Prepare For the Food Crisis - How to Store Your Own Food
By Christopher A. Williams

Canning and preserving your own food is a cost-effective, efficient way to store vegetables and fruits you grow in your garden. It is also a way to preserve certain other, purchased, foods for times of need. With food prices rising, putting some fresh produce out of reach for middle class consumers, growing and canning your own food is a way to ensure that you will have healthy, nutritious food if prices rise to more than you can pay, or if food is not available.

The most cost-effective, life-extending food preservation method is canning. Canning your own food allows you to retain nutrients that are lost through other preservation methods such as drying and freezing. Canned foods can last for several years and are not dependent on weather conditions or power availability. Food in your freezer can be beneficial, but will go bad in the event of a power loss. Dried foods only keep for so long before they begin to take on moisture again, and are more susceptible to infestation by insects.

It is important to follow the proper steps when canning to ensure that your canned food is safely preserved and will not grow mould. Canning practices of sterilizing, boiling and sealing helps prevent bacteria growth, remove oxygen, and prevent the growth of moulds and yeast. Each food requires different canning methods, but all end with the same result: a tight vacuum seal that keeps the jars closed until you are ready to eat your food

The quality of fresh food you start with makes a difference in the finished product. The ripeness, shape and firmness determines how the canned food will taste when opened and eaten. When growing your own food for canning, give your plants all of the proper nutrients they need to set prolific and tasty fruits. Using natural and seaweed based fertilizers will help you grow literally tons of tasty food

After you have canned and preserved you bountiful harvest, store it in a cool, dry place. Some foods will keep longer than other. One thing is certain-by growing and canning your own food you and your family will always have a supply of nutritious, healthy foods in the event of a food shortage or natural disaster.

Christopher A. Williams (aka Natural Fertilizer Guy) edits the website: http://www.safe-fertilizer-reviews.com
The website contains articles about natural fertilizers and seaweed based fertilizers, as well as general natural gardening tips.

For more information about canning and preserving your own food, visit http://www.canning-videos.com

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