7 Natural And Easy Ways To Preserve Food

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Just three days ago I experienced food poisoning. I had been warned that the meat may be a little too old to eat, but when I smelt it, it seemed fine and I was hungry so I went ahead with my decision. This is one of my biggest regrets of 2016. Food poisoning is one of the only experiences where, whether you believe in a God or not, you will cry out to him and feel he has turned his face away from you.

We all love a good “buy one get one free” deal at our favorite grocery store, but if we are not familiar with creative ways to preserve our food, we will find ourselves wasting both money and food when we are unable to get through the ready-to-eat-food (the starving children in Africa eek!).

Preserving food can be done in a multitude of ways, such as sugaring, salting, burial, jellying, jugging and smoking. So to save you an outcry to a Supreme Being, here are five natural ways to preserve food with a few easy recipes to try for yourself.

1. Drying

This is one of the oldest methods of preserving food, and by old, I mean 12,000 BC. It is also the cheapest and most environmentally-friendly method that you can try this summer.

For centuries, people have been using solar power to preserve their fruit, vegetables and meat. Sun-drying is great because it ensures that all those natural flavours are preserved. All you need is a climate with high temperature and low humidity for this to be a delightful success. Why not try this:

Sun-dried Tomatoes

Roma or Pomodoro are the best type of tomato to sun-dry but any variety works. Slice the tomatoes at a consistent thickness to ensure that they dry at an even rate. Arrange them on a frame that has stainless steel screens at the top and bottom. Season your tomatoes with herbs and salt and leave to dry in direct sunlight with as much breeze as possible for several days. You will know that your tomatoes are ready when they are no longer “stodgy” to the touch. Once ready, you can store them in glass jars with olive oil, or in vacuum-sealed plastic bags.

Fruit