Time-Tested Methods for Food Preservation
3. Smoking
Smoking meats and fish works much like dehydrating and imparting a delicious smoky flavor. Building a smokehouse might sound a little out of your wheelhouse, don’t worry though. It is actually fairly simple and can be done for as little as $100. The heat from the smoke and coals will kill pathogens and remove moisture without actually cooking the meat and natural chemicals that get released from the wood then act as preservatives help to ensure that these pathogens can’t take hold and spoil the meat later on in storage.
4. Root Cellar
A root cellar is a dark, cool, storage area that provides ideal conditions for stockpiling crops for year-round use. Traditionally a simple closed-off room dug into the side of a hill, today homesteaders can invest in a modern climate-controlled room. This will allow the harvest to last much longer than those of the previous generations.