How to Store Fruits and Vegetables

The best way to provide fruits and vegetables for your family is by growing them in a garden and freezing or canning any extra to enjoy during the off-season.

Home Gardening: Research what grows well in your area and the corresponding planting seasons. Fruits and vegetables can be frozen or home bottled in a pressure cooker or a water bath for off-season consumption. Having a family garden simplifies the need to store a lot of fruits and vegetables. Instead of purchasing items for an entire year, canned and dehydrated fruits and vegetables can be backups and convenience items for your food storage. Gardening, canning, and dehydrating your own fruits and vegetables will save a lot of money and stretch your family budget.

Canned Fruits and Vegetables: Store what your family likes to eat. Many recipes in this book call for specific canned fruits and vegetables. Most canned fruits and vegetables have a two-year shelf life. Always check the expiration date on the can.

Dehydrated Fruits and Vegetables: Dehydrated and freeze-dried fruits are great for adding to cereal and baked goods. Fruits canned in #10 cans with oxygen absorber packets should last for five years at 70° F. Baby food bananas or frozen bananas work great for banana bread. Dehydrated vegetables work well in soups and casseroles. Dried onions, carrots, and peppers are a basic staple for many recipes on this website. Vegetables can be canned in #10 cans with oxygen absorber packets for longer storage (8–10 years at 70°). This is an estimated storage shelf life. You should always check the expiration date on the container or check with the manufacturer.

Frozen Fruits and Vegetables: Unless you have a lot of freezer space, after storing meats and dairy products, there will not be much room left for frozen vegetables. Once open, frozen vegetables get freezer burn quickly. Divide large frozen vegetable packages into smaller packages, and seal them with a good vacuum sealer for quality long term storage.