Ways of preserving your harvest

[JustAnotherNut]

Whether your grow your own or find a great sale, you may find yourself with an abundance that you can't eat it all before it goes bad. Of course the freezer is always the easiest option for many things, there are still some that don't freeze well. Canning is another option, but if you've never done it before it can be a rather expensive investment with the equipment, canner(s), jars, lids, etc, plus there's that learning curve of how to do it properly to ensure the food is safe to eat.

Then there's the dehydrator, that can also cost a bit and depending on models & where you buy one can run from $50 on up to hundreds of dollars. IF you have a convection oven, it is possible to dry atleast some foods in there with the fan going and the door open. It's also possible to use the sun, though you'd need atleast one mesh screen and something over the top to keep the bugs out that would allow plenty of air flow all around the food. Either another mesh screen or even a couple layers of cheesecloth. Just have to make sure it isn't too hot in the sun or the food may be cooked.

Other options are fermenting. You would need to look into the process for the particular food you want to ferment, but as an example.....I have some garlic that was packed into a glass quart jar and filled with water and about 2 tablespoons of salt and left on my counter. It's been there for about a month and when I need fresh garlic I take out what I need.
Here is a link to the same process I used... Fermented Garlic • Delicious Powerhouse of Nutrition

There is also the Harvest Right home freeze dryer

but it begins at $2200 and gets mixed reviews from users

all the methods you mentioned are suitable for saving a garden harvest to the next harvest but no longer

Thank you for including the freeze dryer as another possibility.

But I disagree that the preservation methods I listed are only good for a year. Although freezing is usually only good up to a few months, depending on what it is and I'm not really sure about fermenting.

But as for canning and dehydrating, if properly sealed, processed and stored can last several years before degradation begins....but this isn't about a 30year shelf life and is assuming you'd have a fresh supply with the next growing season

you can stretch canning beyond a season, though at some risk

but the idea for me is to preserve this years excess harvest till the next years crop is ready to pick

I'm not sure what you mean by risk?

Anything I find on length of home canned foods, has more to do with quality & nutritional loss over extended time rather than safety issues. Again, as long as it's properly sealed and stored in a cool dark place. Light & heat can effect not only the nutrition value and quality of the food, but also the seal. It is recommended to eat it within a year, but that has more to do with the quality & nutrition, rather than safety.

How long does home-preserved food last?

If foods are preserved correctly, they are safe for years but the quality and nutritional value decreases with the passing of time. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends only preserving enough food to last one year. So that your home-canned foods taste great and are nutritious when you decide to eat them.

But I do similar to what you say, of having enough until the next years crop harvest. Though most years, I have some things leftover for another season. It's hard to determine exact amounts needed, cause we don't always use it as planned. Some things I run out of long before and others we didn't use enough. Those jars that are carried over from last year or even the year before are still safe to eat, but are pulled to the front and any new are stored behind in rotation so the older stuff is used first.

One thing is for sure, if I have jars of perfectly sealed, good looking, smelling foods when opened...even if 3 or 4 years old, I will not toss it in the garbage just because they weren't of the current season.

Thats ok for you

but I just preserve for one season to the next

do you throw away what you dont eat???

No

I feed it to the chickens

they dug up a 150 yr old steamboat north of KC and opened one of the canned peaches and said it was perfectly fine to eat,,,

I am not telling you what to do

I’m telling you what I do

OK...…...but that just seems like a lot of wasted food, time, effort & expense to give perfectly good food to the chickens...…..but as you say, carry on

Unless next years crop fails feeding it to the chickens is not wasting it

That is true, especially if you plan to eat those chickens...….but even if you don't, it does save on their feed bill

not really,,,feed is pennies to the dollar of canned goods,,,

I feed my chickens vegetables all year long, though they get chicken feed also for the calcium

but for me vegetables do not cost much

Do you keep your chickens cooped up? Or do you let them out to free range???

If allowed to free range, they can get most of their protein & calcium from hard shelled bugs they find while scratching around. Or you can give them crushed oyster shell for calcium...…….or an old school trick is to feed back used egg shells. Though they would need to be dried and/or baked a few minutes and powdered and mixed with feed or you'd have a problem with possible egg eaters if they could associate shells with fresh laid eggs.

It's also possible to feed back eggs to help boost protein in their diet. Eggs would have to be scrambled & cooked, then mixed with other stuff to 'hide' it. But I will say feeding back eggs or shells to chickens probably isn't a good practice to get into or used as the only feed source. I'm just saying it can be done if only to give an extra boost if & when needed, not a regular practice and it won't hurt them.

the area they are in is about 100 x 30 and hoping to get some of that electric movable netting to run them through the pastures this yr,,
I'm also going to try and do some meat birds this yr,,

I do feed them back the egg shells for the calcium,,

You also need to set up recon to get rid of that fox(es).

