I feel like this post will apply to a very small niche of people… and y’all are my people.
If 2020-2021 didn’t get preparedness and self-sufficiency on your mind… well… then… we are gonna have to move on without ya. (kidding mostly)
But really, it’s a good time to be prepared. If you had to go without power, water, a grocery store, Amazon… how long could your family thrive? It can be a sobering question. It’s one we asked ourselves quite awhile ago, and we didn’t love the answer, so we got to work!
We have been working on our family’s preparedness for about 8 years now, long before we moved to land and began to grow our own food. There is so much that can be done in the city and so much that can be done on stretched resources, and to stretch resources even further. When we prepare, we are able to not only help ourselves but also others in times of crisis.
We recently added a new tool to our preparedness/self-suffiency arsenal: a Freeze Dryer!
It’s been on my maybe list for a little bit, but felt overwhelming so it got put off. A friend showed me that it’s so much easier than it seems, and also laid a few facts on me, and I was sold.
The facts she shared with me:
-Freeze drying retains 97% of the original nutritional value, while dehydrating only retains 60% and canning retains 40%!
-The process of freeze drying removes 98% of food’s water content, hence reducing the weight of the food by 90%
-Freeze-dried foods are faster to prepare. You just need to add some boiling hot water to it, wait for some time, and you are ready to go.
-The shelf life of freeze dried foods is 25-30 years.
^ That last one was my tipping point!
Freeze dryers are an initial investment, but come with HUGE long-term savings & sustainability.
I can’t wait to freeze dry:
raw milk
colostrum
eggs
fruit
vegetables
sourdough starter
herbs
ice cream
beef liver
I even heard of a few women who freeze dry their breastmilk and sell it to other moms… making it as convenient as powdered formula, but with ALL the original nutrients of breastmilk, and a shelf life of 25 YEARS. INSANE! (And a dang good business idea!)
A peek at my DMs when I mentioned freeze drying:
I grabbed the large freeze dryer from HARVEST RIGHT. It comes with a guide that makes it all so easy. It is absolutely phenomenal and I can’t wait to share with you guys as I learn how to use it! Join me, fellow homemaking prepper weirdos.
M