also affected by certain
other factors too. When you are looking to identify good storage items, make sure you
take the following into consideration before you go ahead with your storage plan:
Freshness
Take the time to ask your grocer about how fresh the item was when it reached the
grocery store. If it took a week for the fruits and vegetables to reach the store, it is likely
the fruits and vegetables will not keep for long with you. Unless they are in dried form or
in the form of preserves, fruits and vegetables are perishable goods which can begin to
lose their freshness within a week. The fresher it comes to the grocery, the longer it will
last and the better it will taste.
Temperature
The temperature of the storage can play a huge role in eliminating bacteria. High
temperatures allow bacteria to grow and thrive well, leading to food decomposing at a
higher rate. Food stored at lower temperatures lasts longer since bacteria cannot flourish
well in it. As mentioned earlier, the temperature can affect the storage and
decomposition rate of any food items.
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Storing at room temperature is not always a good idea since bacteria can actually thrive
and multiply more easily at this temperature. The proper temperature can successfully
slow down bacterial growth, oxidation and even enzymatic decomposition of a food item.
Storage Container or Packaging
The actual condition of the storage container or package can play a huge role in
determining how well a food item stays in storage. Storing something in a can will mean it
lasts longer. Vapor-proof wraps can keep moisture out of the food items and also help
prevent decomposition because of exposure to sunlight.
You should also ensure that any packaging you are using is not damaged or compromised
in any manner. A damaged can will make the food decompose within a matter of weeks
instead of keeping the food good for months or even years. A wrap which lets moisture in
can allow food to decompose and spoil.
To save yourself from unpleasant surprises, give all your food containers a thorough look
once and check them again once or twice a week to ensure they are not damaged in any
way.
Common Mistakes of an Average Hoarder
So, you finally identified your food items but you are still having no luck in keeping your
food fresh and good? Well, then you may have been making some mistakes without
exactly realizing what is going wrong.
Keep in mind, there are some pitfalls and mistakes that everyone makes if they aren’t
careful enough and the following are a few common ones any average hoarder makes at
home:
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Storing Food Items in the Cupboard
Storing food items in the cupboard is no big deal but there are certain things which can
have an impact on how long food lasts there. Moreover, these fine points are not that
hard to implement or follow.
If you pay attention to the following, you will find, your food lasts longer in your
cupboard:
● Always choose cupboards that are located in a dry and dark corner, are clean and
completely free of pests.
● You can check the temperature in the cupboard using a thermometer. Ideally, the
temperature of a cupboard should be anywhere from 50 to 70oF. If the
temperature is 100oF, the cupboard will be a breeding ground for bacteria.
● Follow a rotation system in order to ensure you don’t end up hoarding food items
for an unnecessarily long time period. Every time you go to the grocery store, to
purchase food items, make sure you either use them first or shove to the back of
the cupboard to eat later. Follow a first in, first out rotation cycle which ensures
you eat all of what you bought earlier before moving on. This minimizes
unnecessary storage and hoarding issues.
● Check your cans and packages for damage frequently in order to ensure your food
items do not start to rot because of it. Certain cans and packages can also give
signs which showcase that the food item has gone bad. Look for bulging cans or
lids that are domed. Any kind of discoloration is a bad sign, too. Throw them away
and avoid using any food items with damaged packaging.
Storing Food Items in the Fridge
Even storing food items in the fridge can make you stumble if you aren’t too sure about
what to do. While it can seem extremely simplistic in essence, there are still some things
you have to keep in mind when you are storing food in fridge. The following are the most
common mistakes people make:
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● Do not leave your food for months on end inside the fridge. While the lower
temperature keeps the bacteria in a dormant state, it does not kill them off
completely. While growth does slow down in this dormant state, it does not go
entirely away and perishable food items can still suffer from spoilage.
● The ideal temperature for your fridge needs to be between 34oF and 40oF. You can
easily check the current temperature of your fridge with the help of a refrigerator
thermometer. These are usually located inside the fridge. If the temperature is
above or below this reading, adjust it to ensure your food is preserved in a proper
manner.
● When placing food inside the fridge, always use airtight containers, plastic wraps
foils or bags in order to store food properly. Open containers can cause the food to
dry out, promote growth of mold or lead to refrigerator odor.
