Making Fresh Shelf Stable

One of the challenges of creating a self-reliant food storage is finding a way to get the nutrients we are used to receiving from fresh fruits and vegetables in shelf-stable foods.  However, there are many options for solving this problem.  Here are a few to consider:

Sprouts

Seeds for sprouting have a shelf life of several years if stored properly.  Alfalfa and mung beans are among our favorites here at home.  Sprouted mung beans taste like fresh peas!  However, even your stored wheat and beans can be used for sprouting.

The benefit to sprouting is that the nutrients in the seed are released and even multiplied as it goes through the sprouting process, giving us vitamins and minerals that would not be present in the seed without having sprouted it.  As a matter of fact, in many ways sprouts are packed with more nutrition than many of the fruits and vegetables we eat on a regular basis.

HERE are instructions on how to sprout seeds.

HERE you can read more about the sprouting process as well as view a great list of sproutable seeds.


Dehydrated/Freeze Dried Fruits and Vegetables

Dried fruits and vegetables maintain much more of their nutrients than their canned counterparts.  They also take up less room in storage.  A #10 can of dehydrated food can take the place of several gallons, cans or containers of that same food in water.

However, because they are stored without water, sufficient water for reconstitution should be included in your storage.

Numerous foods are available dehydrated or freeze dried:  bell peppers, onions, bananas, berries of every kind, eggs, egg whites, milk, fruit drinks, peaches, mangos...you name it, it's probably available in a shelf stable form.

These foods are often fairly expensive when purchased prepared.  However, Emergency Essentials right here in Orem often puts their dehydrated and freeze dried foods on sale.

Another, less expensive, option is to learn to dehydrate foods yourself.  Many people do this every year as the bumper crops of apples and tomatoes come ready to harvest.  Yes, even tomatoes can be sliced and dehydrated for storage.

Use the "Recipes" tab for ideas on using dehydrated foods in your daily menus.  It's always important to learn to use these items and use them regularly so if, in a difficult situation, it is necessary to live off of them, you and your family will be familiar with them.