06/24/2025
What is your favorite method of preserving food? Maybe you've never tried preserving, before, but you're interested in learning more?
There are so many home food preservation options available out there, and they all have pros and cons depending on your own unique circumstances. For example:
🍓 Dehydrating - This is great option for someone with a modest budget who is looking for ways to stock their pantry shelves for the next year or two with fresh food that is as quick and easy to eat as it is or to rehydrate. Dehydrating doesn't work for every kind of food, but you have a variety of options available to you. Plus, you can make a lot of healthy and delicious grab-and-go snacks for the kids (and the adults)!
🍐 Canning - Canning is a more traditional and cost-effective method of food preservation that allows you to store food for a year or two. Like dehydrating, you can't preserve everything by canning, but there are a lot of options available. Many people have concerns about safety when canning food, but, if you follow the recommended guidelines, canning safely should be a breeze!
🥦 Freeze Drying - The new kid in town, freeze drying food at home is gaining in popularity, as it is one of the best ways to preserve the nutrition in a variety of foods over a long period of time. It does come with a much higher price tag, when you take into consideration the cost of the machine and the increase in electricity use, but the money that can be saved by preserving so much healthy food for such a long time makes the up-front cost worth it for many people.
Of course, there are other preserving methods where these came from! The important thing to remember is not to be intimidated - anyone can learn to preserve and provide nutritious stores of food for their family and community!
And, if you're interested in learning more about safe and healthy food preservation, consider becoming a member of the School of Traditional Skills, and get access to a vast library of comprehensive courses on food preservation, gardening, raising livestock, and much more! Learn more on our website. 🐄🌿🍎
