How Should I Store Food?

Photo by Ray Shrewsberry on Unsplash

A hundred years, even as recently as fifty years, ago, families were storing food to last them through the winter.

For centuries, housewives put up food that they grew in gardens that they planted, tended, and harvested. They would raise animals and animal feed to harvest for meat. They milked cows or goats for milk to use to make cottage cheese, sour cream, and various types of cheeses. For weeks during the late summer and late into autumn, they would pickle, can, dehydrate, and later freeze vegetables. They would smoke, can, and freeze meats. They stored root crops in their root cellars. All of which to serve their families during the bitterly cold winter months.

Now, the majority of Americans don’t know how to do any of it. Nevertheless, there has been a resurgence of interest in these skills. Hundreds of blogs and social media outlets have popped up (including this one). Younger generations are learning the skills of their ancestors.

Unfortunately, not everyone can raise a garden and livestock. Fortunately, we have grocery stores from which to purchase what we cannot grow.

Above, I have shared a chart. This chart is an easy way to use as a guideline for…