Preserving Your Food

Raising and growing your own food is only half the fun...the other half is EATING it!

But what if you have a bumper crop of tomatoes (either because if was a tremendous growing year or because you planned it that way) that you can't eat it (or give it away) fast enough to keep the wonderful, vine-rippened produce from spoiling?

The answer: Preserve the excess.

There are a variety of ways you can preserve your home grown groceries--canning, dehydration, freezing, and pickling.You can take a look at all of these methods to see which is the best answer for you, your tastes and the food you're needing to preserve.

Canning:
A process of preparing food in sealed glass jars in such a way that all the microbes (that cause food to go bad) are destroyed. When canning and sealing properly, a vacuum is created that prevents more bacteria from growing inside the food. Canned food stays safe to eat for an extended period (a few years) of time., but is probably best eaten within the year. To get started, check out the Home Canning Basics, or if you're ready to launch into some canning, find a new recipe to try.

Dehydration:
A process that removes the moisture from the food so that the process of spoilage is eliminated. Food preserved this way lasts anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. For more information on drying food, see the dehydration section.

Freezing:
Preparing food in air-tight containers and bags and freezing them to prevent spoilage. This method of preservation is probably the easiest and also allows the food to retain the highest amount of nutrients. Freezing food doesn't allow for as long a 'shelf life' as other methods, however, but the food is tasty. Ready to try some freezer food recipes?

Pickling:
The process of preparing food in venegar, spices and salt to preserve them. Check out recipes for pickling food here.