If you’re trying to save money while stocking up on essential food items, you may want to use a food preservation method that works. You can buy and prepare food in bulk and then freeze it or begin canning it to save it for later. So, which method is best to use? It all depends on personal preference.
If you’re not sure if you should start freezing or canning foods, check out this valuable information on the advantages of each option. Use this information to your advantage to choose a food preservation method that works best for you.
The Advantages of Freezing Food
You’ll get to reap several benefits when you decide to freeze food. You can put many items in the freezer, including prepared meals, such as casseroles and pies. It all depends on what you’re buying and preparing for your family to eat.
Keep Foods Full of Nutrients
While some food preservation methods can cause foods to lose some of their valuable nutrients that are good for the body, freezing doesn’t take those nutrients away. You can enjoy fresh, flavorful food that is good for you. Whether you’re eating meat, a veggie, or a premade meal that you decide to freeze, you can expect it to still provide you with the same amount of protein, vitamins, carbs, and more that it would provide if you were eating these foods fresh.
No Need to Use Any Added Preservatives
When you’re freezing food, you don’t need to use added preservatives. Unfortunately, many of the items you buy at the grocery store contain added preservatives. They’re not always good for you! If you’d like to eat tasty food that doesn’t have added harmful ingredients, freezing is a great way to preserve different things.
Store Your Food for Extended Periods
If you’re going to freeze foods, you can do so for extended periods. While it does depend on what you’re storing in the freezer, most items can stay frozen for up to six months, if not longer than that. It’s convenient to know that you won’t have to worry about your food going bad while it’s in the freezer. You can even buy a large deep freezer to keep in your basement. You’ll have plenty of space for all the foods you’d like to freeze. Deep freezers come in various sizes, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding one that fits well in your home.
Easy and Simple Storage Process
Freezing is one of the easiest and simplest ways to store food. You don’t have to put a lot of effort into the process. You can place your items in food storage bags before sealing them and placing them in the freezer. It’s also possible to store items in food storage containers that you can reuse as often as you’d like.
More on Freezing
- How to Freeze Meat
- How to Freeze Milk For Later Use
- 51 Freezer Meals You Can Make
- How To Prepare Corn On The Cob For The Freezer
The Advantages of Canning Food
While there are many advantages of freezing food, you can also reap the benefits that come with the canning process. Although it requires more work than tossing food into a freezer, it’s helpful in many ways. You can buy special equipment to complete the canning process at home efficiently and without frustration.
Safe Food Preservation Technique
Canning is a process that allows you to safely preserve foods without putting them in the freezer or fridge. You can keep these items stored on shelves in the basement to save space. The shelf life will depend on the specific items you’re canning, but most can stay fresh for several months when properly canned. Some food items will even stay fresh for up to a year or more.
Keep Stored Foods Full of Nutrients
Much like the freezing technique, canning food doesn’t take away the nutrients that it offers. If you want to make sure you’re getting the essential nutrients from your fruits, vegetables, jams, and other foods, canning is a great option.
Save More Space in the Freezer
If you don’t want to go out and buy a deep freezer, and you’d much rather save space in your freezer, canning is an alternative. You won’t need to put anything in the freezer when choosing canning as your food preservation method.
More on Canning
- Pressure Canning vs. Water Bath Canning: What’s the Difference?
- Jalapeno Jelly Recipe Canning
- Common Canning Mistakes that Need to be Fixed
- Water Bath Canning 101
Which Method of Food Preservation Requires More Work?
It’s easier to freeze food than to start canning many different things, such as fruits, vegetables, meats, and jams. When you’re freezing items, you’re simply adding them to a zipper-sealed food storage bag, removing the excess air, sealing it shut, and then placing it in the freezer until you’re ready to use it. The only other thing you’ll need to do is add a date to each freezer bag so that you’ll know when you stored it and when you need to use it.
On the other hand, canning does require more work. You’ll need to complete the canning process using a water bath, pressure treatment, or steam treatment. While it takes more work, it’s still an excellent food preservation method.
Does Food Taste Better When Canned or Frozen?
It all depends on your preference. Some people like the taste of canned foods better, while others enjoy it after they’ve put it in the freezer. If you haven’t tried either of these methods, it’s a good idea to do so. Once you try freezing different foods and canning other foods, you’ll get to taste them for yourself and decide which one you like more.
You can also determine what you’d rather do based on the amount of effort you’ll need to put into the food preservation method. When you want to save time, freezing is a good idea. However, canning is always a great option, especially if you have the equipment needed to do it.
Both freezing and canning have pros and cons in terms of preserving food. While freezing is a more straightforward method that requires less work, canning is the better choice when storing certain foods, such as jams and spreads.
Now that you’re aware of the differences between the two, along with the advantages that come from both preservation methods, which one do you plan on trying first?