The fridge is convenient
When you want to preserve food, all you have to do is open the door, put the food in, and forget about it.
The fridge does the rest.
The toughest part of this process is remembering how long the food will last and keeping power to the fridge.
But you would be surprised at the non-fridge shelf life of some of the most common food items.
Plus, there are some unique preservation techniques that have been passed down from one generation to another for thousands of years.
They are still valid to use.
So, let’s look at food storage without refrigeration.
Food items that last without refrigeration
Fruit
The thicker the skin, the longer the fruit item can last.
Apples and oranges can last about a month, while pears only two weeks.
However, there are too many fruit items like pineapples, mangoes, and a variety of berries that only last between 1 to 3 days after ripening.
Vegetables
Lettuce, celery, herbs, broccoli, and members of the brassica family can last a week on the shelf if their cut ends are placed in water.
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions can last between 1 to 2 months without being in the fridge.
Garlic and winter squash can make it a month but turnips and beets may only last 3 weeks, 4 at the most.
Meat cannot survive without refrigeration and other food items you should do some research to see how long they will last.
The key to preserving food before a disaster strikes is to not do any stock-up trips.
Just buy enough for the week and you should be fine.
The food items you should stock up on
Rice
Beans
Lentils
Oats
Pasta
Powdered Milk
Cocoa Powder
Dehydrated food
Coffee & Tea
Honey
Freeze Dried Corn
Peanut Butter
Salt & Pepper
Sugar
Flour
Potato Flakes
Dehydrated Fruit
Dehydrated Vegetables
Canned Vegetables
Canned tuna, salmon, or other meats
Oatmeal
Dried soup and/or bullion
Canned Soup
Canned Fruit
Freeze-dried chicken
Nuts
Crackers
Pancake Mix
Cereal
Spices
These food items can last a lot longer and still provide you and your family with the nutrition you need.
They are also easier to store in large quantities.
If you plan well, create a storage room where you can cycle all these food items to make sure none go bad on you during their storage times.
Techniques to preserve food without refrigeration
One of the strategies that have been lost ever since the fridge and freezer were invented, is the knowledge of the different techniques to treat food so that they last.
These strategies have been used for thousands of years to preserve food and when done right, you can have a great food supply when you do not have electricity for long periods of time.
Smoke your food
great for meat products and smoking should have your meat last a lot longer than it would if you had no other preservation method.
There are two methods of smoking, hot and cold, and they both have their good and bad points.
The cold smoking option still allows for bacteria growth so you may have to combine this method with one of the other methods on this list to preserve the meat.
Salting
This is the option you need to combine with cold smoking.
It is a great way to preserve all types of meats.
Plus, you can salt some vegetables as well.
This was a method done for hundreds of years prior to the invention of the fridge.
There are some drawbacks though to this method.
It uses a lot of salt and it takes a lot of time to completely salt your food.
Plus, if you have a problem with salt in your diet, this is not the method you want to use.
Underground fridge
It is exactly as it says.
This is a fridge that you bury underground.
You get the insulation of both the fridge and the dirt so your food can be preserved for some time.
This is not the same as a root cellar, it is an actual fridge unplugged that is buried.
But you do not have to bury it very deep to get the full benefits of this insulation.
A root cellar
This takes a little work and if you do not have a lot of room on your property, you can build a small one.
All it takes is a hole, 1 to 2 feet one way and 1 to 2 feet another and then line the hole with bricks, on top of the plastic.
Then place a good piece of woof over the top and place bricks on top of that.
It is not very convenient, but it does preserve your food for some time.
Or you can build a larger basement type root cellar and if need be use it as a bomb shelter as well.
Zeer pot
May be a last resort but all you need is 2 terracotta pots, one larger than the other, and place the smaller inside the bigger pot.
Once inside, fill the gap with sand and then thoroughly wet the sand.
Place the food inside the smaller pot and cover it with an airtight lid.
Then place it in a shady area.
This is good for only some areas of the country and only for fruit and vegetables.
Canning
This is almost a lost art.
Canning is a great way to preserve many food items.
There are different ways to can properly depending on the food you are trying to preserve.
Canning should have your food lasting a very long time.
If you are off the grid you can use a couple of those methods as long as you watch the temperature levels of the fire of charcoal in a barbecue.
The threat of botulism is present with those off-grid options.
Dehydrating
Another long-term method that has had positive results when done right.
While you can use a dehydrator, those machine stake electricity, and you can use the sun as well.
Many people dry their fish supply using the sun and it may be a good method to use in the summer when you have more sun time available.
It does take some skill to do this as you need to know when the food has been dehydrated enough and is safe to store.
Freeze-drying
A very good method to preserve your food items.
However, you need to start now while you still have electricity.
This method needs electricity to work.
You could use a generator but that means you need a good fuel supply as well.
Freeze-dried food can last up to and over 20 years.
Just make sure to date your freeze-dried items so you know how long they will remain good to eat.
Then make sure you have a storage room for these food items.
Pickling
Another great method to preserve certain food items, and have them taste good.
It is not as tough to do as canning and you can can after you pickle if you want to.
Just do not can pickled eggs.
All you need is equal parts of water and vinegar, add a little salt, sugar, and spices for taste, and pour the liquid over the food items in your mason jars.
Make sure to close the lid tightly. Most pickling techniques take a few hours to a few days to work.
Misc. Methods
There are many more methods or techniques you can use for food storage without refrigeration.
Oil and honey, not together, work well.
Use cooking oil but virgin olive oil is preserved.
There is some cooking involved but it is an easy way to preserve some food items.
Honey does not have a long list of food items you can preserve in it.
Some fruits and nuts are about the extent of its preservation list.
There is little information on this technique though so it may be a last-ditch effort as well.
Then you can try brandy if you can afford and spare this liquor.
However, this method only preserves food for a few months so it is a back up method when you have no other options available.
Finally, you can use nearby lakes and streams as an emergency cooling option.
Just make sure the containers you use are watertight.
Or you can use an old box truck or shed to make an ice house.
The trick to this option is to make sure you have a good source of ice.
This may be best in the winter season in some areas.
Some Final Words
If you study history, you will find that it is not hard to preserve many food items.
The trick is learning how to use those older methods when you do not have a fridge or electricity.
Food storage without refrigeration is definitely doable.
Most of them are good while some are not the best ideas but work for short periods of time.
It is up to you to decide how you will preserve your food.
Originally posted 2023-02-25 13:55:32.