● Be sure to check your airtight containers for any moisture. Moisture in these
containers can lead to growth of mold and bacteria and food may decompose
much faster.
● Stack your food properly in the fridge, since it can mess with internal air circulation
of the fridge. Avoid packing food items too tightly and do not cover the shelves
with any foil or wrap.
● Milk, leftovers, and meat items should be stored in the coldest area of the fridge
and should be consumed quickly too. Since they are more perishable, they can
decompose more easily. The coldest place in your fridge will be the freezer
compartment.
Apart from these tips, one of the biggest factors which affect the storage life of these
food items is time. Not all items last forever, even in the most optimal condition. The best
thing you can do is label the food items with the dates you purchased them on.
Do not keep anything in storage for more than 3 weeks. With a date label on them, you
can easily keep track of the dates and avoid consuming anything which has been sitting
around for over a month.
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Some items like pickles can be kept for longer but once again pay careful attention to the
date of expiry on the package and the date you bought it on. Some stores also sell
products that are closer to their date of expiry at discounted prices, so they will not have
to throw out rotten produce.
While it can be beneficial for the store, it is not beneficial for you since unless you mean
to consume the food item immediately, it is likely to go bad pretty soon. Most people
often make the mistake of only looking at the reduced price and buying in bulk, only to
have that food going bad and having to throw it all away.
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Different Modes of Storage The tips mentioned above deal with storage of food in the most basic terms. You buy
something, you put it in the fridge, cupboard or freezer and you are done. However, those
are not the only means of food storage.
Over time, people have developed many means of storage which not only allow a
particular food item to last well but also retain its original nutritional value. Some modes
of storage are largely used by companies that mass produce food items. They need to
ensure their produce will not go bad as soon as it hits the shelves of the grocery store.
The following are among the commonest ways food is stored and preserved in a healthy
manner:
Dehydrating
Drying or dehydrating foods is one of the easiest
and best ways to preserve it. The process involves
removal of almost all moisture, decreasing the
chances of any microbes thriving or active enzymes
breaking down the food. While exposure to heat
can break down the nutritional value of a food item,
dehydration is still the best method.
Dehydration is the best way to store food items for
the long-term and if dehydrated properly, you don’t
even have to worry about refrigerating it. Even a
simple air-tight jar can work out fine for storing
dehydrated food items.
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While dehydration does make a food item lose its nutritional value, it does not depreciate
it as much as other food preservation methods. Moreover, dehydrated food items,
particularly fruits can be eaten as is, in their dried state.
Rehydrating the item is also pretty easy requiring you to soak it in a bowl of water for a
few hours to re-hydrate or reactivate it. However, this is not always a good idea since
some food items will lose more nutritional value in this manner.
Note: Be sure to check the rehydration instructions on prepackaged items. Sometimes
they advise using hot water for a short period of time.
Luckily, dehydration is among the easier storage methods you can even apply yourself.
You can easily dehydrate fruits and vegetables at home to make nutritious food storage
snacks for you and your whole family.
Tools and Equipment - What Will You Need?
The simplest and easiest way to go about it is to get a dehydration box. These are usually
made from wood, with mesh screen drying trays, and air circulation system as well as a
heating system.
Buying ready-made dehydrating boxes can be a bit expensive but you can easily improvise
and create one on your own. For this purpose, you will need a few supplies. There are
certain basics you have to keep in mind and fulfill
in order to make a food dehydrator that works
effectively.
A Heat Source
A dehydrator works by drying out a food item and
removing all moisture from it. Heat lamps, electric
coils and even a 100-watt bulb can work as a heat
source as long as it can provide a steady temperature for long periods of time.
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Sometimes people opt to use fans to regulate air control which can speed up the
dehydrating process. You should also try to get a regulator or a thermostat so you know
the current temperature in the box and can adjust it accordingly if required.
The Body
The body of the dehydrator can also play a role in making it effective. Usually, people
prefer to use wooden boxes as they retain heat better and lose less heat through the
walls than more conductive materials like metal. Even a box made from plywood can be
good enough.
