If you’ve been trying to figure out ways to preserve food without refrigeration or freezing, this article is for you!
I live off grid and still rely on my freezer and fridge because I can. I even have an EMP Shield for my solar system to help ensure that my freezer and fridge stay up and running even in the event of an EMP (that’s the theory, anyway).
However, things can still happen so we want to be as knowledgeable as possible when it comes to preserving our food for as long as possible.
Keep in mind, sometimes food preservation means a few months, instead of a few years. While there are some things that can be preserved for many years, some things may only last a few months. It just depends on the preservation method and the type of food.
When people used to preserve food without refrigeration they had the expectation that the food would need to be preserved throughout the winter months until they could garden the next season and do it all over again. Some things were long term, but again, most things were under the assumption that it was simply going to get them through a few months.
I’m saying this to help bring some reality to food preservation. Even things that can be refrigerated won’t necessarily last forever, refrigeration simply extends the life of the food.
People throughout time have always found creative ways to extend the life of their food and I’ll talk more about that below.
Here are 13 ways to preserve food without refrigeration or freezing:
1. Smoking
Smoking is a slow process where the smoke naturally preserves meat, fish, avocados, pineapple, peaces, asparagus and eggplant.
There are a couple different types of smoking methods. The first type is cold smoking. Cold smoking tries to keep the temperature below 100F as the smoke slowly dries out the meat over a 1-5 day period. Cold smoke on cold days and before cold smoking, you’ll need to cure the meat with salt or even fully cook it first. Because of the slow process it’s a breeding ground for bacteria growth, however, curing with salt or cooking first will help to keep bacteria from growing and allow it to properly dry it. A smokehouse is ideal for cold smoking, this would keep the meat away from the flames as best as possible.
Continue reading, “13 Ways to Preserve Food Without a Refrigerator” from Rogue Preparedness here.
Morgan lives in Texas with her husband, daughters and 2 dogs. She spends most of her time getting outdoors with her daughters, prepping for emergencies and disasters and teaching others how to be prepared. She also enjoys archery, hunting, fishing, firearms, hiking, camping, HAM, Jeeps and generally getting out and exploring life through epic adventures! View all posts by Morgan Rogue
