Choosing the best food preservation method for you & the type of food you’re preserving can be tricky. Might even feel overwhelming. Each type of preservation—canning, freezing, dehydrating & fermenting or more — has unique benefits. But not all methods are ideal for every food. And then again, you might only have the tools, space & skills to choose one or two. Here’s some tips to help you choose the best preservation method for each food type because a well-stocked pantry year-round is non-negotiable.
Overview of Popular Food Preservation Methods
Just real quick because I have you here now. Let’s hit on some of the main techniques out there for preserving food.
Related Blog Post: 19 Unique Ways to Preserve Food (Mostly) at Home, 5 Simple Ways to Preserve Produce at Home: a Guide, 4 Ways to Preserve Food Without Special Equipment
- Canning: Canning is great for storing shelf-stable foods. And it’s a one-&-done sort of skill because it works well for fruits, vegetables, sauces, meats…everything. Just use the appropriate style – water bath (or steam canning) or pressure canning. Space will be the biggest caveat for this style tho so if you’re short on it…😬
- Freezing: Now this technique is one of the simplest methods. And girllllll when I say you can preserve anything – I mean that here. A wide variety of foods can be frozen while retaining flavor, texture & nutrition. But it requires freezer space & continuous electricity. (Not so great if your home/area is prone to power outages.)
- Dehydrating: Any method that removes moisture (like this or freeze drying), makes it excellent for a lightweight, space-saving storage solution. Personally I love this method for produce & herbs, even some meats. On the other hand, storage is more crucial than ever. These foods gotta stay air-tight & moisture free otherwise they just spoil too easily.
- Fermenting: This method is ideal for vegetables & dairy products. What people toot all the time is that it’s a great way to add probiotics (or their precursors – the prebiotics) while preserving. And making your own homemade yogurt (a fermented or cultured milk product) is easy to learn! But fermenting foods takes time to develop flavors but those are so customizable & fun to explore too. The downside to this popular preservation method is that it takes time to acquire a taste for tangy, sour foods if that’s not your norm.
Understanding each method’s strengths (& limits) makes it easier to know which is the best food preservation method for you.
The Different Types of Foods You Can Preserve
Alright so now that we’ve touched on the most popular home food preservation methods, let’s talk about the common food types. Because different foods respond better to certain preservation methods.
Fruits & Vegetables: Produce tends to be very flexible (& forgiving) with how it’s preserved. Canning, freezing & dehydrating work particularly well for it. For example, peaches and tomatoes keep well when canned, while leafy greens do better when frozen. Produce is also available in abundance compared to something like meats or dairy items. It’s also well-tolerated by most people & families.
Meats (& other proteins): Your best bet for these items is to consider freezing or pressure canning for long-term storage. Freezing keeps food like chicken or fish fresh without any added ingredients. Very much ideal for any ingredient-based house. This is the type of home whose food is made predominantly of solo ingredients vs. pre-packaged convenience items you get from the store. Pressure canning also works well for meats if you prefer a shelf-stable pantry option. And if you go this route, you can make up whole meals or sides using the proteins in a ton of ways.
Herbs & Spices: Drying & freezing are ideal for preserving herbs. Dry herbs in small bundles for better airflow. Or freeze them in ice cube trays with your favorite butter or oil (like olive oil) to keep their flavor for months. You can then use these luxuriously delicious flavor bombs in so many dishes from roasts to soups, casseroles & pastas.
Matching foods with the best food preservation methods ensures you preserve their flavor, texture, and nutrients as effectively as possible.
Consider This When Choosing a Preservation Method
The best way to preserve food is to be sure you account for a few practical factors like time, equipment & storage space. Like this:
Time Commitment: Freezing & drying often take less hands-on time so are great for beginners. Canning & fermenting may take more time upfront but offer shelf-stable options that don’t require electricity. And I love that for better food storage, long-term.
Equipment Needs: If you’re just starting & wanna keep costs to a minimum, freezing & dehydrating are two ways to slide on in there with minimal equipment. I absolutely LOVE my Food Saver vacuum sealer so much, I convinced my mom she needed one. And the oldy-but-goody Nesco food dehydrator I snagged at a thrift store was a come up too. Canning, however, requires specific tools like a pressure or steam canner. Water bath canning though??? …. In the bag! You couldn’t need less for this type of canning.
Storage Space: Consider the storage space actually available to you. I don’t just mean the kitchen or pantry space. I’m talking every viable inch of space you have at your disposal. Because I don’t know about you, but I’m here for longevity, self-sustainability. Prior to buying a home, that meant food in the living room, hall closets & under the master bed were a mainstay in all our apt-homes. Freezing requires freezer space obv, but dehydrated & canned foods use shelf space.
Dietary Needs/Preferences (aka Nutritional Value): If you love carrots for their vitamin profile or you just really love the taste of garden fresh carrots, canning them might not be the way to go. Canning carrots significantly reduces the level of Vitamin C because it’s denatured in all that heat. However, the body absorbs more beta-carotene when eating them cooked (which is what they become when canned) than over raw. Preferences play a factor in deciding the route you take & sometimes you never know until you try. If you don’t mind the flavors, fermenting carrots might work better for retaining that crunch, certain vitamins & taking less time than canning.
Skill Set: Girl, come one now. This is a critical factor to consider. Don’t plan to can up all those $0.99 5-lb bag of potatoes you got at Thanksgiving if you don’t know the first thing about canning. No. Instead, do what you know (assuming you couldn’t pass on the sale). And if you haven’t bought any yet, start looking into what it takes to can white potatoes safely. Then go splurge on the ‘tates. I’m not suggesting you be scared to try something you’ve never tried before. I’m sayin’ be wise with your time, space & funds before you go off in the deep end.
At the end of the day, these are valid points to consider. But the best food preservation method to choose is based on your resources & preferences.
Combining the Best Food Preservation Method for Optimal Results
Optimal food storage includes a diversity plan (& if I sound like a whole enterprise it’s because this is actually true with food). Diverse food storage is more options in hand if/when you ever need ‘em, Consider combining some of the best food preservation methods.
For example, you can freeze tomatoes during peak season, then can them later when you have more time. Similarly, dehydrated fruits & vegetables can be used in winter stews, extending your pantry’s versatility. You just need to get in there & mix & match a bit so you enjoy a greater variety of foods throughout the year while maximizing your storage space.
Key Take-Aways
Finding the best food preservation method really is all about playing an adult-version of Go Fish. You try a lil this, try a lil that to match each food type with a preservation technique that blends seamlessly with your available resources. Whether you’re freezing berries for easy smoothie additions, canning summer tomatoes for winter stews, or drying herbs to flavor dishes year-round, there’s a preservation method to fit every need. All you gotta do is make the plan.
🌱 Start Small. Start Now. Start where you are with what you have. The rest will follow. 🌱
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