The heat source, like lamps or bulbs, will have to be placed at the bottom of the box.
Make sure you have a door as well which can be closed or locked easily. You will have to
leave room for hinges too so you can open and close the box.
Vents
You will also need to make room for vents at the top and bottom of the dehydrator in
order to allow hot air to escape and cool air to keep coming in. The more airflow the
better!
Avoid using insulation on the walls of the box. You might think this would keep more heat
in but it also retains the moisture escaping the food items and will increase the risk of
mold.
Racks
When making the walls for the dehydrator, remember to make room for racks. These will
be screen mesh racks that can be removed, cleaned, replaced and taken out easily so you
will need to make wedges or small shelves for them. These are similar to oven wire racks
or you can make small wooden frames to match the size of the box and have mesh wire
stretched and stapled across them.
All food items will be placed on these racks to dry. Remember to keep your racks spaced
at a distance from each other in order to allow the warm air to pass through them easily.
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This will allow for effective and even dehydration. You can get a carpenter to help you or
if you are good with a workbench, you can get all these items and make your own!
Which Food Items Should You Dehydrate?
When you have built your dehydrator, the next step will be to start drying out some food
items in it. However, if you aren’t sure, you might make a few blunders along the way. So,
to save yourself from some unsavory messes, pay close attention to the following:
Temperature
The temperature in the dehydrator plays a large role in the dehydration process. You
want to ensure the temperature is high enough to get all the moisture out of the food yet
is not hot enough to cook or burn the food or harm the nutritional value of the food item.
While you might think all you have to do is crank up the heat and let the box do the rest,
you have to pay attention to the temperature. Every food item has its own dehydration
temperature and you have to adjust it accordingly.
For many food items, you can divide them into basic food groups and adjust the
temperature to suit that. The most common dehydrator temperatures for these food
groups are given below:
● Fruit & Vegetables: 130°-140° F
● Poultry, Meats, and Fishes: 145° F or higher
● Herbs & Spices: 95°-110° F
Preparation of the Food for Dehydration Purposes
Once you have the temperatures figured out, don’t just pop the food items into the
dehydrator and shut the door. You will have to help the food out a little to ensure it
dehydrates properly.
For this purpose, you have to blanch any food item in some boiling water for a minute or
two before you pop it into the dehydrator. This will help kill any existing bacteria and
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neutralize any enzymes which may cause the food to start decomposing inside the
dehydrator.
Only corn, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions can be added to the dehydrator as is. Even
then, you will have to chop up the food items into thin, even slices.
The thinner you cut them, the better they will dehydrate. Thicker pieces can take longer.
Moreover, if you cut unevenly, you will have unevenly dehydrated pieces with some
requiring more time to dehydrate properly.
Meat, fish and poultry can also be dehydrated but you should take care to choose low-fat,
lean cuts of. Since dehydration only dries out the moisture, it does nothing to render or
reduce the fat and it can make the dehydrated food item taste rather weird.
You can choose to marinate the meat slices for at least 24 hours before popping them
into the dehydrator to give the finished product more flavors. Make sure all the meat
slices are cut uniformly and are dehydrating evenly on all sides. When the strips feel crisp
yet are still slightly flexible, they will be ready to cool down and store in airtight
containers.
In seafood, scallops and shrimps are the easiest and best items to dehydrate and store.
You can also try other lean fishes, like sardines or mackerels. Avoid using fatty fishes, like
salmon, because the fat can be an issue with them as well.
Things to Keep in Mind
Once you have your dehydrator box ready and the food cut up, you may experience a few
trials during the start.
In fact, just plan on doing a couple test runs. You will need the practice and the specific
foods that you’re dehydrating may dehydrate at different rates depending on things like
the humidity.
The best thing to do is to not give up and keep the following points in mind:
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● Start out with thin apple slices. They are easy to dehydrate and there’s little room
for error with them.
● Once a food item is dehydrated, it is perfectly normal for it to have a darker color
than it had, in its natural form.
● Vegetables usually become crispy when they are dehydrated and can make great,
healthy chips.
● To rehydrate any food item, boil it for 10 minutes in 3 cups of water in order to kill
bacteria and rehydrate it faster.
