Ever since COVID-19 reared its ugly head, many families were forced to face the reality that food will not always be accessible. During the height of the pandemic, many families were forced to go without specific foods because the stores did not have access to them.
Some families were even faced with hunger because their local stores were forced to close, and they had no way to replenish their food supplies. This is a harrowing thought for many moms who need to feed growing families. As a rule, it is important that you know how to preserve food at home for emergencies. Here are 7 food storing methods every mom should know. If you decide to buy various food items in bulk, you may want to store them in a 5 Gallon Plastic Pail. If you’re running a business that requires you to store food supplies in a refrigerator, make sure that you have a regular appliance repair contractor that can provide 24/7 Commercial Refrigeration Repair services.
- Drying
If you want an age-old but effective preservation method, you should use the drying method. The drying method is usually used for fish, pork, and other meat products. However, this food preservation method is also used for other types of foodstuffs such as fungi, herbs, and spices.
The traditional meat drying method entails cutting up the meat into small strips and leaving them out in the open for the sun to dry. However, this could be a risky method because flies and other microorganisms could nest on the meat and spoil it. Luckily, there are solar food dehydrators that could aid in the drying process, without risking your food in the open air.
- Canning
If you want to have a large number of food supplies at the ready, you should try canning your food. Canning is a predominantly new form of food preservation and entails you processing large amounts of food, and put them into cans. The best thing about canning is that it helps prevent pathogens from contaminating the food. Of all the food preservation techniques, it is by far the most effective, because canned foods could last for very long periods of time.
Canning is a great option, especially if you have your own farm. For example, you slaughter a cow or harvest your crops. If you don’t store your meat or produce effectively, your food will most likely rot in the long run.
By having your food canned, you will be able to stop them from rotting. Canning your food is a somewhat difficult prospect. Luckily, there are companies such as Levapac that produce top-quality can filling and sealing machine options. This company makes some of the best canning machines for the best prices possible.
- Fermenting
Fermenting is an ancient food preservation technique. It is not only perfect for preserving foodstuffs, they also add an incredible umami flavoring. Some great examples of fermented foods are sausages, kimchi, and sauerkraut. The main concept of fermenting is to start a controlled microbial growth in the base ingredient. This will make the base ingredient last longer, and have a distinct taste and smell.
- Oil Packing
Oil packing is a very effective way to store foods for emergencies. The main concept for oil packing is that the food is stored in a mixture of oils, spices, and vinegar. The mixture acts as a type of preservative that prevents pathogens from settling into the food. A myriad of foods could be oil-packed, however, fish are perfect for oil packing because it rids them of their fishiness, and instead gives them a great deal of flavor. One great example of oil-packed fish is Spanish-style sardines.
- Salting
Salting is a more advanced form of drying. While drying entails dehydrating the food with heat, salting entails dehydrating the food using salt. Remember that the main reason you are drying your food is that you want to take away any form of moisture in the food.
This type of preservation is perfect for fish and meat, because the salt draws out all the moisture from the flesh, and helps prevent pathogens from developing. If you are going to salt fish or meat, it is important to cut up the food into small strips. This will allow the salt to easily draw out the salt from the flesh. Pat some salt into the fish or meat, and dry it out in the sun.
- Air Packing
Air packing is a relatively new method of food preservation, and it entails you to use flexible plastic packaging and using a vacuum to seal it up. This is very effective at sealing up food because vacuum sealing prevents microorganisms from getting to your food. After air packing the food, you should store it somewhere cool.
- Sugar Preservation
Aside from making things sweet, sugar is also a great way to preserve food. Remember that a good number of sweet dishes last for a long time. This is because of the presence of large amounts of sugar in the dish.
This type of preservation is best used for fruits and vegetables. Fruit preserves are particularly popular as bread fillings and spreads. If you want to make fruit preserves, it is relatively simple. All you need is a type of sugar and your fruit of choice. The sugar does not specifically have to be sugar cane sugar. You could use honey, syrup, or molasses. You will also need a glass jar to store the preserve in.
The first step to making a fruit preserve is to mash or chop up your fruit, and then boil it. Once the fruit reaches a boiling point, you should add the pectin which will get the fruit preservation process started. After mixing, you should store the preserve in a glass jar, and store it somewhere cool.
Conclusion
Ever since the pandemic forced grocery stores to temporarily close, many moms were forced to face the harsh reality that they need to find alternative ways to feed their families in case of emergencies. With these food storing methods, moms will now be able to feed their families despite the pandemic.