I've tried meat birds a couple of times, but for whatever reason at the time, I couldn't 'finish' growing them out to fill the freezer and ended up selling them. I will say this though......they sure STINK, cause as they grow they get lazy and end up just eating & pooping. But that's what they're bred for...….to gain a lot of weight in a short period of time and that can also cause certain health problems (broken bones that don't have time to develop as fast to support the weight, heart attacks, etc)
I decided after the second or third attempt, it may not be worth the effort. I have dual purpose birds that give plenty of eggs and a decent size for the table...…...not nearly has meaty as CornishX hybrids, but enough for a meal...…….plus I can get a broody that will set, hatch & raise replacements...….who needs meaties?

yep the fox is a hassle and hope hes moved on, I'm in the middle of the city with 12 acres and several other large tracts of wooded areas around me, I do have electric wire around the top of a 5 ft fence I just havent had it on for a while since the battery went bad, I need to run about 150 ft of wire to get full electric to them which I hope to do this yr,, this is our 4th yr on the property so things are going slow,,last yr was a bust for everything since we bought the house next door for my mother in law and I spent the summer remodeling it for her,,
hopefully this yr will be gangbusters,,

as for the meat birds I have been doing youtube university and found some good systems for managing it,,
gotta get the garden planted first,,


this guys made a good profit on it,,

I've only got about a 1/4 acre in town, with neighbors all around me. I do not need a lot of birds and I'm not trying to make it into a business. But the most birds I've had at one time was I think 21(?) and that's just crazy for my own plans/purposes. Currently I have 8 hens & a rooster and it's still too much for our needs, especially since one of those hens is raising some chicks to add to that number. Now I just have to figure out when I want to do the deed.

I've also done a few turkeys in the past couple of years and raised them just for that year. I don't think I'll do it again cause it's just too much work and hassle and they are too big for me to process myself...….especially since i'm not that fond of turkey meat, except maybe once or twice a year.

 

[Mac-7]

Whether your grow your own or find a great sale, you may find yourself with an abundance that you can't eat it all before it goes bad. Of course the freezer is always the easiest option for many things, there are still some that don't freeze well. Canning is another option, but if you've never done it before it can be a rather expensive investment with the equipment, canner(s), jars, lids, etc, plus there's that learning curve of how to do it properly to ensure the food is safe to eat.

Then there's the dehydrator, that can also cost a bit and depending on models & where you buy one can run from $50 on up to hundreds of dollars. IF you have a convection oven, it is possible to dry atleast some foods in there with the fan going and the door open. It's also possible to use the sun, though you'd need atleast one mesh screen and something over the top to keep the bugs out that would allow plenty of air flow all around the food. Either another mesh screen or even a couple layers of cheesecloth. Just have to make sure it isn't too hot in the sun or the food may be cooked.

Other options are fermenting. You would need to look into the process for the particular food you want to ferment, but as an example.....I have some garlic that was packed into a glass quart jar and filled with water and about 2 tablespoons of salt and left on my counter. It's been there for about a month and when I need fresh garlic I take out what I need.
Here is a link to the same process I used... Fermented Garlic • Delicious Powerhouse of Nutrition

There is also the Harvest Right home freeze dryer

but it begins at $2200 and gets mixed reviews from users

all the methods you mentioned are suitable for saving a garden harvest to the next harvest but no longer

Thank you for including the freeze dryer as another possibility.

But I disagree that the preservation methods I listed are only good for a year. Although freezing is usually only good up to a few months, depending on what it is and I'm not really sure about fermenting.

But as for canning and dehydrating, if properly sealed, processed and stored can last several years before degradation begins....but this isn't about a 30year shelf life and is assuming you'd have a fresh supply with the next growing season

you can stretch canning beyond a season, though at some risk

but the idea for me is to preserve this years excess harvest till the next years crop is ready to pick

I'm not sure what you mean by risk?

Anything I find on length of home canned foods, has more to do with quality & nutritional loss over extended time rather than safety issues. Again, as long as it's properly sealed and stored in a cool dark place. Light & heat can effect not only the nutrition value and quality of the food, but also the seal. It is recommended to eat it within a year, but that has more to do with the quality & nutrition, rather than safety.

How long does home-preserved food last?

If foods are preserved correctly, they are safe for years but the quality and nutritional value decreases with the passing of time. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends only preserving enough food to last one year. So that your home-canned foods taste great and are nutritious when you decide to eat them.

