How to Preserve your Food after Cropping out

So you've come to the end of your plant cycle, safely harvested your healthy plants, and “cropped out” -- or maybe you don't prefer that term J

Either way, you have heaps of fresh vegetables or other produce, but without an existing plan, how do you know what to do with it?

Growers have various basic options for preserving the stuff that they grow. Each of these requires its own resources and its own strategy, to keep food in usable condition long after it's been harvested.

Canning

As a general method of food preservation, canning is big in the American culture. Our pioneer ancestors used this method to keep all of their soil-grown vegetables and produce from perishing.

For canning, you're going to need good, clean mason jars and seals. You’ll have to perfect the practice of sealing those jars closed, or you run the risk of botulism and other kinds of bacterial diseases. Lots of beginners shy away from canning because there are much easier ways to preserve food.

Drying

Drying can be easy way to store vegetables or other plant foods, but again, certain standards apply. These items have to be dried to a particular extent to really be preserved for use in the future. Also, the conditions in which you store the dried produce have an effect on how long it lasts. For best results, store the stuff in a cool, dry and dark area.

You can get drying machines or other resources to make sure that you're drying your harvests correctly, or to expedite the process.

Freezing

This isn't a method that our ancestors would've used, but with today's modern refrigeration, it's pretty viable for a lot of households. Not only do we live in large houses and apartments, larger than others in a lot of countries around the world, but we have serviceable freezers that you can get for around $100. That makes freezing a popular way to keep your produce in good condition over the winter, or for months after its harvested.

Any of these strategies can support a successful long-term hydroponic plan where you build up product. You can use your preserved produce at home, give it as gifts, or even sell it, depending on whether you have the right business licenses and permits and other compliance with federal and state regulations.

Take a look at all the modern gear that can help you grow all kinds of healthy produce and get you on the bandwagon in this exciting, innovative industry.