Food Preservation

In times of abundance, humans have always endeavored to preserve food. They have done so in order to provide food security for leaner times, and for the nutritional benefits and enjoyment of having a diverse diet. For gardeners in general, and for those trying to decrease their dependence on store bought food in particular, food preservation is a worthwhile endeavor. It can also be a great pleasure in the dead of winter to enjoy the fruits of the summer sun (and your own hard work) by eating your homemade canned tomato sauce, seasoned with your own dried herbs, with fresh frozen berries for dessert.

The most common methods of food preservation are canning, freezing, drying, pickling, and root cellaring. Different methods are more appropriate for different fruits and vegetables, and there are important food safety issues that must be understood, especially when canning. Perhaps the most straightforward method is root cellaring, which makes use of the naturally cool and stable temperature of the earth to preserve food. If done correctly, this simple, no-cost method can store many fruits and vegetables (root crops in particular) for several months or longer.

Food Preservation & Safety: This excellent resource contains a vast collection of information from the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Serivce. Dozens of well-organized pages cover nearly every aspects of food preservation, featuring instructions on how to freeze, dry, can, or pickle just about any fruit or vegetable. The only type of preservation not discussed in detail is root cellaring.
Homecanning.com: Canning is one of the best ways to preserve food at home, but instructions must be carefully followed to prevent contamination. This site details the specific procedures needed to do all your own canning at home, including recipes for everything from jams to salsa. In addition, a full line of Ball® canning products are available for purchase through the site.
Root Cellar Basics: What makes an ideal root cellar? Which fruits and vegetables keep well in a root cellar? The answers are here in this summarized excerpt from Mike & Nancy Bubel's Root Cellaring: The Simple No-Process Way to Store Fruits and Vegetables.
Vegetable Harvest and Storage: A no-nonsense guide to when to harvest and how to store 42 of the most commonly grown vegetables and vine crops, from the University of Missouri Cooperative Extension Service.

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