Long Term Food Storage
| Since we’ve switched to a Whole Foods diet, I’ve had to learn some different methods of food storage. It wasn’t far from what I was already going – it just involves more containers. Actually, a lot of the switch happened when a stinking mouse moved into the basement and helped himself to a buffet. After eating all that, I’m sure he crawled back to his lair and exploded. Stupid mouse. He even ate my decorative fall corn. The little monster.So, below I’ll show you how I’m doing it. I would love to show you pictures of food that I’ve dehydrated using my Excalibur food dehydrator, but alas…..I haven’t dehydrated anything yet. I just got a used one today at a GREAT price! Be looking out for dehydrating posts. Dehydrating is a GREAT way to store food. |
 My favorite method of storage is my deep freezer. Yes, we’re in love. This is what I asked for when we got married…..and I keep it stocked. If you can freeze it, I’m going to do it. The only thing I’ve had a dud with is cooked rice. When I thawed it, we couldn’t handle the texture. Since rice is so easy to cook, I don’t mind doing it as we need it…..it was just an experiment. I freeze all sorts of cooked things, along with produce and fruit. My freezer is stocked with meat, cooked beans, vegetables, fruits, cheese, butter (but I’m getting low and it’s sad), oh and there’s a Freschetta pizza in there that still survives. I’m sure we’ll eat it some time when I don’t feel like cooking. I’ve also got baked bread and bread dough, pizza dough, English muffins, prepared waffles and pancakes. If I can get something in bulk, I’m going to do it….and then figure out how to freeze it. A great resource for knowing how things can be frozen and for how long is Still Tasty. |
 By now you know of my intense love for large glass jars. I’m fascinated with them….and if you’re missing one, I likely “borrowed” it. I like to store my beans in glass jars. I can see them quickly at a glance and know what is inside. Plus, I just think it’s pretty to stare at massive quantities of pretty beans. They would make great decoration. Look at how pretty this display is of all her glass storage. When you empty large jars, like pickles, you can get the smell out of them by using a water/baking soda mixture. It might take several days, but eventually the smell will come out. Tammy from Tammy’s Recipes says that letting lids rest in direct sunlight will get the smells out. I love harnessing the power of the sun for stuff like that. It will also disinfect your sponges. Food stored in glass containers will keep longer than if you try to store it in its original container. |
 There comes a point when you can’t freeze everything……..unless you have multiple freezers. When that happens, my mom and I can things instead of putting them in the freezer. This year, it was peaches. Last year it was green beans…..and my mom also canned beets, but beets make me want to yak. Sometimes we can a lot, sometimes we can a little. But it’s a great option for long term storage. If you want to can, you should get The Ball Blue Book of Preserving. It’s EXCELLENT! |
 We eat massive quantities of oats. I make Baked Oatmeal so often that I have to keep a good supply on hand. I store my oats in large glass containers as well. The large jar on the left is actually plastic. Glass is superior to plastic when storage is concerned. You don’t have to worry about chemicals leaching into your food….but I ran out of jars and had to use what I had. Plus, these oats won’t stay around long enough to leach anywhere. I need to visit some more yard sales to find more jars – yard sales are a great place to score jars at a rock bottom price! |
 Now, when I buy 25-50 pounds of something at once, I don’t have a jar big enough…..that’s when I turn to five gallon buckets. Right now, I have five……and I need more. I’m on the lookout for them all the time. Lowes sells them (paint stores too, but I prefer to have food-grade buckets). Sometimes a deli or bakery will give you buckets if you ask nicely. If you don’t have a food grade bucket, you could line the bucket you do have with a food grade storage bag(like I’ve also done).I’ve also chosen to use Gamma Seal Lids for my buckets. It’s extra protection against any critters getting into your food…..and they’re also VERY easy to get in to compared to prying off those weirdo lids. I love my Gamma Seal lids. Aren’t they pretty?
So that I know what’s in each bucket, I put a piece of masking tape on a few of the buckets and labeled them. I know that in the blue and white bucket I’ve got 50 pounds of Sucanat. I keep a continuous list in my head. |
 In my second refrigerator, I use the freezer to store only venison. I really suggest you look into getting someone to get a deer for you this year – or get one yourself. But please try not to hit it with your car……try hitting it with your bullet instead. You can get the meat for free and only pay for the processing. It’s been a big blessing to us to be able to get this meat yearly. I make sure mine gets a bit of beef fat added to it to help with the gamey taste that some people don’t like.
And that’s it. A look into my basement…….please excuse the dirt. I knew I wasn’t going to clean it, so I might as well show you how it REALLY is down there. |
Who kills the deer you eat? Your dad and Barry?
Love that Still Tasty link, by the way.
I know, right?
Dad??? Uh, no. That would be Barry.
My mom is getting us a dehydrator for Christmas. I can’t wait to get it. I want to make fruit roll ups for the kids, dried fruit, jerkey, my list goes on and on
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Ditto to all of those!
I didn’t know you could buy a freezer like that (door that opens like a refrigerator and shelves)! I’ve only seen the other type (rectangle with minimal shelving). I’m going to go look for one this weekend.
Good luck! You could always post a “wanted” ad on Craig’s List to get one used for a good price.
Marcy, if you are local I have a list of some appliances for sale from a local church.
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