● If you need to adjust the temperature, do it before putting the food item inside.
Like an oven, you have to preheat the dehydrator box. If you choose to adjust the
temperature while the food is inside, the food starts to develop a dry crust on top
while retaining moisture inside it.
● Avoid using fatty fishes, meats, and eggs for dehydration purposes.
● Never wrap or lay food down on aluminum foil since it will begin to cook or burn
the food.
● When starting out, trial and error will be a large part of your methodology but try
to pay attention. Refine the faults and observe what worked and didn’t work for
you.
With these tips in mind, you can successfully start to dehydrate any food item you like on
your own.
Canning
Everyone has seen canned food items and by far, canning is one of the easiest ways to
store food, ensuring it lasts you longer. Canning by commercial companies may be of a
superior quality but the materials they use are often rather harmful. Canned foods are
usually immersed in a liquid solution, like brine or something else which allows the food
to remain fresh for quite some time.
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Canning largely involves sterilizing not only the food item but the container itself which
will ensure the enzymes or microbes in the food are not activated or present to make the
food start decomposing.
Although it does not give food items the same mobility dehydration does, canning is more
popularly used because it is easier to apply to almost any food item and food stays good
for at least a year when canned properly. Moreover, canning is extremely simple and you
don’t need a special shelf with heat regulation to can food items on your own.
While you cannot do commercial canning at home, unless you have the machinery for it at
your place, you can take advantage of a rustic canning method which seals food items in a
similar manner and makes it easier to try canning at home.
Tools and Equipment - What Will You Need?
Since canning is so easy to do at home, you may have quite a few of the materials needed
for canning purposes lying around. Mainly, canning involves a lot of boiling since it is the
best means for sterilization. For this purpose, you will need the following:
Heat Resistant Containers
Before canning, the containers are sterilized by boiling them and then the containers are
boiled again once they are filled with the mixture. The best thing to do here would be to
get jars or containers which can tolerate the heat well.
Mason jars are among the best and most
easily available containers which can be used
for canning. You can get a wide assortment
of sizes at almost any grocery store or
discount store for very low prices.
The thick glass jars can withstand the high
temperature required for sterilization. While
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canning with mason jars does not look a lot like canning, it is largely referred to as bottling
and is popularly used in many households to this day.
Two-Piece Lids
These are easily available and you can find plenty of them being sold along with Mason
jars that are meant to be used for bottling purposes. A two-piece lid is necessary since it
helps to create a sterilized vacuum area inside the jar and keeps micro-organisms,
moisture and other foreign bodies out of the jars.
Canning Rack
When canning or bottling, the Mason jars should not touch the sides or the bottoms of
the pan they are submerged in. Since this is somewhat impossible, you need to get a
canning rack.
A canning rack can be slung on the inside of a pot of boiling water, allowing the cans to be
submerged in the water for as long as required. With a canning rack, you don’t have to
worry about getting the jars in and out of the pan too. Just place them on the canning
rack and take them out or place them in the pot.
Large Pans or Pressure Canners
One of the most important components of home canning is having large pans in which to
boil the water for the water bath. These pans should be wide and deep enough to allow
your canning rack and whole mason jars to be submerged completely.
Before setting a pan aside for canning, take an empty Mason jar and place it inside the
pan to check its depth and width. Ideally, a pan should be able to hold up to 6 Mason jars
with ease. Moreover, certain food items require more pressure in the canning process.
More pressure is needed to create a tighter vacuum which is necessary owing to the
nature of the food item.
Meat items, in particular, may need a pressure canner. For this purpose, you will have to
buy a pressure canner pot which can make things easy for you. Good pressure canners
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can be found at low prices easily. Just make sure your jars and canner rack will fit
comfortably inside the pressure canner.
Tongs
The most overlooked item but among the most necessary, a good pair of sturdy tongs will
help prevent burns to your hands. You can easily scoop out the hot jars and bottle caps
and submerge them in the hot water baths with the help of these tongs.
Get heat resistant tongs to avoid ruining them continuously. You can also opt to sterilize
your tongs before use in order to ensure they are also free of any micro-organisms.
These are the most important items you will need for your home bottling or canning
process.
Which Food Items Should You Can?