But I do similar to what you say, of having enough until the next years crop harvest. Though most years, I have some things leftover for another season. It's hard to determine exact amounts needed, cause we don't always use it as planned. Some things I run out of long before and others we didn't use enough. Those jars that are carried over from last year or even the year before are still safe to eat, but are pulled to the front and any new are stored behind in rotation so the older stuff is used first.

One thing is for sure, if I have jars of perfectly sealed, good looking, smelling foods when opened...even if 3 or 4 years old, I will not toss it in the garbage just because they weren't of the current season.

Thats ok for you

but I just preserve for one season to the next

do you throw away what you dont eat???

No

I feed it to the chickens

they dug up a 150 yr old steamboat north of KC and opened one of the canned peaches and said it was perfectly fine to eat,,,

I am not telling you what to do

I’m telling you what I do

OK...…...but that just seems like a lot of wasted food, time, effort & expense to give perfectly good food to the chickens...…..but as you say, carry on

Unless next years crop fails feeding it to the chickens is not wasting it

That is true, especially if you plan to eat those chickens...….but even if you don't, it does save on their feed bill

not really,,,feed is pennies to the dollar of canned goods,,,

I feed my chickens vegetables all year long, though they get chicken feed also for the calcium

but for me vegetables do not cost much

Do you keep your chickens cooped up? Or do you let them out to free range???

If allowed to free range, they can get most of their protein & calcium from hard shelled bugs they find while scratching around. Or you can give them crushed oyster shell for calcium...…….or an old school trick is to feed back used egg shells. Though they would need to be dried and/or baked a few minutes and powdered and mixed with feed or you'd have a problem with possible egg eaters if they could associate shells with fresh laid eggs.

It's also possible to feed back eggs to help boost protein in their diet. Eggs would have to be scrambled & cooked, then mixed with other stuff to 'hide' it. But I will say feeding back eggs or shells to chickens probably isn't a good practice to get into or used as the only feed source. I'm just saying it can be done if only to give an extra boost if & when needed, not a regular practice and it won't hurt them.

They are fenced in with about 1/4 acre

if I were not feeding chicken feed with calcium I could give them crushed egg shells

but I usually dont need to

something else you can do is buy deer corn for about $7 per 50 lbs and either slow cook it overnight or sprout it like a microgreen and they really like that too

I've also heard of buying a whole grain mix, sold at feed stores for other livestock (cows, sheep, pigs?) that can also be sprouted. And being sprouted improves nutrition values too. Good points and thank you for including

Deer corn is the same as livestock corn but cheaper

 

[progressive hunter]

Whether your grow your own or find a great sale, you may find yourself with an abundance that you can't eat it all before it goes bad. Of course the freezer is always the easiest option for many things, there are still some that don't freeze well. Canning is another option, but if you've never done it before it can be a rather expensive investment with the equipment, canner(s), jars, lids, etc, plus there's that learning curve of how to do it properly to ensure the food is safe to eat.

Then there's the dehydrator, that can also cost a bit and depending on models & where you buy one can run from $50 on up to hundreds of dollars. IF you have a convection oven, it is possible to dry atleast some foods in there with the fan going and the door open. It's also possible to use the sun, though you'd need atleast one mesh screen and something over the top to keep the bugs out that would allow plenty of air flow all around the food. Either another mesh screen or even a couple layers of cheesecloth. Just have to make sure it isn't too hot in the sun or the food may be cooked.

Other options are fermenting. You would need to look into the process for the particular food you want to ferment, but as an example.....I have some garlic that was packed into a glass quart jar and filled with water and about 2 tablespoons of salt and left on my counter. It's been there for about a month and when I need fresh garlic I take out what I need.
Here is a link to the same process I used... Fermented Garlic • Delicious Powerhouse of Nutrition

There is also the Harvest Right home freeze dryer

but it begins at $2200 and gets mixed reviews from users

all the methods you mentioned are suitable for saving a garden harvest to the next harvest but no longer

Thank you for including the freeze dryer as another possibility.

But I disagree that the preservation methods I listed are only good for a year. Although freezing is usually only good up to a few months, depending on what it is and I'm not really sure about fermenting.

But as for canning and dehydrating, if properly sealed, processed and stored can last several years before degradation begins....but this isn't about a 30year shelf life and is assuming you'd have a fresh supply with the next growing season

you can stretch canning beyond a season, though at some risk

but the idea for me is to preserve this years excess harvest till the next years crop is ready to pick

I'm not sure what you mean by risk?

Anything I find on length of home canned foods, has more to do with quality & nutritional loss over extended time rather than safety issues. Again, as long as it's properly sealed and stored in a cool dark place. Light & heat can effect not only the nutrition value and quality of the food, but also the seal. It is recommended to eat it within a year, but that has more to do with the quality & nutrition, rather than safety.

