Ways of preserving your harvest

[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

if the crop fails that means you still need what you canned and the chickens can eat bugs and grass,,,OH they can also eat the failed crops,,,

 

[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

That's fair enough...…..but I still question what you call risk?

The safest long-term storage is freeze dryed packed in vacuum bags

its good for up to 25 years

but the only home freeze dryer on the market is expensive and unreliable

so I can in mason jars

but thats just me

You still haven't answered the question of what you consider risk...….but if that's what you do, then that's ok for you.


Did you also know you can vacuum seal those jars with dry foods, such as flour, beans, rice, etc......if you have a vacuum sealer with the attachment? Just sayin

 

[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

 

[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,,,

 

[Marion Morrison]

I ate some 11-year old La Choy Chicken Chow Mein not long ago.

(11 years past expiration)

So old the label fell of, but I knew what it was.

I don't think those are very good fresh..

Well, I ate it anyways. I gotta do something with some chicken stock.

2 days in and no ideas yet.

Cook moar chicken in it! Please help me with ideas!

Had to get a gallon of milk, no 1/2 gallons..test-freezing a near quart right now.

 

[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

I dont believe him,,,
I have found chickens dont like canned items,,,might be due to the salt or other contents,,,

you'd be surprised at what some canners believe or practice. Those of us 'old school' canners just shake our heads.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

I ate some 11-year old La Choy Chicken Chow Mein not long ago.

So old the label fell of, but I knew what it was.

I don't think those are very good fresh..

Well, I ate it anyways. I gotta do something with some chicken stock.

2 days in and no ideas yet.

Cook moar chicken in it!

Had to get a gallon of milk..test-freezing a near quart right now.

That's some old Chow Mein........but I guess as long as the can isn't rusted or bulging or POP when opened....then thoroughly cooked, you should be ok

 

[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

I dont believe him,,,
I have found chickens dont like canned items,,,might be due to the salt or other contents,,,

Chickens love canned corn, peas, green beans, ect

 

[Marion Morrison]

I ate some 11-year old La Choy Chicken Chow Mein not long ago.

So old the label fell of, but I knew what it was.

I don't think those are very good fresh..

Well, I ate it anyways. I gotta do something with some chicken stock.

2 days in and no ideas yet.

Cook moar chicken in it!

Had to get a gallon of milk..test-freezing a near quart right now.

That's some old Chow Mein........but I guess as long as the can isn't rusted or bulging or POP when opened....then thoroughly cooked, you should be ok

Still kicking and my 2-year quota of BHT and BHA are met!

Omy, I gotta hankering fer sausage n beans. Things Wally World did not have last time I went.

The whole sausage area was gone, except the crappy stuff where you read the ingredients and go "WTF?!"

My friend's mom used to make sausage out of the rabbits we brought home. Think she added pork..I'm rambling..There was Boston Butts @ Wally World.

Dammit, I can't get what I want, but I'll get what I need!

I gotta smoker and foil, look out!

 

[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

I dont believe him,,,
I have found chickens dont like canned items,,,might be due to the salt or other contents,,,

Chickens love canned corn, peas, green beans, ect

Yes, atleast to some extent. Though I'd rather give them what is leftover from a meal that we've eaten from first.

Though I will say here, that I have some home canned corn that has what's called 'flat sour'. From being kept at too high of temperature for too long before it cooled off coming out of the canner. Flat sour works about the opposite of Botulism where heat kills Botulism, Flat Sour feeds on it. It is a particular strain of bacteria that can effect some foods more so than others. Corn is especially susceptible. Flat Sour will NOT kill you like botulism but it doesn't smell or taste good. Kinda like corn with a heavy twist of lemon or lime added....blech
This I have doled out to my chickens over the winter as a feed supplement and they love it. But I will first open it, smell it and if it passes those tests, I'll heat it up for us to eat......though I will test it before serving just to make sure. If it's not sour, we eat it and if it is, it's given to the chickens, though I've found that nearly every jar of that batch is sour. I'm not exactly happy about that cause I canned it for us to eat, not the dang birds. But as you say, it's not exactly waste if it feeds somebody

 

[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

 

[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

I've only tried store bought canned and for the most part they wont eat it,,as for home canned I wont waste it on them unless I'm desperate,,to much effort went into making it

I do during the season throw all kinds of stuff to them,,,

just went last weekend and got a new herd of polish chickens but they are another month away from laying. the old herd went the way of the new fox in the area,,,

 

[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.

 

[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,,

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[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?

 

[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'm somewhere in the middle of all that and it can depend on the current events of what's going on at the time. Usually they are let out during the day to roam & scratch the yard for grass, weeds, bugs. Sometimes I'll give them feed before roost time, or table leftovers or ? Right now being spring, I've got some stuff planted, mainly grains that i don't want them to have and do want it to have some growth before allowing out to range cause i know they'll decimate everything in a matter of hours. So they are kept cooped up and it's big enough for them to do just fine without going out. So I have to keep feed available all during the day.
Anyway, do be careful of giving corn cause it MAY increase body temps and you don't want that during hot weather or it can stress them out or even possibly kill them. So maybe go for a scratch grain mix or other feed mix? it will still have some corn in it probably, but it won't be the only thing.


As for getting attached..........well that's your problem to work out I guess. But if I can do it, there's no reason you can't. Though it did take me a few years to mentally distance myself.

 

[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,,

 

[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