Homestead Food Preservation

Someone recently asked me how we plan to survive in the winter as we strive for food self-sufficiency.  The short answer is that we’re not yet fully self-sufficient.  Truth be told, we will probably never rely 100% on the food we grow because we choose to consume foods that do not grow in our zone (avocados, coffee, chocolate, etc.) and choose to dine out from time to time.

The longer answer involves food preservation.  We do still enjoy a lot of our harvest throughout the winter.  One of the ways is to choose crops that continue to grow in the winter.  This year, we had fresh kale from our garden through January (in Michigan!) and have noticed it starting to recover from the polar vortex that stunted it in January.   It’s impressive how long certain foods continue to grow, even after multiple heavy freezes and under snow. We also have a small greenhouse.  We grow more tropical plants like lemons, limes, olives, and cold weather vegetables such as greens work well in the greenhouse all winter long.

For the most part, however, the answer lies in food preservation.  Here are a few ways that we preserve our harvest so that we can enjoy it all year long:

Dried on the Vine:

This isn’t exactly a food preservation method, but I had to note it here because many beans are naturally preserved as we pick them. We allow them to dry on the vine and then all we need to do is put the beans in a jar or bag and they are fresh for years.  We typically grow kidney beans, black beans and cannellini beans.  We’re looking forward to trying some other varieties soon, because the convenience cannot be beat.  They will last years in a jar and can be eaten in any recipe if they are soaked prior to use.

Cool Storage:

Next to naturally dried beans, cool storage is by far the easiest preservation method, but it doesn’t work for all foods.  Cool temperature storage involves keeping food in a cool, dark place to slow down the growth of microorganisms. This method is ideal for storing root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots, as well as fruits such as apples and pears. But don’t put your apples next to your potatoes…there are rules for what types of produce age well together or not.  “Back in the day,” root cellars were popular for cool storage. We don’t have a root cellar (yet), but we do have a space that is cool and humid.  50 – 55 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 – 60% humidity works well for many fruits and vegetables.  We enjoyed pumpkins and spaghetti squash into February.  As I type this in mid-March, we still have garlic, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash from last fall that I wouldn’t hesitate to eat.

Home Canning:

Canning is probably what people most often think of when hearing the words “home food preservation.” We use this method too. Canning works by heating food in sealed jars to kill microorganisms and create a vacuum seal. There are two main types of canning:  water bath canning and pressure canning.

Water bath canning is the easiest and works by immersing canning jars in boiling water for a period of time.  It can only be used for highly acidic foods like tomatoes and other fruits, pickled vegetables, etc.  We use Weck jars for our water bath canning because we like that the parts of the jar are reusable at least twice. 

Pressure canning is needed for any foods that have lower acidity.  It uses a pressurized boiler to achieve higher temperatures, which are needed to remove the microorganisms in less acidic foods.  As much as we love Weck jars, we’ve not yet mastered these in a pressure canner, so we use Mason or Ball jars for our pressure canning.  Last fall, we had an abundance of poblano peppers, so we’ve been enjoying our home canned green chiles in our chili and beans all winter.  Peppers have lower acidity, so they need to be canned with the higher temperatures of a pressure canner.

Freezing:

Freezing is so common that it just might be considered the unsung hero of food preservation.  Freezing works by slowing down the growth of microorganisms.  It also does a great job of preserving the flavor and texture of foods.  We freeze meats as well as broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and berries, just to name a few.  Freezing also works well for leftover cooked foods, like soups and casseroles.  For the best results and the longest preservation, we flash freeze our foods and then vacuum seal them.  This year, we invested in a chamber vacuum sealer, which handles juicy and/or liquid foods better than a traditional vacuum sealer and we’ve been able to freeze more than ever before.

Dehydration:

By removing the moisture from food, you can inhibit the growth of bacteria, yeast, and mold.  People have been using the sun to dry foods for centuries.  The oven or a food dehydrator also works well.  We own a small dehydrator, which we have used to dry mushrooms and fruit for ourselves.  We also like to dry sweet potatoes or pumpkin as dog treats.

Fermentation

Fermentation is my favorite preservation method. There’s nothing like homemade sauerkraut…massage cut cabbage with salt, stick it in a fermentation jar, set it in the pantry for a couple weeks and voila! The process of fermentation creates foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, and cheese. It enhances flavor and nutritional value and creates probiotics that improve digestion and reduce inflammation.  So far, the only fermented foods we’ve made are sauerkraut and Brian’s famous sourdough bread (which he started himself), but we’re currently trying our hands at making homemade cheeses and yogurts this year as well.  

We haven’t yet tried freeze drying because the equipment isn’t in our budget right now, but maybe someday.  Freeze-drying involves freezing food and removing moisture through sublimation. If you have freeze dried at home, we’d love to hear more about how it has worked for you.

Our journey toward food self-sufficiency is an ongoing process, enriched by various methods of food preservation that allow us to enjoy the fruits of our labor throughout the year. While we may never be entirely self-sufficient, we embrace the challenge of growing what we can and preserving it through techniques such as drying, cool storage, canning, freezing, dehydration, and fermentation. Each method plays a vital role in extending the life of our harvest and maintaining the flavors and nutritional benefits of our food. As we continue to explore and refine our preservation practices, we remain committed to learning and adapting, ensuring that we can savor our harvest even long after the growing season ends. We welcome any tips or experiences you might have with food preservation, especially with techniques we have yet to explore.