How long does home-preserved food last?

If foods are preserved correctly, they are safe for years but the quality and nutritional value decreases with the passing of time. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends only preserving enough food to last one year. So that your home-canned foods taste great and are nutritious when you decide to eat them.

But I do similar to what you say, of having enough until the next years crop harvest. Though most years, I have some things leftover for another season. It's hard to determine exact amounts needed, cause we don't always use it as planned. Some things I run out of long before and others we didn't use enough. Those jars that are carried over from last year or even the year before are still safe to eat, but are pulled to the front and any new are stored behind in rotation so the older stuff is used first.

One thing is for sure, if I have jars of perfectly sealed, good looking, smelling foods when opened...even if 3 or 4 years old, I will not toss it in the garbage just because they weren't of the current season.

Thats ok for you

but I just preserve for one season to the next

do you throw away what you dont eat???

No

I feed it to the chickens

they dug up a 150 yr old steamboat north of KC and opened one of the canned peaches and said it was perfectly fine to eat,,,

I am not telling you what to do

I’m telling you what I do

OK...…...but that just seems like a lot of wasted food, time, effort & expense to give perfectly good food to the chickens...…..but as you say, carry on

Unless next years crop fails feeding it to the chickens is not wasting it

That is true, especially if you plan to eat those chickens...….but even if you don't, it does save on their feed bill

not really,,,feed is pennies to the dollar of canned goods,,,

I feed my chickens vegetables all year long, though they get chicken feed also for the calcium

but for me vegetables do not cost much

Do you keep your chickens cooped up? Or do you let them out to free range???

If allowed to free range, they can get most of their protein & calcium from hard shelled bugs they find while scratching around. Or you can give them crushed oyster shell for calcium...…….or an old school trick is to feed back used egg shells. Though they would need to be dried and/or baked a few minutes and powdered and mixed with feed or you'd have a problem with possible egg eaters if they could associate shells with fresh laid eggs.

It's also possible to feed back eggs to help boost protein in their diet. Eggs would have to be scrambled & cooked, then mixed with other stuff to 'hide' it. But I will say feeding back eggs or shells to chickens probably isn't a good practice to get into or used as the only feed source. I'm just saying it can be done if only to give an extra boost if & when needed, not a regular practice and it won't hurt them.

the area they are in is about 100 x 30 and hoping to get some of that electric movable netting to run them through the pastures this yr,,
I'm also going to try and do some meat birds this yr,,

I do feed them back the egg shells for the calcium,,

You also need to set up recon to get rid of that fox(es).

I've tried meat birds a couple of times, but for whatever reason at the time, I couldn't 'finish' growing them out to fill the freezer and ended up selling them. I will say this though......they sure STINK, cause as they grow they get lazy and end up just eating & pooping. But that's what they're bred for...….to gain a lot of weight in a short period of time and that can also cause certain health problems (broken bones that don't have time to develop as fast to support the weight, heart attacks, etc)
I decided after the second or third attempt, it may not be worth the effort. I have dual purpose birds that give plenty of eggs and a decent size for the table...…...not nearly has meaty as CornishX hybrids, but enough for a meal...…….plus I can get a broody that will set, hatch & raise replacements...….who needs meaties?

yep the fox is a hassle and hope hes moved on, I'm in the middle of the city with 12 acres and several other large tracts of wooded areas around me, I do have electric wire around the top of a 5 ft fence I just havent had it on for a while since the battery went bad, I need to run about 150 ft of wire to get full electric to them which I hope to do this yr,, this is our 4th yr on the property so things are going slow,,last yr was a bust for everything since we bought the house next door for my mother in law and I spent the summer remodeling it for her,,
hopefully this yr will be gangbusters,,

as for the meat birds I have been doing youtube university and found some good systems for managing it,,
gotta get the garden planted first,,


this guys made a good profit on it,,

I've only got about a 1/4 acre in town, with neighbors all around me. I do not need a lot of birds and I'm not trying to make it into a business. But the most birds I've had at one time was I think 21(?) and that's just crazy for my own plans/purposes. Currently I have 8 hens & a rooster and it's still too much for our needs, especially since one of those hens is raising some chicks to add to that number. Now I just have to figure out when I want to do the deed.

I've also done a few turkeys in the past couple of years and raised them just for that year. I don't think I'll do it again cause it's just too much work and hassle and they are too big for me to process myself...….especially since i'm not that fond of turkey meat, except maybe once or twice a year.

the work involved is the biggest factor,,,
I've pretty much closed down my remodeling business and my wife got a nice raise so this yr I will be able to put a lot more time into it if my back holds out,,

 

[Marion Morrison]

What's wrong with cracked corn and letting them eat bugs? I am seriously considering yard birds. My problem is I might get attached.

