what do you can/freeze or dehydrate or store?

**frugal-fannie** · 01-25-2008, 08:59 PM

Since canning and other storage methods are foreign to some people.I thought it would be a good idea to put down garden produce that people can store, etc so that people can get good ideas on how to save money.

Pears-canned
apples-frozen as apple sauce or canned as apple butter
plums-canned as prunes
peaches-frozen slices, canned peach halves and canned peach butter
blueberries-frozen in pint bags
strawberries-frozen whole or canned as strawberry jam and then there is a method for freezer jam
elderberry-canned as jelly
rasberries-frozen
broccoli-blanched and frozen
corn-frozen
peppers-sliced or stuffed and frozen
yellow hot wax peppers-pickled and canned with cucumbers and at the end of garden time cauliflower,carrots and small green tomatoes along with dill and garlic and cucumbers.
cabbage-canned as saurkraut or frozen as vegetable soup
tomato-canned as juice, whole and sauce or dehydrated
brussel sprouts-frozen
cauliflower-frozen or canned in pickles
beets -canned or frozen
mushrooms-dehydrated
peas-frozen or dehydrated
figs and persimmons- frozen as cookie/bread additions
nuts- frozen
asparagus-frozen
garlic, onion and potatoes dry storage or onions dehydrated or frozen
pumpkins cooked and frozen for pie filling or bread
zuchinni and other squash like yellow squash-frozen in Vegetable soup or frozen alone
chives, rosemary, sage-frozen or dehydrated if not picked off the bush.
beans-green beans and yellow beans canned or frozen. other varieties-dehydrated
bananas-frozen

beef-besides frozen- canned as ground meat or in spaghetti sauce or dehydrated as jerky
sprouts, seeds kept dried and used as needed for sprouts.

**joyofsix** · 01-25-2008, 09:14 PM

Many of the things on your list. I also can salsa and vegetable soup.

**dolphin** · 02-08-2008, 02:01 AM

This is a great idea F-F!

We make beef jerky. We use the cheapest meats we can find and try to make it often. Dh and Ds adore beef jerky and it's just too expensive to buy pre-packaged.

We have made bannana chips before but for some reason they turned out salty? hmmm. I'm going to try some other things this spring when the prices go down a bit on the fruits.

We haven't canned anything since we moved to the desert.

We can grow a few tomatoes but all of our other garden stuff either wilts or something eats it or it just doesn't produce well but I know it can be done here as a dear friend grows a small garden in her backyard every year. You just have to prep the ground with all kinds of stuff like dirt, lol, and water 2 times a day.

We're going to try a small garden again this year but this time we're putting it out the in the open with only some wire around it to keep the dogs out. We figure with the dogs roaming around the yard, they will keep any rabbits or chipmunks out of the veggies. Hoping anyway.

**staceyy** · 02-08-2008, 02:42 PM

I freeze eggs and milk. I also preserve eggs for up to 6 months by coating the shells with shortening or petroleum jelly and storing in a cool dry place. Eggs will be on sale at Easter time and I plan on buying dozens to store. I chop and freeze onions, green pepper and celery.
I store flour, butter and brown rice in the freezer. Some people store cold cereal in the freezer but I don't have the room.

**StaceyS** · 02-08-2008, 02:51 PM

I can anything I can get my hands on!
During the Christmas holiday, I chopped up a spiral ham and canned it in tiny single serve jars. They have been great to add to soups, bean dishes, lentils, even eggs!

**brenda67** · 02-08-2008, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by staceyy

I freeze eggs and milk. I also preserve eggs for up to 6 months by coating the shells with shortening or petroleum jelly and storing in a cool dry place. Eggs will be on sale at Easter time and I plan on buying dozens to store. I chop and freeze onions, green pepper and celery.
I store flour, butter and brown rice in the freezer. Some people store cold cereal in the freezer but I don't have the room.

Stacy..I've been meaning to ask you where do you store your eggs for 6 months?..I find that very interesting as I have never heard of it till you posted that one other time`~TIA~

**shoiji** · 02-08-2008, 07:25 PM

I will buy whole ginger, chop into 1 inch pieces and put in freezer bag and freeze. This way I can make Chai tea or grate a frozen piece for a recipe.

**frugal-fannie** · 02-08-2008, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by staceyy

I freeze eggs and milk. I also preserve eggs for up to 6 months by coating the shells with shortening or petroleum jelly and storing in a cool dry place. Eggs will be on sale at Easter time and I plan on buying dozens to store. I chop and freeze onions, green pepper and celery.
I store flour, butter and brown rice in the freezer. Some people store cold cereal in the freezer but I don't have the room.

I had heard of dipping in wax, but shortening sounds easier.

**frugalfarmwife** · 02-08-2008, 11:32 PM

Dolphin find yourself a good source for manure, LOTS of manure and your things will grow like crazy, personal opinion, well aged horse manure.

I have a LARGE concrete manure pit here (thanks to the previous owner) Hubby turns it 1-2 times a year with the bucket on the tractor, this stuff is pure gold for growing. In the winter we load about a foot of it on top of the garden for the snow/rain to soak in, then just disc in reall well then till, things grow like crazy. And, my wild catnip grows like MAD in the back of the pit!

kj

**staceyy** · 02-09-2008, 01:00 PM

Here is a link for preserving eggs with shortening. I keep my eggs in the basement.

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/9684/egg.html

**momtoadiva** · 02-09-2008, 02:33 PM

Hmmm that is very interesting about the eggs we either feast or famine on them here so that is a great tip.
I second the manure...up until this year I didn't have a place to garden, dad did our gardening for us...He prefers cow or horse but will use chicken if it's all he can get for free. He has the best tomatoe and cucumber plants in town. It's al'natural and free.
We can
tomatoes, whole, juice, diced and salsa
jalepinos
new potatoes
pickles
green beans
yam/sweet potatoes
carrots
we'll freeze anything that dfb gets given to him (he's a truck driver & hauls fresh produce)
recently it's been baby carrots

**eyrehead** · 02-09-2008, 04:02 PM

Here is what I do:

CAN

tomatoes
tomato juice
carrots (when I plant and have enough)
pickles
applesauce
pears
peaches
jams/jellies

FREEZE

corn (on & off cob)
fresh berries (to use for making jam/jelly)
bulk meats
apple pie filling
pumpkin puree
fruit juices to use for making jelly (grape, strawberry, & plum)

DEHYDRATE

beef & venison for jerkey
banana chips
apple rings (not very often though)

**Marie78** · 02-09-2008, 04:32 PM

I haven't canned anything yet. I freeze:
Applesauce (homemade)
bananas
strawberries
blueberries
carrots
peppers
zucchini
squash
green beans
brocolli
Bread (discount or good sale price)
Bulk Meat

This year I am going to freeze more of these things and peaches

**nurseliz** · 02-09-2008, 10:41 PM

This is such valuable info.................Thanks to everyonel
nurseliz

**dancar3** · 02-10-2008, 10:49 AM

Since I am a novice when it comes to freezing, do you find that the veggies, once thawed, are just soggy or are they still crisp? I can't remember the last veggie I froze, I'm thinking it was zucchini (which I love) but it was so soggy. Is there a trick fo maintain the crispness or is that how it will thaw out?