1. Prep - 257 Preserving Food Basic Drying, Jerking, Salting, Smoking & Cellaring

2. Silos & Bins Almost a Lost Art Keeps vegetables crisp and fresh Preserves vitamins Many Different Forms Simplest and Cheapest is Trenching or Hilling in Not a good method in colder parts of country (up to zone 7)

3. Silos & Bins Brick Silo Alternate autumn leaves and vegetables

4. Silos & Bins Cabbage Pit Silo Remove rotted leaves from Cabbage Roots up Cover with dry autumn leaves Cover silo with plastic sheet Works also with beets, carrots, geraniums

5. Silos & Bins Semi Buried Silo Spread Sand & Wood Ashes to keep out slugs Use Hardware cloth to keep out rodents Use bundle of twigs in center to give ventilation Cover with Straw then soil then plastic Good to -8°F

6. Silos & Bins A 2-Foot-deep storage bin can be built into the ground, preferably on sloping ground for good drainage. A covering of hardware cloth will keep out rodents and a styrofoam lining will provide excellent insulation. Cover the top with boards and hay bales for easy access. Place sand between layers of vegetables.

7. Root Cellar A Root Cellar can be placed in your basement. It needs to be insulated to keep it cool. Ventilation is also needed. Do not forget the vapor barrier. Store Apples, Carrots, Cabbage, lettuce, leeks, garlic, onions, tomatoes, squash, etc.

8. Drying Foods - Why Dry? Canning – up to 60% loss of some nutrients due to Preparation, cooking, etc Freezing – up to 40% loss of some nutrients due to Preparation, freezing Commercial Dehydrating – 5- 15% loss Home Drying 3-5% loss Saves space Saves Weight Convenient – Just soak in water and cook Economical Packaging supplies are inexpensive Low energy costs Seasonal savings Nutritious Flavor No preservatives

9. Drying Food - Dehydrating Freeze Drying – Mainly Commercial – Harvest Right - $3,900 (2 Gallons/24 hours) Dehydrator - $39 - $1,200 Oven Drying Jerking Air/sun Drying Salting/Curing Smoking

10. Dehydrating - Secrets Choose high quality foods Process foods quickly to prevent deterioration Keep things clean! Deactivate enzymes Use appropriate treatments to preserve color, taste, nutrients, etc. Ensure even drying to prevent spoilage and extend storage life Do not over-dry, do not cook, do not burn Remove enough moisture Thoroughly clean all produce

11. Dehydrating - Secrets Wash before and after cutting Use a stainless steel knife to prevent discoloration Turn pitted fruits inside out to help treat and dry Make all pieces the same size to ensure consistent drying Blanch all vegetables and most fruits (steam or boiling water) Sets color Stops ripening Prevents flavor change Improves drying – reduces drying time Kills molds and bacteria

12. Dehydrating - Secrets Use Pre-treatments Ascorbic Acid – Prevents darkening Alternate – Lemon or pineapple juice Saline Solution – Works as above Sulfuring – inhibits growth of molds and Bacteria Sodium bisulfite Solution (Some are allergic to this) Dehydrating evaporated almost all of this chemical Calculate the moisture of you dried food (See How to Dry Foods by Deanna DeLong, pg 24)

13. Dehydrating - Sulfuring Set up sulfuring trays before preparing fruit Set up outside Don’t use aluminum trays Don’t use wood trays Don’t let plastic or fiberglass trays catch fire Ignite sulfur before covering Use U.S.P. Sulfur

14. Dehydrating - Sulfuring 1 TBLSP Sulfur/Lb. of Fruit for cardboard box 1.5 tsp sulfur/LB. of Fruit for more airtight wood box Do not dry sulfured fruit in your oven. Sulfuring reduces nutrient loss Aids in dehydrating

15. Dehydrating – Making Fruit Rolls Select fresh ripe strawberries Removes Stems and cores Place in Blender Puree to a smooth consistentcy

16. Dehydrating – Making Fruit Rolls Pour puree onto prepared trays Puree should be about ¼” thick Dry to proper consistency

17. Dehydrating – Making Fruit Rolls Roll up leather with plastic wrap to prevent sticking For a real treat, make roll-ups with cream cheese on one side and leave out the plastic wrap

18. Dehydrating - Additional Get at least one book on the subject. More is better. If you buy a cheap dehydrator, you get what you pay for. Home made is better than many “cheap” ones. The more you “practice”- the better your results will be. Keep records of your recipes and results A dehydrator with a thermostat will give the best and most consistent results Start off with small batches to learn. Big batches=big discouragement

19. Jerky Pick quality, Lean meat. Place in freezer just long enough to stiffen it. Makes it easier to cut. A serrated knife works best

20. Cut against the Grain Cut uniform thickness

21. Jerky

22. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight

23. Jerky Place on rack Spread out so there is a good air flow

24. Jerky

25. Racks Available from Amazon.com All sorts of jerky making equipment available

26. Jerky Finished Jerky Once you have made Jerky, you are a certified Jerk! Store in air tight container or plastic bag in cool dry place.

27. Brining or Fermenting Using a salt solution to ferment food – Lactic Fermentation Uses a mild brine solution Best place to learn is “Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning” by The Gardeners and Farmers of Terre Vivante

28. Salting/Curing Applying salt, sugar, saltpeter and seasonings to meat (dry curing) When done as a liquid, it is called brine curing or sweet pickle curing. Done below 40°F and above freezing. 32°F to 34°F are ideal Initial cure is 4 days “Overhaul” the meat after initial cure. Takes 2 days/lb of meat “Clear” the Meat Cook with or without smoke Wrap Store See “A Guide To Canning, Freezing, Curing & Smoking Meat, Fish & Game” by Wilbur F. Eastman Jr.

29. Smoker Used to further dry & flavor meat Uses cool smoke for flavor on cured meats Can be used as part of the cooking process

30. Dehydrating – A Home Made Dryer Basic Diagrams for a external heat source Dryer and an internal heat source dryer

31. Dehydrating – A Home Made Dryer

34. Handouts Handouts Available at www.savedbyagun.com – FREE!www.savedbyagun.com PDF of this presentation and other presentations can be found on the website listed above. Schedule of Classes on Website