With an overabundance of fruits and vegetables from a bountiful garden or from a shopping spree at the farmers’ market, it can be a game strategy to balance which foods to eat now and which to eat later. What are some ways to extend food shelf life and prolong your kitchen stash?
Food preservation includes a variety of techniques used to prevent food from spoiling and maintains the nutritional value, texture, and flavor. The goal of preserving food is to slow down the activity of microorganisms and enzymes or destroy them altogether.
Preserving food at home can be healthy and a more cost-efficient option to enjoy produce all year round. Some methods include canning, pickling, drying, fermentation, and freezing. Foods cannot survive in high temperatures, in acidic or dry conditions, and in high concentrations of salt and sugar, and alcohol.
The hardest part about preserving food is knowing which preservation technique to use with which foods. The following includes 11 different preservation methods so you can decide which ones work best for you and your harvest:
- Cool temperature – This is the simplest food preservation method done in refrigerators and cool, dark places such as root cellars, pantries, and unheated basements. Ideal foods for cool temperature preservation include potatoes, yams, onions, apples, cabbage, turnips, beets, and carrots.
- Freezing – As water in the food freezes into ice crystals, it becomes unavailable to microorganisms that need it for growth. Almost all produce can be frozen including greens, squash, mango, cauliflower, mushrooms, sweet potatoes and more. Be sure to remove all the air from the freezer bag and consume food within 6 months of freezing.
- Freeze Drying – A low temperature dehydration process that involves freezing food then applying a high-pressure vacuum to remove the ice by sublimation. Ideal foods are fruits, vegetables, herbs, food flavorings, fish, seafood, eggs, and dairy.
- Dehydration - Growth of bacteria, yeasts and mold is inhibited by drying foods and removing moisture content. Ideal foods that dehydrate well are fruits, legumes, spices, meat, and fish.
- Canning (water bath) – This preservation method involves placing foods in canning jars and heating them in a boiling water to a high temperature, to destroy any microorganisms that cause food spoilage. As air pushes out of the jar during the heating process, a vacuum seal forms as the can cools. Best foods to can are high-acid foods including fruit juice, pickled vegetables, salsa, vinegars, and condiments.
- Canning (pressure canning) - This is the second primary type of canning at home. Instead of boiling the jars and contents, this process requires higher temperatures and special equipment for the jars to be put under pressure (in a pressure canner). This is a safe method for low-acid foods (pH higher than 4.6) like vegetables, meats, poultry, and seafood.
- Fermentation – A chemical reaction that microorganisms, such as bacteria and yeast, convert carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids under anaerobic conditions. Some common fermented content is kombucha, kimchi, yogurt, cheese, and sourdough bread.
- Preserving in salt and sugar – The water content is reduced and microbial growth in meats, fruits and vegetables are inhibited. Ideal foods for preserving in salt or sugar are jams and jellies, salt pork, corned beef, and fruit preserves.
- Alcohol Immersion - Involves submerging high-acid foods in alcohol such as vodka, wine, brandy, and cognac. It is most popular to preserve fruits in alcohol such as cherries, peaches, apples, and pineapples.
- Vinegar pickling – This method creates a high acid environment, killing microbes and changes the flavor and texture of food. It involves adding vinegar, salt, and sugar to fruits and vegetables to make pickles of apples, plums, cucumber, beets, peppers, carrots, cauliflower, and onions.
- Olive oil preserving – Preserving fresh herbs, vegetables, and fish are common for olive oil preservation. A tight seal isolates food from the air to slow down oxidation and producing mold.
Whether you are a farmer, vegetable gardener, or simply a foodie who is committed to eating locally and as seasonally as possible, learning different methods of preserving harvest for the upcoming season saves money, ensures nothing goes to waste and provides homegrown and homemade food all year long. Gather your gear of vacuum-sealable glass jars with screw bands and rubber lined metal lids and start preserving your food towards building a sustainable lifestyle.