I've heard of a lot of people that have chickens and their practices of raising them. Some keep them confined and only feed bought feed. Others may let them range a bit with supplemental feedings and others that don't feed their birds at all, and survive only on what they find.

I'll copy my buddy. Cracked corn AM and PM and let them roam during the day. Put feed in their pen a tnight to get them in there.

I got coons, and have heard of them snatching baby chicks through the fence.

Well, I shouldn't have to worry about that, no roosters.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Whether your grow your own or find a great sale, you may find yourself with an abundance that you can't eat it all before it goes bad. Of course the freezer is always the easiest option for many things, there are still some that don't freeze well. Canning is another option, but if you've never done it before it can be a rather expensive investment with the equipment, canner(s), jars, lids, etc, plus there's that learning curve of how to do it properly to ensure the food is safe to eat.

Then there's the dehydrator, that can also cost a bit and depending on models & where you buy one can run from $50 on up to hundreds of dollars. IF you have a convection oven, it is possible to dry atleast some foods in there with the fan going and the door open. It's also possible to use the sun, though you'd need atleast one mesh screen and something over the top to keep the bugs out that would allow plenty of air flow all around the food. Either another mesh screen or even a couple layers of cheesecloth. Just have to make sure it isn't too hot in the sun or the food may be cooked.

Other options are fermenting. You would need to look into the process for the particular food you want to ferment, but as an example.....I have some garlic that was packed into a glass quart jar and filled with water and about 2 tablespoons of salt and left on my counter. It's been there for about a month and when I need fresh garlic I take out what I need.
Here is a link to the same process I used... Fermented Garlic • Delicious Powerhouse of Nutrition

There is also the Harvest Right home freeze dryer

but it begins at $2200 and gets mixed reviews from users

all the methods you mentioned are suitable for saving a garden harvest to the next harvest but no longer

Thank you for including the freeze dryer as another possibility.

But I disagree that the preservation methods I listed are only good for a year. Although freezing is usually only good up to a few months, depending on what it is and I'm not really sure about fermenting.

But as for canning and dehydrating, if properly sealed, processed and stored can last several years before degradation begins....but this isn't about a 30year shelf life and is assuming you'd have a fresh supply with the next growing season

you can stretch canning beyond a season, though at some risk

but the idea for me is to preserve this years excess harvest till the next years crop is ready to pick

I'm not sure what you mean by risk?

Anything I find on length of home canned foods, has more to do with quality & nutritional loss over extended time rather than safety issues. Again, as long as it's properly sealed and stored in a cool dark place. Light & heat can effect not only the nutrition value and quality of the food, but also the seal. It is recommended to eat it within a year, but that has more to do with the quality & nutrition, rather than safety.

How long does home-preserved food last?

If foods are preserved correctly, they are safe for years but the quality and nutritional value decreases with the passing of time. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends only preserving enough food to last one year. So that your home-canned foods taste great and are nutritious when you decide to eat them.

But I do similar to what you say, of having enough until the next years crop harvest. Though most years, I have some things leftover for another season. It's hard to determine exact amounts needed, cause we don't always use it as planned. Some things I run out of long before and others we didn't use enough. Those jars that are carried over from last year or even the year before are still safe to eat, but are pulled to the front and any new are stored behind in rotation so the older stuff is used first.

One thing is for sure, if I have jars of perfectly sealed, good looking, smelling foods when opened...even if 3 or 4 years old, I will not toss it in the garbage just because they weren't of the current season.

Thats ok for you

but I just preserve for one season to the next

do you throw away what you dont eat???

No

I feed it to the chickens

they dug up a 150 yr old steamboat north of KC and opened one of the canned peaches and said it was perfectly fine to eat,,,

I am not telling you what to do

I’m telling you what I do

OK...…...but that just seems like a lot of wasted food, time, effort & expense to give perfectly good food to the chickens...…..but as you say, carry on

Unless next years crop fails feeding it to the chickens is not wasting it

That is true, especially if you plan to eat those chickens...….but even if you don't, it does save on their feed bill

not really,,,feed is pennies to the dollar of canned goods,,,

I feed my chickens vegetables all year long, though they get chicken feed also for the calcium

but for me vegetables do not cost much

Do you keep your chickens cooped up? Or do you let them out to free range???

If allowed to free range, they can get most of their protein & calcium from hard shelled bugs they find while scratching around. Or you can give them crushed oyster shell for calcium...…….or an old school trick is to feed back used egg shells. Though they would need to be dried and/or baked a few minutes and powdered and mixed with feed or you'd have a problem with possible egg eaters if they could associate shells with fresh laid eggs.

