Preserve a Years Worth of Food

It’s time for me to put up my harvest! How should I choose which preservation method is suitable for each food?

For some foods, canning isn’t safe. In those cases, you’ll need to freeze, dehydrate, or freeze-dry. Some people also have personal preferences in taste or texture, or even how they plan to use the food later, which can influence which method they go with.

Use tested, trusted recipes. One of my go-to sources is the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), which has tons of science-backed recipes.
Here are my preservation preferences for our family of five with kids ages 2, 5, and 11.

Mixed-variety apples. We go through lots of apples in our family. Follow approved water bath canning recipes to make applesauce, jelly, juice, apple pie filling, and more. Freeze-dried apple slices also make a delicious kid-friendly snack, so much cheaper than the store-bought packages.

Sugar pie pumpkins. Pumpkins are tricky to can, because puréeing them causes viscosity (thickness) issues, making it hard for heat to be distributed evenly. You can safely can them in 1-inch cubes using a pressure canner since they’re low-acid. But honestly, they’re super easy to freeze if you have the space — it’s my preferred method, since they’re not high on my list for shelf stability.

Tomatoes. We’re a busy family, so quick and easy meals are a must! About 99 percent of our tomatoes go into spaghetti sauce, since it’s a staple in our house. Tomatoes are borderline acidic, and when you add low-acid foods, such as onions and peppers, it changes the overall acidity. That’s why following tested recipes is so important. My personal favorite is an NCHFP recipe called “Spaghetti Sauce Without Meat” that requires pressure canning and packs in a bunch of veggies and herbs for extra flavor.

Herbs: parsley, oregano, basil, and sage. Drying herbs is super easy, and a dehydrator makes it even quicker. Just preheat it to 95 to 115 degrees (125 degrees if you’re in a humid area) and lay your herbs in a single layer on the trays. Drying usually takes 1 to 4 hours. They’re ready when they crumble and the stems snap. Store them in airtight containers in a cool, dark place to keep them fresh.

Zucchini. Zucchini bread is a quick grab-and-go breakfast and a lunchbox regular. I like to prep and freeze shredded zucchini in recipe-ready portions so it’s easy to pull out and bake when we need it. Zucchini is low-acid, which means it would need to be pressure canned to be safe, but, unfortunately, there are no tested recipes for that. It breaks down too much and gets mushy, which makes it hard for the heat to reach the center safely – kind of like pumpkin.

Milk. Dairy isn’t safe to can at home, so stick with freezing or freeze-drying.

Green beans. We toss green beans into tater tot casseroles or serve them as a simple side. We’ve tried freezing them before, but honestly, we’re not fans of the texture. Since they’re low-acid, they need to be pressure canned for safety. There’s no safe option for processing green beans in a water bath canner unless you follow a dilly bean recipe (pickled green beans).

Venison. While venison can be pressure canned, we’ve always preferred freezing it. We use vacuum-seal bags to store the venison in the freezer. For ground venison, we roll it flat with a rolling pin, making it easier to stack perfectly in the freezer. However, if you’re limited on freezer space, venison is interchangeable in beef recipes for canning. Follow recipes for stews, broth, and more.

Sweet corn. My kids won’t eat corn off the cob, but they’ll devour it when it’s on the cob! That works out well for me, since it saves a ton of time when it comes to preserving. No need to cut the kernels off, and freezing is way less time-consuming than canning. Freezing the full cobs (after they’re blanched and cooled) is super simple too. But if canning is more your style, you can safely pressure can corn.

The takeaway? Know your food, know the method, and prioritize safety. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re deep in the canning trenches like me, here’s to full shelves, full freezers, and the satisfaction of feeding your family from the work of your own hands.

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