Do you? I mean, do you can and/or dehydrate and/or freeze food that's cheaper or free in the summer like our mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers used to do?

There's been some discussion of canning and a little about dehydrating, but how much of an effort do you go to, to put things up for the winter? 

I used to can, freeze and dehydrate and even did some cold storage when we had an old cistern to use for that. I seldom bought vegetables during the winter. I got out of doing that, but this year I feel more of an urge to sock things away for "hard times." Maybe it's because the weather has been so strange or because I've heard those who should know predict harder times ahead, but I keep wanting to put by more and more. 

I wonder how many of you feel that way and if anyone has felt the urge to put up more than usual this year. 

 I am stocking up more than in the past. so far 42 jars of jelly, some will be gifts. 20 pinstof peas canned, 20 qts. of raspberry juice canned. The freezer has strawberries, raspberries, peas, brocolli so far. I have dried red onions. The slugs got in the tops and I was afraid that they were not going tomake it so dried them. 

I will do more I am thinking that if I have corn, carrots, green beans, peas, brocolli, cauliflower, then all the fruit, I can make it through the winter. We will buy 50 lbs of potatoes to store. Then stock up on tea, coffee, sugar and flour. That would mean only need to buy protein items. I have a lot of peanut butter in pantry.

Im a little nervous about winter and finances. DH may be taking an $8,000 a year pay cut. That would start in Jan. My income varies. So I am planning ahead a little more than normal. Babs 

I bought a dehydrator toward the end of the summer last year, and have been experimenting with it - I have several dozen jars of various fruits dried and put away (not to mention the cherries and apricots drying now), and just started experimenting with vegetables; the onions and mushrooms came out well, and the bell peppers are so good I may eat them as is, for snacks.  This started because I was trying to eat better, and I love dried fruit, but it's all covered in sugar; I like the taste of the dehydrated fruit so much better than the stuff you can buy in the store that I've been drying everything I can - I also gave dehydrated fruit as gifts last year and it went over big.  I'm thinking about dehydrating all the ingredients needed to make soup mix and and giving that as gifts this year, especially if I can find a good buy on jars; they cost more than the produce.

Being new to dehydrating, this is the first year I've done it - I do feel more urgency to store stuff, but I don't know if that's the weather, the economy, or just because it's new to me to buy quantities in season and dry them.

I almost feel as if I'm going overboard at times, but I still feel the need to stock up. I've dehydrated quite a bit of zucchini chips, have onions hanging in storage which I'll use fresh, then dehydrate as they get old. I have canned beets and mixed greens as well as beet greens. I have trout thawing in the refrigerator which I want to can. I'm drying mint leaves for tea and I put aside a section of the yard for dandelions so I can dig them for dandelion coffee this fall. J. artichokes can stay in the ground until late in the year... my sister is bringing me carrots and I haven't decided what to do with them yet. I may can a few and dehydrate a few for soup. 

karenteacher, I have made soup mixes for myself but didn't think of using them for gifts, good idea! 

So far I have 2 gallons of dill pickel chunks made and 1 gallon bread and butter's..they are refrigerator pickels...as they come on I hope to make another gallon of dill pickel slices and another of Bread and Butter pickels....I have started freezing some swiss chard...I need to harvest my garlic and dry it....I got a Mr. Coffee dehydrator at a garage sale ($3) and need to start drying the garlic...I don't have any experience using a dehydrator, so this will be new...before I just would cut things up and put them on long threads and hang them in our attached garage that I use as a summer kitchen and clothes drying area....

Pat....when you use your dried veges...like carrots...do you let them soak in water before putting them in to cook?...and yes, I want to put up as much extra as we get from our garden....I have a row of carrots and if they produce very much I'd like to dry some for later in soup...Things don't look like they are getting better around here....more and more businesses are laying people off....I used to can, but haven't for a long time....probably won't anymore....I just freeze and now hope to dehydrate....

 I think I'm gonna ask to use my parents dehydrator again.

Those that dehydrate fruit and put them in jars...do they mold?

chocolatechic:

 I think I'm gonna ask to use my parents dehydrator again.

 

Those that dehydrate fruit and put them in jars...do they mold?

Mine haven't yet... but I only started last year, and I like to eat them too much!

 I've canned around 33 jars of jam and jelly so far this summer, and I've made some syrup from my blackberries.  Nothing else is actually producing much yet, but if I have a good supply of tomatoes I plan to freeze some and make some tomato sauce for the freezer.  Last year I froze shredded zucchini and pesto made from my basil plant.  I plan to do both again this year as soon as I get enough of them.

This has been my first year of canning anything, usually I just freeze things.  My dad has a dehydrator that he uses quite a bit, but I just don't care for dried vegetables or fruits that much.  

Are those food dehydraters expensive? They sure sound like they would be nice to have. I may have to put that on my wish list.

As for putting food by for the winter, I have a certain turkey taking up too much space in my freezer, I need to get it baked and maybe freeze some portions of it,then I want to put a lot of meal sized portions of meat in the freezer, and maybe increase my angel food purchases.I also need to keep a better inventory of what I do have.I have a small chest freezer, and things get lost in the bottom.

Donna

As far as the pantry, I do increase my supply of canned soups and baking supplies for the holiday baking.