When you are canning, you don’t have to be as careful with the food items you choose.
Whether you are using them raw or cooked, canning can house a larger number of
options, even keeping perishable items good far longer than expected.
There are plenty of recipes you can pick and you will actually be surprised by the freedom
you get when canning. Almost any food item can be canned easily.
While canning does give you more freedom for picking food items, you have to pay
attention to other factors which can greatly influence the end result.
Preparing Food for Canning Purposes
Canning food is easy but you have to take care of certain fine points in order to refine the
results.
Always use fresh, high quality food. The quality of the food will also play a role in how well
it stays in storage.
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Whether you are canning vegetables and fruits items, always choose fresh, healthy
produce.
For vegetables, it is best to can them within 12 to 16 hours of picking or buying them.
Vegetables and fruit can be packed raw but it is preferable you blanch lightly before
packing them in the can. That just means that you should boil the item briefly – it
denatures the enzymes.
Fish and meat items can last for 2 days but try not to delay them any longer. If you want
to can fruits like peaches, plums, pears and apricots, it is advisable to let them ripen for a
day.
You also need to cook meat and fish items before starting to can them. This will help to
eliminate the presence of microbes and bacteria as well.
Things to Keep In Mind
Canning is simple and easy but you have to pay attention to certain things which can
affect how well you can your food and how well it lasts in storage.
If you aren’t aware of them, it can greatly compromise the quality of the canned food and
may also make them go bad faster than they should. Therefore, keep the following in
mind in order to can your food successfully:
Acidic and Alkaline
When pressure canning, the acidic and alkaline levels of the food item does play a role in
how the food item fares in the can. Items like oranges, lemons, limes, cucumbers and
tomatoes are already high in acidic content.
Therefore, when canning them, they will need an alkaline bath in order to last longer.
Moreover, they do not require as much pressure as those which are more alkaline in
nature. Keeping this point in mind is extremely important. If you aren’t aware of the
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natural alkaline and acidic nature of the food items you are planning to can, take the time
to research it.
You can also keep some litmus paper around your kitchen and swab some of the juices
from the fruit or meat on it. Litmus paper changes color based on the pH value of the
object. You can then compare the color with a chart which shows exactly how high or low
the acidic and alkaline level is. Finding this out is necessary since microbes and bacteria
thrive in alkaline environments and you can then figure out the proper packing method
which can suit them more.
Pressure and Temperature
Temperature also plays an important role and based on the acidic or alkaline nature of
the food item being canned, it can either be high or low. As a basic rule, anything that is
considered to be a low acid has to be processed under higher pressure.
Moreover, anything with high acid content can be easily canned with a warm bath only.
However, while the temperature can be adjusted for most vegetables and fruits, strictly
try to cook the poultry, meats and fishes at a temperature of 240°F to put 10 pounds of
pressure on the cans.
Another thing which you should consider is how high or low you are above sea level. This
does mean where you are situated or where you live.
For example: If you are below 1000 feet below sea level, applying 10 pounds of pressure
will be sufficient to can your food items successfully.
However, if you are above sea level, you will have to increase the pressure based on your
altitude.
For example: At 1000 to 2000 feet above sea level, you will need to apply 11 pounds of
pressure. At 2000 to 4000 feet, you will need to apply 12 pounds of pressure. Keep
increasing the pressure as the altitude increases.
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Cold Packing or Hot Packing
Once you have your produce ready to go into the can or the jar, you will need to pack it in.
Packing does not mean you have to stuff as much produce into the can or jar as you can.
You will need to include a liquid medium which will help to preserve the food and keep it
well.
When canning, you have to eliminate the air in the jars. Sterilizing will only get rid of the
microbes and bacteria. Presence of air inside the jars can ruin the food faster than
expected. Hot packing is one of the best ways to remove air. However, not every food
item is meant to be canned through the hot packing method.
Hot packing entails adding hot liquid with the food, whether it is stock or simply boiled
water. The hot water eliminates the presence of oxygen, gets rid of microbes and even
helps denature enzymes which could have made the food start to decompose.
