
Do you have the opportunity to shop for produce in bulk (possibly cheaper) and wonder how you will ever eat it before it all spoils? Were you ever gifted an abundance of a friend’s fruit tree bounty? Or, do you have more tomatoes than you know what to do with at the end of the summer season? Preserving your food items yourself means that you can provide yourself access to an abundant variety of food when fresh may not be readily accessible.
Preserving food may or may not be a way to save yourself money, but you will know what is in the food you eat as well as have all the good feels of accomplishment from this time-honored practice. Garnering the skills and practicing various types of food preservation truly offers a plethora of positives. There are many different ways to preserve food, however, regardless of the method chosen or prescribed, it is essential that you follow the sound and researched advice to be sure that food safety conditions are met and your bounty can truly be enjoyed over a greater span of time safely.
What are the best methods to preserve food? You can properly extend the length of time you can safely keep and consume your harvest and other fresh ingredients by way of canning, freezing, drying, curing/ smoking, fermenting, pickling, and by making jams and jellies. Certain foods can be preserved in multiple ways and there may even be methods that are not advised or excluded for the food type. Despite the method used, there are necessary steps to take to ensure that what you will be eating, will not cause you or your loved ones’ sickness.
Unwanted and dangerous bacteria and pathogens (Botulism for example) are extremely serious issues that home preservationists need to be aware of and know how to avoid. UGA Extension offers many different and helpful links to Factsheets to a numerous variety of very specific food preservation practices and foods using the techniques I’ve listed above. Additionally, Extension offices and many Family and Consumer Science Agents provide detailed programs and trainings to offer additional help if this is of interest; we even offer the service of Pressure dial gauge testing.
The best resource to get started and guide you on your home food preservation journey is via the publication “So Easy to Preserve“; this sixth edition cookbook is available for purchase online and in many local Extension offices throughout the state. It is the premier resource for step-by-step methods to extend the lives of your fresh foods. There is even a version for youth to get started on their journey; “Preserve it and Serve it” is a wonderful step-by-step guide with pictures for a basic or beginner to use to properly preserve their bounty.