hqcreations:Homesteading Skills: Food Preservation TechniquesEvery year the Hubs and I go through a
hqcreations:Homesteading Skills: Food Preservation TechniquesEvery year the Hubs and I go through a mental rolodex of our homesteading skills. Where have we improved, what do we still lack, what should we start on…etc. etc.? It’s finally dawning on us that the so many of these skills really all ties back to preserving food. While modern techniques have some a long way, we have focused much of our energies on practicing more traditional methods and “less” technologically dependent techniques where possible in the event that these skills are ever called upon us. So far, we have tried:Smoking: We can’t go back to store-bought bacon; it’s home smoked or no bacon at all!Fermenting: I’ve proudly made sauerkraut and kimchi … but I can’t seem to get cucumber pickles. I guess making beers and vinegars also count.Dehydrating: I’ve only used the dehydrator to make powdered miso, powered eggs, raspberry leather, apple rings …but one of these days I do want to build an outdoor dehydration setup.Salting: You start to realize how expensive good salt becomes when making umeboshi, lemons, and duck eggs. One day, we want to do meats but the fear growing botulism terrifies us.Pickling: Specifically with vinegar brines, we love making pikliz and gari. Canning: This is now a regular Summer/Fall activity if we want to keep the veggies out of the squirrels bellies.We don’t do much “sugaring” which is to say making candied or preserved fruits. What are some other techniques the we should try? I’ll tell ya what I can’t/don’t want to do…Using lye which makes the food too alkaline for consumption, but the chemical reaction will drastically change the flavor and texture of the food creating masterpieces like…lutefisk and century eggs..Freeze drying might sound space agey, but as I learning under the right atmosphere, several regions of the world is suited to freeze drying their foods. Take the chuño, for instance which is a popular freeze dried potato in Bolivia and Peru. -- source link
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