Food storage accomplished through smart shopping, foraging, gardening & canning

Foraging:

This is the time of year to have your eyes open for wild edible plants and to begin storing up your favorites. Buy a good book and meet with knowledgeable friends to forage the woods and open spaces for the bounty the Good Lord brings forth every year.

Canning:

Of the many edible plants you can select, berries are always the number one favorite, and many quarts of jam and jelly will be processed as the fruits ripen over the next few months. To can your own jam or jelly, requires the acquisition of a large number of canning jars now, for later use. Check for store sales of jars and lids, of pectin and sugar, along with specials on various fruits at rock bottom prices. Do not pass up the garage sales either which can be a gold mine on canning bottles and products.

Learn something new this year. Try different methods of canning your favorite foods and fruits.

If you wish to try some new interesting processing methods, try some of the pioneer methods of preserving foods. One such method called ‘pemmican’, is mainly meat and berries pounded together to make meat/berry cakes, which will last for several months without refrigeration, and can last you through the winter if you keep them stored at a constant cool temperature.

Improving Food Storage Temperatures:

Try improving your food storage area. Consider maybe increasing the size of your storage area and/or try improving the insulation factor of your food storage area. This can be done by adding ‘closed in cabinets or cupboards, or by simply insulating your garage door itself, or replacing your non-insulated garage door with an insulated garage door. Anything you do should have a goal of lowering the area storage temperature to below 70 degrees, which is the ideal highest temperature for best results in the longevity and saving of stored fruits and vegetables.

Work Your Garden:

Your garden should be well underway now as we are past the last frost. This year, try experimenting with some new species of your favorite crops, such as several varieties of corn, and squash.

My garden is already producing fruit and vegetables. Yeah! We have been harvesting salad on a regular basis. Two days ago I also sampled one of my very hot radishes and then I cooled off my tongue with a large fresh strawberry. Nothing tastes better than fresh produce.

It is fun to garden and it brings a sense of peace to your soul as you dig in the dark brown earth. God has been good to me this year. Almost everything I have planted is thriving. (Using Miracle grow did not hurt my odds either…)


Smart Shopping for Food Storage:

Continue to watch for food sales and store coupons that reduce your food bill costs. If you have been doing this all along, you may find that now, the only time you have to go shopping is for milk and to pickup items when something they are on sale.

The Comfort of Having Your Food Storage:

It is amazing the comfort it gives you to have a minimum of one year’s supply of food in your pantry and food storage. Personally we have two years of grains, dehydrated foods and freeze dried foods in our long-term supply stored up. We also have our regular pantry stuffed with enough fresh foods and water to easily last three to five months. It is packed full of things we like to eat all of the time in our regular diet.