Hey, just wondering if you could recommend some good companies from which to buy food for long term storage, dehydrated food, etc. And if you have any particular foods within that brand that you'd like to recommend, please lay it on me. All help greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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I store my dehydrated fruit in canning jars. Some of the vacuum sealers had siecial lids you can buy.
Do you dehydrate it yourself? If so, can you recommend a good dehydrator? There's a vast price difference in the ones I've seen. Thanks.
Yes I do. Mine is an old Weston. Works fine and I have extra trays but I wouldn’t chose it again. I mostly do apples, strawberries, a few veggies for soup and fruit leather. I’m not crazy of having to constantly swap around the trays because the ones on the bottom get get almost cooked and the ones on the top are still just starting. I don’t have any real advice except that If you can afford it would actually investigate freeze dryers. Not that I don’t like dehydrated food but I hear freeze drying is better. I also have I smoker that I use for smoking meats which if you do that before dehydration you can get some great jerky like solutions. Most of my food preservation is done thru canning. It’s not hard to learn and except for being labor intensive is great. Food tastes better. If you’re bugging out I guess it could be awkward but if replacing store bought you couldn’t ask for better. Buy a ball blue book and see just how easy it is. Soups, meat, meals or fruits and veggies. Canning can be an investment but overall cheaper and better than anything store bought. I’d be glad to discuss further if you have an inclination that direction. I do 100s of quarts yearly.
Thank you for that information. I am a little confused by the dehydrators because I used to know someone that had one made up of plastic trays -- no electricity or anything. That didn't seem safe or sanitary to me. Yours obviously 'cooks' so that would be the route I'd want to go. Have you heard of the other no-cook variety?
And I appreciate the info about freeze dryers. A quick check on amazon didn't offer any. Actually gave me dehydrators as the result, lol. I'll keep looking. And I have always been interested in canning, though never done it. Do you only can your own home grown vegs or do you buy them for canning purposes? My garden is so tiny there is not enough to grow to make canning worthwhile, at least until I make other arrangements. But yes, I would love to know more.
Right now my main objective is to get the food and basic supplies pantry up to speed, then spread out on equipment like deyhdrator, freeze dryer, water purification system, canning equipment, etc. I still have much to learn.
Thank you again for your advice and please feel free to add anything you think may be of value. If it's okay I will get back to you about the canning when I'm a bit more set up and ready to get into that phase. I'll save this thread so I can DM you at that point. I already have questions rolling around in my head, lol. Thanks.
Well I had a large reply written and my dog jumped up and bumped the screen of my tablet. ? Basically I am in Michigan and we shave a multitude of lovely farm markets. We do have a small garden (120sqft) but the majority of my canning food is purchased. If you buy in large quantities the price is still better than in the grocery stores I’ve been canning since I was a kid at my mommas knee. What ever you do don’t let it intimidate you. It is easy and safe. Not to mention healthy and cheap. Reach out when ever you want. I love passing on the “lost arts” I do have a question for you though. Where are you located? It may make a difference to how much you can store. Looking forward to hearing from you. Btw. My name is Darcy.