Emergency preparedness brings peace of mind and confidence in uncertain situations. An essential piece of emergency preparedness is a safe and reliable food source.
Preserving fresh foods helps extend their shelf life, nutritional value, and flavor for everyday use and emergencies. Discover the secrets to extending the shelf life of your favorite foods with time-tested and modern food preservation techniques.
Exploring the Basics of Food Preservation
Food preservation has evolved, encompassing various techniques that slow down food spoilage caused by bacteria, fungi, or other microorganisms. It also inhibits enzyme activity that causes food to rot. Effective preservation contributes to emergency preparedness by ensuring food safety, extending shelf life, and maintaining the nutritional value of food sources when access to fresh provisions may be limited.
Today, there are many methods to preserve fresh foods. Understanding the principles of food preservation is crucial for selecting the appropriate method for different food types. Factors such as acidity, moisture content, and storage conditions influence which technique will be most effective.
Canning: A Time-Tested Tradition
Canning is a method of preserving food by processing and sealing it in airtight containers. This technique involves heating jars to destroy microorganisms that cause food to spoil and creating a vacuum seal that prevents new bacteria from entering. There are two primary canning methods: water bath canning, suitable for high-acid foods such as fruits, tomatoes, and pickles; and pressure canning, necessary for low-acid foods like meats and vegetables.
The key to successful canning is following proper procedures to ensure a safe product. This includes using the right equipment, ensuring cleanliness, and adhering to recommended processing times. Canned goods can last for years when done correctly, making it a reliable option for long-term food storage.
Due to its widespread popularity, many canning supplies are often passed down and reused among families. However, there are many new and improved canning technologies if you are just getting started or are ready to upgrade your canning supplies.
Protecting your harvest with durable jars and lids is an integral piece of safely canning foods for storage. Superb Canning products are a high-quality, American-made option for canning supplies with high-quality lids and thermal shock-resistant glass jars.
A safe and effective pressure canner is also a canning essential and is a great way to preserve meats and vegetables. Pressure canners use pressurized steam to preserve low-acid foods by heating them to temperatures higher than boiling water to destroy harmful microorganisms. All American Pressure Canners feature an exclusive precision sealing system for safe and reliable pressure canning, making it easy to preserve otherwise perishable foods.
Freeze Drying: Nutrition for the Long-term
Freeze drying, also known as lyophilization, is a cutting-edge food preservation technique that involves freezing the food and then reducing the surrounding pressure to allow the frozen water in the food to sublimate directly from the solid phase to the gas phase. This process retains the food's structure, nutritional content, and flavor, making it a popular choice for food storage.
Though freeze drying is more complex and requires specialized equipment, it results in lightweight, space-saving food lasting up to 25 years or more. The rehydration process is simple. Just use water to restore the food to its original state.
A home freeze dryer from Harvest Right is a great place to start if you are interested in freeze-drying food for storage. Harvest Right Home Pro Freeze Dryers are available in Medium or Large options to fit your lifestyle and needs. The Medium Pro will save you space while still offering five food trays. If you want to freeze drying more, a Large Pro offers six trays for larger preservation batches.
Learn how to preserve your garden harvest using freeze dryers
Dehydrating Foods for Longevity
Dehydrating is one of the oldest methods of food preservation that involves removing moisture from food to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Fruits, vegetables, meats, and herbs can all be dehydrated. This can be done using a food dehydrator, oven, or natural sunlight.
The low moisture content of dehydrated foods makes them shelf-stable and perfect for emergency food supplies. They retain most of their calories and nutrients, are lightweight, and require minimal storage space. Properly dehydrated foods can last for months or even years when stored in airtight containers in a cool, dark place.
LEM Counter-Top Food Dehydrators are simple to use and cost-effective options for dehydrating foods. LEM countertop dehydrators feature five trays and an efficient rear-mounted air flow system for consistent results. Choose from standard and digital options to start dehydrating and storing your favorite foods.
Prioritizing Food Safety
When it comes to food safety, there is no room for error. Whether you are cooking a meal for your family or preserving produce at home, following established guidelines and recipes is crucial.
Prioritizing food safety not only protects yourself and your loved ones from harmful bacteria and contaminants but also ensures that the food you consume is of the highest quality. When performing any at-home food preservation, it is especially important to follow tested recipes and methods to prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms.
By taking the time to follow proper procedures, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from potential foodborne illnesses.
Choosing the Right Food Storage Containers
Hours of food preservation are only effective if the food is safe and usable in the long term. Ensuring that preserved foods are stored in the right container is essential for maximizing their shelf life.
The best containers are airtight, moisture-proof, and made of food-grade materials that do not react with the contents. Glass jars with tight-fitting lids are ideal for canning, while heavy-duty Mylar bags work well for freeze-dried and dehydrated foods. For bulk storage, food-grade buckets with gamma lids can protect large quantities of dry goods like grains and legumes.
It's important to label and date your containers, rotate your stock to use older items first and keep your storage area cool and dark to prevent spoilage. Proper labeling, dating, rotation of stock, and maintaining a cool, dark storage area are all important steps in preserving food safely for the long term.
Additional Emergency Items
Food is important in emergencies, but it is not the only essential. Safe, fresh drinking water as well as a reliable energy source such as generators can help you be prepared for the unexpected.
Water Storage Containers
A safe, clean source of water is crucial for emergency preparedness. Having access to a fresh water source such as a natural spring is ideal, but most individuals do not have this resource which makes keeping safe water storage important.
Water storage can be kept in larger air-tight barrels and tanks or smaller jugs depending on your situation and space. Water storage tanks should be emptied and cleaned at least annually, but regularly emptying, cleaning, and refilling your storage is the best way to ensure safety and freshness.
Solar Power Generators
While not directly related to food preservation, having a reliable power source like a solar power generator can be invaluable in emergencies. It ensures that refrigerators and freezers continue to operate during power outages, keeping perishable foods safe.
Solar power generators are a sustainable option that can provide electricity without the need for fuel. They are quiet, mobile, and can be recharged using the sun's energy. Having a solar power generator in your emergency preparedness kit can also power other essential devices, such as lights and communication equipment.
Emergency Preparedness Help From IFA
Stock up on peace of mind with emergency preparedness and food storage. Preserving fresh foods extends shelf life and can provide needed meals when outside food sources are not an option.
To stock your food storage by preserving your garden harvest and fresh produce, stop by your local IFA Country Store for food preservation tools and supplies.
Fresh Produce? Preserve garden fresh foods with IFA's harvest to table guide
Information for this article was provided by Rebekah Oman, Category Manager, IFA Country Store and Dan Jensen, Category Manager, IFA Country Store.