Preserving Food: A Time-Tested Tradition Worth Reviving

Preserving Your Food: A Sustainable Approach to Eating Well

When seeing the produce section or farmers market in the summer, you would love preserving food and taking all that color and freshness into the colder season. All look so healthy and delicious. You can preserve your fruit and vegetables and store them plastic-free by canning, pickling, fermenting, or drying. This way, nothing ends up in the trash, and you can enjoy them not only in the fall and winter but year-round—no need to rely on ultra-processed food from the grocery store.

See also > How to preserve and properly store vegetables without canning

How Unhealthy are Additives in Highly Processed Foods

Whether it’s ready meals, sausages, industrially produced bread, or granola bars, highly processed foods, such as UPS (ultra-processed foods), often contain additives and are considered unhealthy.

Studies show that many of these foods can not only make you fat but also make you sick – and that they can shorten your life. They can promote inflammation, alter the composition of our intestinal flora and microbiome, and lead to metabolic acidification. Every second grocery store product is highly processed and potentially harmful to health.

See > Processed meals are not healthy – What is the solution?

Artificial Additives Can Cause Diseases

The intention is that these artificial additives add flavor to foods, enhance their shelf life, and enhance their appearance. Or they contain fillers that add volume. But many of these substances have one thing in common: They can make you sick. The more processed foods are and the more additives they contain, the more diseases they can promote.

Clean Eating: Eating Foods Without Additives

Clean eating is an entirely additive-free diet consisting only of pure, unprocessed foods. Natural fiber, protein, plenty of vegetables, and bran are exceptionally healthy. We should consume Carbohydrates in moderation, and bread should be whole grain and preferably homemade.

See > Discover the Magic of Claypot Cooking

See > Boost Your Immune System With Seasonal Vegetables

Preserving your Food

Preserving has been an essential part of our culture for thousands of years. It’s no exaggeration to say that preserving food is as old as cooking. There are many techniques – essentially, it’s about processing fruits and vegetables so you can use them for months. Depending on the method, you will have different consistencies and exciting flavors.

See > How To Make Awesome Delicious Fruit Pulp Crackers and Awesome Raw Vegan Bread And Cracker Recipes For A Healthy Snack

And > Probiotic-Rich Food Will Help To Make Your Microbiome Happy and A Healthy Sauerkraut Recipe DIY Good For Your Gut

Preserving Seasonal Food

Canning is the most widely used technique because it’s uncomplicated and guaranteed to work. Heating the food briefly at around 60 to 90 degrees Celsius preserves vitamins and nutrients. However, they don’t keep as long because the temperature is low. Alternatively, you can heat the jars for a longer period at over 100 degrees Celsius to first create excess pressure and form a vacuum. In both cases, you should rinse the jars with boiling water beforehand or place them in the oven at 140 degrees Celsius for about ten minutes to sterilize them.  

And > Seasonal Vegan Recipes That Will Unleash Your Creative Energy

Pickling involves preserving fruits and vegetables in liquid. Mixing one part vinegar to two and a half to three parts water, salt, and optional spices and herbs is usually suitable. Here, you sterilize the jars also beforehand and then fill them with chopped raw vegetables and the liquid. Finally, tightly close the jars, store them upside down and leave them to infuse for four to six weeks. The pickles are delicious.

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Dehydrating: You can dry many fruits, such as plums, apples, mushrooms, and herbs. This preservation technique removes most of the moisture from the food. It leaves microorganisms and enzymes without a breeding ground, preventing the products from spoiling. Unfortunately, air-drying can be difficult depending on your latitude, and heating the oven for hours or using dehydrators is not particularly sustainable.

See > Discover The Vegetable Chips Secret

See > Fermented Pumpkin Is Good For Your Gut & Boosts Your Immune System

Fermentation, on the other hand, is sustainable and exceptionally healthy, as it creates or increases the amount of additional vitamins, such as vitamins C and B. All firm vegetables, such as brassicas, beans, or peppers, are suitable for this process. You don’t necessarily need a fermentation pot for lactic acid pickling. Using screw-top or Weck jars is sufficient.

Fermented foods offer a variety of health benefits due to the fermentation process and the resulting probiotic microorganisms.

Salted Vegetables (vegan)

Salted vegetables are two things at once: on the one hand, an excellent method of preserving vegetables, tried and tested for thousands of years, and on the other, a great way to add a little extra flavor to a soup.

Ingredients: 400 g carrots, 400 g celeriac, 400 g leeks, 300 g yellow beets, 300 g celery stalks, 100 g herbs (parsley, lovage, chives), 1 tbsp black pepper, 2 kg salt

Wash all ingredients, except the spices, thoroughly, peel if necessary, and roughly blend, chop, or mince with the pepper. Mix the mixture well with the salt in a bowl and store it in a cool place for two days. Put a weight on it to allow the vegetables to drain. Drain all the water and store the salted vegetables in screw-top jars. This way, they will keep it in the refrigerator for several months.

See > The Advantage of Growing Vegetables and Herbs in a Home Garden

And > Why is Growing Your Own Vegetables fun and good for the environment?

Olive Oil for Preservation

Preserving food with oil is an ancient method. There are three ways to preserve with oil.

You can soak the vegetables, raw or cooked, floating in oil. Another option is to chop the vegetables and other ingredients and mix them with oil (basil pesto). You can also soak dried vegetables in oil, like sun-dried tomatoes. You can also soak spices in oil to flavor the oil (garlic, chili, herbs).

Curious?

Are you ready to start preserving fresh food for yourself?

Master Garden Instructor Stacey Murphy has mentored thousands of people so they can nourish their loved ones with homegrown, organic food.

In this Masterclass, she shows you how to preserve your harvests so you can enjoy fresh flavors year-round:

>>> 3 Strategies to Simplify Preserving & Storing the Harvest: Enjoy Fresh, Organic Vegetables & Herbs All Year Long > https://bit.ly/3Lx05s8