Cold packing entails adding cold liquid to the food in the can or jar. While cold packing
does not offer the same benefits as hot packing, it is still better suited for some food
items instead of hot packing. The main thing you have to pay attention to is whether the
recipe you are following needs you to use cold or hot packing. In the end, as long as you
pay attention to these details and the instructions mentioned in your recipe, you can
preserve your food successfully at home and enjoy it, even after a month or two.
Freeze Dried
Freeze drying food items is one of the best ways to store food properly. Freeze dried food
items are extracted completely of all the moisture they contain. Oftentimes, this means
the food items are frozen and dried.
The process involves the food item being frozen and being placed in a vacuum chamber
where they are blasted with hot air which removes the water in the form of frozen water
crystals. This also allows the food to get rid of more water than it would if it was simply
dried.
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With no water content, no microorganisms and bacteria can thrive in these food items.
Even the natural enzymes are made completely dormant since they have no water or
moisture to react against. The remaining food item is edible and can actually be preserved
for years instead of months. Freeze drying does give food an exceptionally long shelf life.
Moreover, freeze drying food actually reduces its mass. You can easily store large meals,
ice creams and other items without having to worry about space. Many freeze dried
meals are stored in air-tight, sealed packages and only need to be boiled in water in order
to activate them again.
Unfortunately, this is one storage process which can drastically diminish the nutritional
value of a food item. Commercially freeze dried food items usually have vitamins,
minerals and nutrients injected into the product to make up for the nutrients which were
actually stripped during the freeze drying method.
Tools and Equipment - What Will You Need?
If you want to make freeze dried food items, you just have to pay attention to a few
specifics. The essential hardware needed to freeze dry food items is already in your home
and you don’t have to worry about a getting special hardware. What you do have to pay
attention to need are the following:
Dryer
When you are planning to freeze dry food at home, you need to help it along by drying it
out. If you have tried to dehydrate your food, you may easily have a homemade dryer
which you can use to dry out your food. On the other hand, if you don’t have a dryer, you
will need to assemble one before you go about it. Do not opt to put food in the oven at a
high temperature.
The heat in an oven only bakes the food item and high temperatures often scorch or burn
the food item. To make your own dryer, take a look at our chapter on dehydration and
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you can easily find the best way to make one. Once you have your dryer, pop your food
inside to let it dry.
Freezer
Once the food is dry, pop it inside a deep freezer. Check the temperature of the freezer.
To successfully freeze dry them, you need to keep constantly at a temperature ranging
from -40oF or below. The lower the temperature, the better and faster the food will
freeze.
Once you keep your food in the freezer, do not open it again and again. The food can take
around a week or a week and a half to completely freeze dry properly. After a week, you
should run a small test to see if your food is ready or not. Take a small piece from the
freezer and let it thaw at room temperature. If the piece turns black after thawing, the
food is not ready yet. Close the deep freezer and give it 3 to 4 days more before you check
on the food again. Try to run the test again.
Keep in mind that freeze dried food will not have the same hue as a fresh food item. It
should be a few tones darker, instead of turning black. Once you have tested the food and
it is ready, it is time to start storing them.
Storage
Freeze dried food is only good when it stays out of reach of moisture. Once moisture
enters it, the food will start to decompose slowly. Therefore, you have to be careful when
storing it.
Airtight containers and vacuum-sealed packages are the best options because you will
have to use them in order to keep your freeze dried food items good. If stored in a proper
manner, freeze dried foods can be good for years.
When you need to use some, all you have to do is rehydrate the food item again.
However, unlike dried or dehydrated food items, you cannot store your food in the same
manner.
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Which Food Items Should You Choose to Freeze-Dry?
When you want to freeze dry something, you should know you are in luck. Just like with
canning, you get to take advantage of plenty of options with freeze drying. From fresh
fruits and vegetables to eggs, poultry and fishes, you can freeze dry almost anything you
like.
However, there are certain limitations when it comes to freeze drying, particularly owing
to what an average person has at home. Freeze drying requires a vacuum container and a
high pressure, heavy-duty freezer. If one does not have these equipments at home, it is
probable that they might not be able to freeze dry many of the food items are available in
the market.