It's also possible to feed back eggs to help boost protein in their diet. Eggs would have to be scrambled & cooked, then mixed with other stuff to 'hide' it. But I will say feeding back eggs or shells to chickens probably isn't a good practice to get into or used as the only feed source. I'm just saying it can be done if only to give an extra boost if & when needed, not a regular practice and it won't hurt them.

They are fenced in with about 1/4 acre

if I were not feeding chicken feed with calcium I could give them crushed egg shells

but I usually dont need to

something else you can do is buy deer corn for about $7 per 50 lbs and either slow cook it overnight or sprout it like a microgreen and they really like that too

I've also heard of buying a whole grain mix, sold at feed stores for other livestock (cows, sheep, pigs?) that can also be sprouted. And being sprouted improves nutrition values too. Good points and thank you for including

Deer corn is the same as livestock corn but cheaper

Good info, though those mixes will also have things like oats, barley, maybe wheat as well.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Whether your grow your own or find a great sale, you may find yourself with an abundance that you can't eat it all before it goes bad. Of course the freezer is always the easiest option for many things, there are still some that don't freeze well. Canning is another option, but if you've never done it before it can be a rather expensive investment with the equipment, canner(s), jars, lids, etc, plus there's that learning curve of how to do it properly to ensure the food is safe to eat.

Then there's the dehydrator, that can also cost a bit and depending on models & where you buy one can run from $50 on up to hundreds of dollars. IF you have a convection oven, it is possible to dry atleast some foods in there with the fan going and the door open. It's also possible to use the sun, though you'd need atleast one mesh screen and something over the top to keep the bugs out that would allow plenty of air flow all around the food. Either another mesh screen or even a couple layers of cheesecloth. Just have to make sure it isn't too hot in the sun or the food may be cooked.

Other options are fermenting. You would need to look into the process for the particular food you want to ferment, but as an example.....I have some garlic that was packed into a glass quart jar and filled with water and about 2 tablespoons of salt and left on my counter. It's been there for about a month and when I need fresh garlic I take out what I need.
Here is a link to the same process I used... Fermented Garlic • Delicious Powerhouse of Nutrition

There is also the Harvest Right home freeze dryer

but it begins at $2200 and gets mixed reviews from users

all the methods you mentioned are suitable for saving a garden harvest to the next harvest but no longer

Thank you for including the freeze dryer as another possibility.

But I disagree that the preservation methods I listed are only good for a year. Although freezing is usually only good up to a few months, depending on what it is and I'm not really sure about fermenting.

But as for canning and dehydrating, if properly sealed, processed and stored can last several years before degradation begins....but this isn't about a 30year shelf life and is assuming you'd have a fresh supply with the next growing season

you can stretch canning beyond a season, though at some risk

but the idea for me is to preserve this years excess harvest till the next years crop is ready to pick

I'm not sure what you mean by risk?

Anything I find on length of home canned foods, has more to do with quality & nutritional loss over extended time rather than safety issues. Again, as long as it's properly sealed and stored in a cool dark place. Light & heat can effect not only the nutrition value and quality of the food, but also the seal. It is recommended to eat it within a year, but that has more to do with the quality & nutrition, rather than safety.

How long does home-preserved food last?

If foods are preserved correctly, they are safe for years but the quality and nutritional value decreases with the passing of time. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends only preserving enough food to last one year. So that your home-canned foods taste great and are nutritious when you decide to eat them.

But I do similar to what you say, of having enough until the next years crop harvest. Though most years, I have some things leftover for another season. It's hard to determine exact amounts needed, cause we don't always use it as planned. Some things I run out of long before and others we didn't use enough. Those jars that are carried over from last year or even the year before are still safe to eat, but are pulled to the front and any new are stored behind in rotation so the older stuff is used first.

One thing is for sure, if I have jars of perfectly sealed, good looking, smelling foods when opened...even if 3 or 4 years old, I will not toss it in the garbage just because they weren't of the current season.

Thats ok for you

but I just preserve for one season to the next

do you throw away what you dont eat???

No

I feed it to the chickens

they dug up a 150 yr old steamboat north of KC and opened one of the canned peaches and said it was perfectly fine to eat,,,

I am not telling you what to do

I’m telling you what I do

OK...…...but that just seems like a lot of wasted food, time, effort & expense to give perfectly good food to the chickens...…..but as you say, carry on

Unless next years crop fails feeding it to the chickens is not wasting it

That is true, especially if you plan to eat those chickens...….but even if you don't, it does save on their feed bill

not really,,,feed is pennies to the dollar of canned goods,,,

I feed my chickens vegetables all year long, though they get chicken feed also for the calcium

but for me vegetables do not cost much

Do you keep your chickens cooped up? Or do you let them out to free range???

