Ever since the pandemic struck last year, the world went into lockdown. Stores and businesses were closed, and people had to make do with what they had at home for a month or two. While things have stabilized in the past few months, a good number of people are still wary of grocery stores closing down, and having empty pantries. Luckily, there are ways to pack away food for the rainy days. Here are 7 food preservation tips for the new normal.
1. Purchase Grains in Large Amounts
If you want to have food ready for cooking at home, it is very important that you purchase large amounts of grain for your home supplies. Grains are extremely easy to cook and provide a large number of calories for a relatively small amount of food.
For example, one cup of rice usually measures around 200 calories. As a rule, it is important that you buy grains in bulk and store them. Rice could be preserved for very long periods of time, just as long as you don’t cook it. The same goes for barley or wheat. Corn is particularly long-lasting, just as long as it is dehydrated, and stored somewhere cool and dry.
2. Make Your Own Kombucha
When It comes to a good healthy drink, nothing could really beat a nice tall glass of kombucha. This fermented tea is a great drink, and the best thing is, you could create a large amount of kombucha that could last you for years.
The kombucha production process entails you mixing sugary tea with a SCOBY or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. By mixing the two, and allowing the combination to ferment, you’ll have a good supply of kombucha in no time.
3. Create Your Own Oil And Vinegar
When it comes to cooking, the two most important things to have at home is a large supply of oil and vinegar. They are important because oil is used for cooking, and vinegar is extremely useful for food preservation, season, and even cleaning.
You could distill palm, vegetable or olive oil. Your choice of oil really depends on what ingredients you have at your disposal. The same could be said for vinegar. You could create rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and malt vinegar just to name a few.
4. Canned Fish And Meat
If you want a steady supply of protein home, it always helps to can your meat and fish products. The best thing about canning your fish or meat is the fact that it will be able to stay for very long periods of time.
Some canned goods could even last for years, just as long as the container is undamaged, and it is properly stored. If you want to can your meats and fish products, it is a good idea to use a canning machine. If you are interested in purchasing canning machines, you should try out Levapack. It is a canning machine manufacturer and could provide you with some great canning equipment for a very affordable price. Visit there website here.
5. Smoked Fish and Meat
When it comes to preservation, there is no preservation technique as old as smoking. Ever since our prehistoric ancestors learned to make fire, they were already smoking their fish and meat. One of the essential factors in achieving the best results is choosing the best wood for smoking elk jerky.
The process is relatively simple. Your main goal is to dehydrate the fish or meat of any moisture. The easiest way to do that is to pat the fish or meat with salt. This will help prevent bacteria from growing in the flesh and draw liquid from the flesh. Once you have finished prepping the fish or meat, it is time to leave it out for the sun to dry. When you leave it out to dry, you should make sure no flies or other pests will be able to nest on the dried food. If they do get near the dried food, there is a danger that maggots will ruin the food.
6. Oil Preserved Foods
If you are looking for a way to preserve your food, and make it delicious as well, it is a good idea to preserve food in oil. If you are going to preserve food in oil, you should use a good quality jar. It must be airtight, and resistant to breaking.
You could preserve a lot of food stuff in oil. Vegetables are a good choice, however, sardines are a great choice. If you preserve sardines in olive oil, chili, garlic, and other seasonings, you’ll have a supply of delicious Spanish-style sardines in no time.
7. Dry Mushrooms, Herbs, And Spices
If you want to have a good supply of mushrooms, herbs, and spices to flavor your meals, it is a good idea to dry them and store them in jars for future use. If you live near the countryside, the area is usually full of mushrooms, herbs, and spices to forage from.
When it comes to getting these fungi, spices, and herbs it is important that you know what you are looking for. It is dangerous to just pick plants without knowing what they are. If you are going to go out foraging, it is important that you bring a pair of gloves with you. A good number of herbs or mushrooms could be poisonous or could trigger an allergic reaction, so it always helps to have hand protection.
When you lay them out to dry, it is important that you protect them from any kind of liquid. The more dehydrated the mushrooms and seasonings the better.
Conclusion
Ever since the pandemic struck last year, many people were faced with the reality that food will not always be available at stores to purchase. As a rule, you should learn how to preserve food for times of emergency. With these tips, you will be able to store away food for the rainy days.