Things to Keep In Mind
Freeze drying is simple and easy but you have to pay attention to certain things which can
affect how well the food item turns out and how well it lasts in storage. If you aren’t
aware of them, you can intentionally compromise your food items and they may go bad
faster than they would, right underneath your nose. Therefore, keep the following in mind
in order to can your food successfully:
Water Content of Any Item
Freeze drying largely depends on removing all the moisture from the item. Therefore, the
water content of a particular food item can play a large role.
For example: Since cucumbers happen to have a water content of 95%, not only will they
take longer to freeze dry, they may also taste bad in their freeze dried state.
Find items which are balanced in water quantity. Fruits like blueberries, strawberries,
apples and other similar ones can actually retain their flavor well in freeze dried form as
well. Moreover, meat items can be freeze dried as well although the success you receive
with fatty cuts can be rather limited.
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Practice Makes One Perfect
Once you get the hang of it, be sure to expand and practice on other things too. Just
remember there are certain limitations when freeze drying with DIY materials. This means
you may not enjoy much success when you try to freeze dry ice-cream or whole, ready
cooked meals. Nonetheless, you will have to rely on a trial and error methodology when
you first start freeze drying different items.
Common Mistakes Made In Storage Methods Now that you know of the different kinds of storage methodologies which are available to
you, you might be keen to get started. Many of these are pretty easy and you can do
them on your own at home too. Nonetheless, there are certain pitfalls which you have to
watch out for. Whether the results are minor or major, these pitfalls can seriously hamper
the progress you make in using these storage methods.
For this purpose, you need to pay attention to the following mistakes people commonly
make when storing food via these methods.
Dehydration
Dehydration is one of the easiest methods you can apply at home. Nonetheless, being the
easiest, it also has certain fine points which are easy to get wrong in the long run too.
Preparing the Food Wrong
Any food item you use for dehydration purposes needs to be sliced as thinly as possible.
This makes for an evenly flat surface which will dehydrate evenly as well. Certain people
do not pay enough attention to this factor and often start out with slices which are either
too thick or unevenly cut. This can result in poorly dehydrated items which not only
require more time in the dehydrator but will also not last as long as they should.
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You should also avoid using food items which have a good amount of fat in them. Items
like salmon or other meat cuts may have good carbs and healthy fats but the fat usually
does not dry and will be visible in a layer over the meat. This can be rather unpleasant to
eat. Therefore, opt for lean cuts of meat and bony fishes which will dry better and last
longer.
Starting With Complicated Items First
Once you get your dehydrator going, you might be tempted to try something complicated
like jerky or other meat items. Nonetheless, curb your restless heart and start simple with
something like apple slices. There’s really no way to go wrong with those and when you
are just starting out, you need to make sure your dehydrator works well.
Apples are one of the easiest and inexpensive ways to test out if your dehydrator works
fine. You won’t lose any money if you make a mistake during your first trial. Once you can
dehydrate apples with ease, move on to the next item on your dehydration list.
Fiddling with the Temperature
Sometimes, you may pop an item into the dehydrator and realize you forgot to change
the temperature to suit it. When this happens, you will have to take the food out
immediately and adjust the temperature or get rid of that batch. If you adjust the
temperature while the food is inside, your food won’t dehydrate perfectly.
The food item starts to develop a dry crust on top while retaining moisture inside it. This
means they may look dried out but they actually won’t be. Such items should be
consumed immediately and not stored for later since the moisture inside them will cause
them to start decomposing.
Storing Food Poorly
Once your food item is dehydrated, it doesn’t mean it is safe from bacteria forever. You
have to make sure the food stays dry by storing them in airtight containers. Presence of
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moisture can easily activate the food again and if moisture sneaks into the container, your
dehydrated food can start to go bad sooner than you expected.
Canning
Canning is another easy method which you can apply at home. Nonetheless, it has its own
fine points as well which are easy to get wrong:
Preparing the Food Wrong
Any food item you use for canning purposes needs to be prepared according to its nature.
While canning is possible with raw food ingredients, items which have been blanched,
boiled or slightly precooked can last better and longer when you are canning. Certain
people do not pay enough attention to this factor and often start canning haphazardly.
This can result in poorly canned items which will not last as long as they should.