If allowed to free range, they can get most of their protein & calcium from hard shelled bugs they find while scratching around. Or you can give them crushed oyster shell for calcium...…….or an old school trick is to feed back used egg shells. Though they would need to be dried and/or baked a few minutes and powdered and mixed with feed or you'd have a problem with possible egg eaters if they could associate shells with fresh laid eggs.

It's also possible to feed back eggs to help boost protein in their diet. Eggs would have to be scrambled & cooked, then mixed with other stuff to 'hide' it. But I will say feeding back eggs or shells to chickens probably isn't a good practice to get into or used as the only feed source. I'm just saying it can be done if only to give an extra boost if & when needed, not a regular practice and it won't hurt them.

the area they are in is about 100 x 30 and hoping to get some of that electric movable netting to run them through the pastures this yr,,
I'm also going to try and do some meat birds this yr,,

I do feed them back the egg shells for the calcium,,

You also need to set up recon to get rid of that fox(es).

I've tried meat birds a couple of times, but for whatever reason at the time, I couldn't 'finish' growing them out to fill the freezer and ended up selling them. I will say this though......they sure STINK, cause as they grow they get lazy and end up just eating & pooping. But that's what they're bred for...….to gain a lot of weight in a short period of time and that can also cause certain health problems (broken bones that don't have time to develop as fast to support the weight, heart attacks, etc)
I decided after the second or third attempt, it may not be worth the effort. I have dual purpose birds that give plenty of eggs and a decent size for the table...…...not nearly has meaty as CornishX hybrids, but enough for a meal...…….plus I can get a broody that will set, hatch & raise replacements...….who needs meaties?

yep the fox is a hassle and hope hes moved on, I'm in the middle of the city with 12 acres and several other large tracts of wooded areas around me, I do have electric wire around the top of a 5 ft fence I just havent had it on for a while since the battery went bad, I need to run about 150 ft of wire to get full electric to them which I hope to do this yr,, this is our 4th yr on the property so things are going slow,,last yr was a bust for everything since we bought the house next door for my mother in law and I spent the summer remodeling it for her,,
hopefully this yr will be gangbusters,,

as for the meat birds I have been doing youtube university and found some good systems for managing it,,
gotta get the garden planted first,,


this guys made a good profit on it,,

I've only got about a 1/4 acre in town, with neighbors all around me. I do not need a lot of birds and I'm not trying to make it into a business. But the most birds I've had at one time was I think 21(?) and that's just crazy for my own plans/purposes. Currently I have 8 hens & a rooster and it's still too much for our needs, especially since one of those hens is raising some chicks to add to that number. Now I just have to figure out when I want to do the deed.

I've also done a few turkeys in the past couple of years and raised them just for that year. I don't think I'll do it again cause it's just too much work and hassle and they are too big for me to process myself...….especially since i'm not that fond of turkey meat, except maybe once or twice a year.

the work involved is the biggest factor,,,
I've pretty much closed down my remodeling business and my wife got a nice raise so this yr I will be able to put a lot more time into it if my back holds out,,

Above all, take care of your back & don't overdo it...….spoken from experience. Maybe wear a brace of some sort, lift from the legs & other muscles without putting too much strain on the back, if you can.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

What's wrong with cracked corn and letting them eat bugs? I am seriously considering yard birds. My problem is I might get attached.

I've heard of a lot of people that have chickens and their practices of raising them. Some keep them confined and only feed bought feed. Others may let them range a bit with supplemental feedings and others that don't feed their birds at all, and survive only on what they find.

I'll copy my buddy. Cracked corn AM and PM and let them roam during the day. Put feed in their pen a tnight to get them in there.

I got coons, and have heard of them snatching baby chicks through the fence.

Well, I shouldn't have to worry about that, no roosters.

Racoons can also kill grown chickens and sometimes just for fun. They are also very smart and can figure out basic lock systems. If they are in your area, I'd suggest some extra precautions to your coop to keep them out

 

[Mac-7]

Whether your grow your own or find a great sale, you may find yourself with an abundance that you can't eat it all before it goes bad. Of course the freezer is always the easiest option for many things, there are still some that don't freeze well. Canning is another option, but if you've never done it before it can be a rather expensive investment with the equipment, canner(s), jars, lids, etc, plus there's that learning curve of how to do it properly to ensure the food is safe to eat.

Then there's the dehydrator, that can also cost a bit and depending on models & where you buy one can run from $50 on up to hundreds of dollars. IF you have a convection oven, it is possible to dry atleast some foods in there with the fan going and the door open. It's also possible to use the sun, though you'd need atleast one mesh screen and something over the top to keep the bugs out that would allow plenty of air flow all around the food. Either another mesh screen or even a couple layers of cheesecloth. Just have to make sure it isn't too hot in the sun or the food may be cooked.

