Discussions
Reply to: Looking for Long Term Food Storage Ideas Posted 1 month ago

Hi Amy, I’ve used a number of different dehydrated or freeze-dried products as part of my long-term storage. I’ve used tomato powder, for example, as part of a recipe for shepherd’s pie, chili, or spaghetti sauce as examples. I think it tastes great when used in recipes. Different vendors offer different packaging. Freeze Dry Wholesalers puts their products in retort bags while their sister site MRE Depot uses cans. North Bay Trading Company uses mylar bags. Right now I have tomato powder in cans and retort bags. Both are good, but I’ve not had them a long time. I guess I should mention that I’m not looking to store food for 30 years. I’m looking at 3-5 years, and so I am rotating food storage items more frequently. I store more of items that really can be stored 30 years (rice) but not other items. In terms of taste, the freeze-dried items are quite good. I’ve stored and used freeze-dried meats, veggies, cheese, and fruit. Freeze-dry technology has really improved. Freeze-Dry Wholesalers has military contracts with excess product offered to the public. I have seen F/D McDonald’s and White Castle items, pizza, desserts (chocolate pound cake!), seafood, Impossible Beef patties, and more on that site. All this comes with a pretty hefty price, though vendors have sales.  I buy basic ingredients: freeze-dried veggies (broccoli, asparagus, tomato dices, carrots, fajitas veggie mix, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, corn, green beans), freeze-dried meat (not a lot, but some). I also buy freeze-dried cheese, which melts properly after rehydration. Freeze-dried items can take some time to rehydrate properly. I’ve used recipes from Thrive Life and Stephanie Peterson’s blog (Chef Tess) to learn how to use these products in meals I normally eat. Peterson meal plans with storage food in a system she calls the 52 Jar Method. Just looking at the recipes have been helpful to me. https://www.thrivelife.com/recipe/ https://cheftessbakeresse.blogspot.com/ Best, Chris

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Reply to: What’s worth canning? Posted April 22, 2022

I can 200-300 lbs of Roma tomatoes into sauces every Labor Day (if I have help then I get the higher amount). I have enough to use myself throughout the year and give jars away to family and friends. I also can later summer peaches, also pears, strawberries, and apples when they are in season. Strawberries generally become jam and apples become apple butter. I can peaches and pears as peeled and halved, in light syrup with a tablespoon of liqueur in each quart jar (usually Cointreau). Except for the tomato sauce canningpalooza, I generally do small-batch canning, sometimes as few as 3-4 jars. I make salsa and pickles more often as small batch projects. I don’t have a pressure canner so my projects all involve water bath canning and that limits what I can process. I dehydrate other veggies and fruit. I don’t freeze much. If I do freeze, it’s for very short term (week or two).

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Reply to: Looking for Long Term Food Storage Ideas Posted 1 month ago

Hi Amy, I’ve used a number of different dehydrated or freeze-dried products as part of my long-term storage. I’ve used tomato powder, for example, as part of a recipe for shepherd’s pie, chili, or spaghetti sauce as examples. I think it tastes great when used in recipes. Different vendors offer different packaging. Freeze Dry Wholesalers puts their products in retort bags while their sister site MRE Depot uses cans. North Bay Trading Company uses mylar bags. Right now I have tomato powder in cans and retort bags. Both are good, but I’ve not had them a long time. I guess I should mention that I’m not looking to store food for 30 years. I’m looking at 3-5 years, and so I am rotating food storage items more frequently. I store more of items that really can be stored 30 years (rice) but not other items. In terms of taste, the freeze-dried items are quite good. I’ve stored and used freeze-dried meats, veggies, cheese, and fruit. Freeze-dry technology has really improved. Freeze-Dry Wholesalers has military contracts with excess product offered to the public. I have seen F/D McDonald’s and White Castle items, pizza, desserts (chocolate pound cake!), seafood, Impossible Beef patties, and more on that site. All this comes with a pretty hefty price, though vendors have sales.  I buy basic ingredients: freeze-dried veggies (broccoli, asparagus, tomato dices, carrots, fajitas veggie mix, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, corn, green beans), freeze-dried meat (not a lot, but some). I also buy freeze-dried cheese, which melts properly after rehydration. Freeze-dried items can take some time to rehydrate properly. I’ve used recipes from Thrive Life and Stephanie Peterson’s blog (Chef Tess) to learn how to use these products in meals I normally eat. Peterson meal plans with storage food in a system she calls the 52 Jar Method. Just looking at the recipes have been helpful to me. https://www.thrivelife.com/recipe/ https://cheftessbakeresse.blogspot.com/ Best, Chris

Reply to: News for the week of 2023-09-11 Posted September 18, 2023
Reply to: News for the week of 2023-09-11 Posted September 15, 2023
Reply to: (Official discussion) Best mobile apps Posted August 20, 2023
Reply to: News for the Week 2023-08-14 Posted August 20, 2023
Reply to: Low cost long term storage foods from Latter Day Saints/Mormon food storage centers Posted February 5, 2023
Reply to: What’s worth canning? Posted April 22, 2022

I can 200-300 lbs of Roma tomatoes into sauces every Labor Day (if I have help then I get the higher amount). I have enough to use myself throughout the year and give jars away to family and friends. I also can later summer peaches, also pears, strawberries, and apples when they are in season. Strawberries generally become jam and apples become apple butter. I can peaches and pears as peeled and halved, in light syrup with a tablespoon of liqueur in each quart jar (usually Cointreau). Except for the tomato sauce canningpalooza, I generally do small-batch canning, sometimes as few as 3-4 jars. I make salsa and pickles more often as small batch projects. I don’t have a pressure canner so my projects all involve water bath canning and that limits what I can process. I dehydrate other veggies and fruit. I don’t freeze much. If I do freeze, it’s for very short term (week or two).