Packing the Food All Wrong
When canning, you have to pay attention to the alkaline or acidic nature of the food item
you have chosen. Based on this factor, you can choose to hot pack the jar (use hot liquid)
or cold pack the jar (use cold liquid) which can help to neutralize the enzymes.
However, many people often go with their own preference and to save time, will often
choose to cold pack their food. However, the right canning method is not meant to be for
your convenience. If you want the food to last, follow the recipe to the letter.
Not Applying Enough Pressure
Once you have packed your food, you need to seal the cans by applying pressure on them.
Doing so further helps create a vacuum space in the jar. However, applying pressure to
seal them requires a little bit of math and is largely based on your altitude above sea level.
If you didn’t pay attention to this factor, you could end up sealing your cans poorly which
can result in the food going bad sooner than expected.
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For example: If you are 1000 feet above sea level, ideally, you should apply 11 pounds of
pressure. On the other hand, if you only apply 8 to 10 pounds, you will end up with poorly
packed cans.
Forgetting to Sterilize the Canning Jars or Bottles and Covers
The success behind canning is largely owing to the fact that the whole process focuses on
complete sterilization. For this purpose, the canning jars and bottles you are using have to
be sterilized in boiling water before they are packed with food. Once the food is packed,
they are sealed and sterilized again by being boiled in hot water again.
When you start out, you may forget to sterilize the canning jars, bottle and covers before
you start packing them with food. While in some cases it may not be such a risk to do so,
in certain cases, it can prove to be a huge issue. Moreover, canning your food without
taking the caution to sterilize the bottles can make it possible for foreign particles like
dust, bacteria and other pathogens to thrive in the container with the food.
Storing Food Poorly
Once you have your food packed and ready, you need to pay attention to how you store
it. Cool, dry places are more preferable. Storing it in the fridge can make you run the risk
of getting moisture in the canning jars. Moreover, storing it where direct sunlight can hit
the jars is bad because the glass tends to magnify the impact of the sun’s rays and could
cause the food in the jar to decompose at a faster rate.
Freeze Dried
Freeze drying is a little complicated when you are trying to do it at home. This is why it is
easy to slip up and make mistakes. The following are some common mistakes you should
avoid:
Not Thinking of Timelines
Freeze drying food can require you to freeze something for days. Some may require 3
days while others may have to be stored for 6 days or more to get the desired results.
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Therefore, you need to keep track of when you have put something in the deep freezer
and when you should take it out. If you forget, you could end up with food which is
irregularly frosted since you can’t remember when you actually put the food inside and
how many days have lapsed since then.
Label your food items and mention the dates on them and keep a separate diary with the
names and dates of the food items which you have mentioned since these can help you
keep track of the food better.
Water Content
Pay attention to the water content of the food items. Avoid using anything which has too
much water like cucumbers, zucchinis and oranges since they do not freeze dry properly.
The taste and texture of such items can be repulsive and you won’t be tempted to try
them at all. Start out with something simple and easy, like blueberries, and then move on
to other items.
Vacuum Sealed Storage
Store your food properly in order to help it last longer. Freeze dried food items can
actually last for years but they have to be properly vacuum sealed. Vacuum sealing
removes the presence of pathogens, bacteria and even moisture which can ensure your
food stays good for years. Once the food comes in contact with moisture, it will start to
reactivate and decompose. Therefore if you are thinking about freeze drying, invest in
some vacuum sealed storage containers or packages.
The above mentioned are some of the most common mistakes one can make when
dehydrating, canning or freeze drying. Paying attention to them can help eliminate the
risk of unwanted blunders.
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Conclusion We are now at the end of this eBook and it is our sincerest hope you enjoyed reading it.
The information contained within is as accurate as possible and flexible enough to allow
room for little tweaks of your own.
While it is believed that survival is always of the fittest, one can’t really survive if they
don’t have a stash of good food with them. This eBook will help you get started with
preserving and storing more food, particularly for emergency situations or natural
disasters.
Moreover, food storage and preservation are among the most important basic skills for
survival which many people get wrong. If you happen to be among them, don’t despair.
With the help of this eBook, you can easily rectify any mistakes you might have made
previously in the past and learn to store and process your food better.
Good Luck!
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