Other options are fermenting. You would need to look into the process for the particular food you want to ferment, but as an example.....I have some garlic that was packed into a glass quart jar and filled with water and about 2 tablespoons of salt and left on my counter. It's been there for about a month and when I need fresh garlic I take out what I need.
Here is a link to the same process I used... Fermented Garlic • Delicious Powerhouse of Nutrition

There is also the Harvest Right home freeze dryer

but it begins at $2200 and gets mixed reviews from users

all the methods you mentioned are suitable for saving a garden harvest to the next harvest but no longer

Thank you for including the freeze dryer as another possibility.

But I disagree that the preservation methods I listed are only good for a year. Although freezing is usually only good up to a few months, depending on what it is and I'm not really sure about fermenting.

But as for canning and dehydrating, if properly sealed, processed and stored can last several years before degradation begins....but this isn't about a 30year shelf life and is assuming you'd have a fresh supply with the next growing season

you can stretch canning beyond a season, though at some risk

but the idea for me is to preserve this years excess harvest till the next years crop is ready to pick

I'm not sure what you mean by risk?

Anything I find on length of home canned foods, has more to do with quality & nutritional loss over extended time rather than safety issues. Again, as long as it's properly sealed and stored in a cool dark place. Light & heat can effect not only the nutrition value and quality of the food, but also the seal. It is recommended to eat it within a year, but that has more to do with the quality & nutrition, rather than safety.

How long does home-preserved food last?

If foods are preserved correctly, they are safe for years but the quality and nutritional value decreases with the passing of time. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends only preserving enough food to last one year. So that your home-canned foods taste great and are nutritious when you decide to eat them.

But I do similar to what you say, of having enough until the next years crop harvest. Though most years, I have some things leftover for another season. It's hard to determine exact amounts needed, cause we don't always use it as planned. Some things I run out of long before and others we didn't use enough. Those jars that are carried over from last year or even the year before are still safe to eat, but are pulled to the front and any new are stored behind in rotation so the older stuff is used first.

One thing is for sure, if I have jars of perfectly sealed, good looking, smelling foods when opened...even if 3 or 4 years old, I will not toss it in the garbage just because they weren't of the current season.

Thats ok for you

but I just preserve for one season to the next

do you throw away what you dont eat???

No

I feed it to the chickens

they dug up a 150 yr old steamboat north of KC and opened one of the canned peaches and said it was perfectly fine to eat,,,

I am not telling you what to do

I’m telling you what I do

OK...…...but that just seems like a lot of wasted food, time, effort & expense to give perfectly good food to the chickens...…..but as you say, carry on

Unless next years crop fails feeding it to the chickens is not wasting it

That is true, especially if you plan to eat those chickens...….but even if you don't, it does save on their feed bill

not really,,,feed is pennies to the dollar of canned goods,,,

I feed my chickens vegetables all year long, though they get chicken feed also for the calcium

but for me vegetables do not cost much

Do you keep your chickens cooped up? Or do you let them out to free range???

If allowed to free range, they can get most of their protein & calcium from hard shelled bugs they find while scratching around. Or you can give them crushed oyster shell for calcium...…….or an old school trick is to feed back used egg shells. Though they would need to be dried and/or baked a few minutes and powdered and mixed with feed or you'd have a problem with possible egg eaters if they could associate shells with fresh laid eggs.

It's also possible to feed back eggs to help boost protein in their diet. Eggs would have to be scrambled & cooked, then mixed with other stuff to 'hide' it. But I will say feeding back eggs or shells to chickens probably isn't a good practice to get into or used as the only feed source. I'm just saying it can be done if only to give an extra boost if & when needed, not a regular practice and it won't hurt them.

They are fenced in with about 1/4 acre

if I were not feeding chicken feed with calcium I could give them crushed egg shells

but I usually dont need to

something else you can do is buy deer corn for about $7 per 50 lbs and either slow cook it overnight or sprout it like a microgreen and they really like that too

I've also heard of buying a whole grain mix, sold at feed stores for other livestock (cows, sheep, pigs?) that can also be sprouted. And being sprouted improves nutrition values too. Good points and thank you for including

Deer corn is the same as livestock corn but cheaper

Good info, though those mixes will also have things like oats, barley, maybe wheat as well.

Yes, but I have not used them

 

[Stryder50]

A Brief History of the Mason Jar​

Around since 1858, the home canning classic is a sought after item for pandemic gardeners.

A Brief History of the Mason Jar

Around since 1858, the home canning classic is a sought after item for pandemic gardeners.

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