As you likely know by now, being in control over your food supply is a vital part of self sufficiency.  In an effort to provide my readers with as much information as possible, this Guide to Dehydrating Food is part of a series of posts on various methods of food preservation. There is a lot of information here so I have provided a clickable table of contents.  Enjoy!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) INTRODUCTION TO DEHYDRATING FOODS

2) ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DEHYDRATING FOOD

3) PREPARING FOOD FOR DRYING

4) SEVEN METHODS FOR DEHYDRATING FOOD

5) BEST METHOD OF DEHYDRATING FOOD

6) COMPARISON OF COSTS AND ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS

7) HOW TO CHOOSE A FOOD DEHYDRATOR

8) WHAT FOODS CAN BE DEHYDRATED

9) FOODS NOT SUITABLE FOR DEHYDRATION

10)KEYS FOR SUCCESSFUL FOOD DEHYDRATION

11) FAQS ABOUT FOOD DEHYDRATION

12) ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR DEHYDRATING FOOD

13) ADDITIONAL POSTS OF INTEREST

Introduction to Dehydrating Food

There is evidence that some cultures dried foods as early as...

Living off grid is fun and challenging. If you are so motivated, you can find creative ways to take care of all of your basic necessities.  Of course, one of life’s basic necessities is cooking, food storage, and maintaining a safe and sanitary food supply.  How do you cook off grid? How do you keep fresh food easily available?  Fortunately, there are numerous high efficiency off grid appliances.  Consequently, this makes it easy to prepare meals and have reliable efficient refrigeration. 

In today’s world there are various choices for off grid appliances. This is great because it makes living off the grid that much easier.    

Off grid cook stove 

If you are living off grid, there are numerous options for cooking meals.  The most energy efficient means is using an off grid appliance that requires a solid fuel source. This is especially true if you are producing your own electricity.  

An electric stove draws a huge...

It just makes sense to have extra groceries around the house. Those extra supplies will be useful in the event of a disaster or any other unexpected events that just seem to be a part of life.  Consequently, it is important have a food storage plan. Besides, it is an easy first step toward self reliance and becomes especially valuable in an emergency situation.

I grew up with two working farms in the family. We always had a large walk-in closet that was well stocked with home canned goods, extra dry goods, and other basic supplies. This was a normal part of being self sufficient.  In my opinion, it is similar to having an insurance policy.

In our modern age most people have either lost the desire or simply do not even see the need to have a food storage plan.  However, such a plan is one of the most basic and easy steps toward self reliance.  Simply consider what happens to millions of people every time there is a...

Renewable energy systems have many advantages and disadvantages.  There are substantial differences between solar, wind, and micro-hydro. Therefore, this is something worth investigating before you make a substantial financial investment.  Then you can decide on which system is right for your situation.  Consequently, educating yourself is imperative.  This particular post will cover the pros and cons of wind energy systems.  

Pros of Wind Energy Systems

1. Clean renewable energy source

Global warming emissions trap heat and are steadily driving up Earth’s atmospheric temperature. Electricity production in the United States accounts for about one-third of the country’s emissions. In contrast, renewable energy sources generate little to no global warming emissions.

Wind energy systems are clean. Harnessing this type of energy does not produce any harmful by products.

2. Inexhaustible energy supply

If designed and used correctly,...

More and more people are realizing that renewable energy is the way of the future.  But few people clearly understand what its all about and how to make the right choice for their personal situation.  If you are considering wind energy as part of your strategy, there are a few important things you need to consider in order to determine if wind energy is right for you.

What is Wind Energy and How Does It Work?

When wind currents blow past a turbine, the blades capture this “kinetic” energy and begin to turn or rotate. This rotation drives an internal shaft that is connected to a gear box. The gear box increases the speed of rotation about 100 times. This increase in rotation spins a generator that produces electricity.

Three Major Types of Wind Energy

-Utility scale: These wind turbines generate greater than 100 kilowatts of electricity. The energy is delivered to the power grid and distributed by utility companies and eventually to...

Why Build an Emergency Kit?

Self sufficiency and being prepared for emergencies go hand in hand. Since emergency situations can easily result in days of inconvenience or may result in you having to leave your home, it should be part of your overall strategy to build an emergency kit. This is important whether you live in an isolated area, which I do, or you live in suburbia. It is  important to prepare for every contingency and that is why I keep an emergency kit on hand.

When emergencies occur,  you may have to do without electricity, water, telephone, and easy access to a grocery store. Local resources will become strained very quickly. Consequently, one of the best things you can do to assist first responders, as well as your community, is to have the ability to be self sufficient.  It is important to understand that when these types of situations arise, resources may not be able to reach you for a variety of reasons. Therefore, you need to have certain things on...

Keeping backyard farm animals is an important part of the process of producing your own food. This goes hand-in-hand with gardening, hunting and fishing. By incorporating all three methods of food production, you can achieve a significant level of self sufficiency.

A surprising number of municipalities allow small backyard farm animals within city limits. More and more municipalities are starting to relax their regulations.  If you live in an urban area it is important to check your local ordinances. You may be pleasantly surprised to find out what you are allowed to have. Be sure to ask if there are any limitations. For example, you may be allowed to have chickens but not a rooster.

Be sure to choose backyard farm animals that are tolerant to your local climate. And just as importantly, choose animals according to the purpose you have in mind, such as meat versus milk production.

As with most animals, good husbandry is key. This means providing shelter against adverse...

One of the most important aspects of self reliance is having some measure of control over your food supply. Most people accomplish this by several different means. They usually  raise small backyard farm animals, plant a  garden, home food preservation,  as well as hunting and fishing. While these skills are the very foundation of self reliance, there are folks that are in no position to have a garden or raise animals. However, it is still possible to reach a great degree of self reliance by other methods. For example, it is possible to gain control over your food supply by simply stocking up on common grocery store items. Additionally, you must adhere to some basic principles of food storage.

These days there are numerous businesses that command a huge corner of the long-term food storage market. They also provide a lot of wonderful information regarding the value and advantages of their products. As a result, I have in fact purchased a number of things from theses...

An important first step in preparing for the unexpected is simply establishing an emergency food supply. From the perspective of being self sufficient, having extra supplies is fundamental.

I grew up with two working farms in the family and we always had a large walk-in closet that was well stocked with home canned goods, extra dry goods, and other basic supplies. This was a normal part of being self sufficient. I would strongly recommend that you do the same thing. This is something that is very easy and inexpensive to accomplish and it is similar to having an insurance policy.

ADVANTAGES TO having AN EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLY

There are several distinct advantages to establishing and emergency food supply. On a very practical level, if something were to happen and you either could not work or you were simply unemployed for a period of time, you would still be able feed yourself. If a major storm comes through your area and there is a significant interruption in the local...

What is Self Sufficiency?

True self sufficiency refers to the ability to support yourself or produce that which you need without outside help. Think of true self sufficiency as a sort of personal or collective autonomy. You rely only on your own capabilities, judgments, and resources. You are responsible for everything that you do and everything that you don’t do.

So many people talk about achieving self sufficiency, which of course has a nice romantic ring to it.  Self reliance is also a term that you will hear.  There have even been times in the history of the US when remarkable numbers of people decided to reject “the system” and go back to the land.  Many succeeded while many others failed. What made the difference?

This brings up the question of whether or not true self sufficiency is achievable. You must also ask the question of whether or not it is even possible? Or are we really aiming for self reliance?

What is Different Now?

At one...