JustAnotherNut
Platinum Member
- Dec 31, 2015
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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
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