A Fun, Cost-Effective Way to Build Your Pantry

[Nenuphar]

If you would like to learn more about dehydrating foods and building your pantry, I highly recommend this lady's channel on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Dehydrate2store

She started posting videos just because she wanted to share a hobby/home-making skill she enjoys. The channel became so popular that her subscribers (and, I believe, a major dehydrator company as well!) encouraged her to start her own website. She finally did, and the link can be found at the top of her channel.

I learned a lot from her videos and bought an Excaliber dehydrator. From the jars dried vegetables I have in storage in my pantry, I can now put together a soup in 5 minutes flat! *L* I am also looking forward to making sun-dried tomatoes for the first time this summer.

Nenuphar :canada:

[Carrie1971]

I have been doing all types of pantry building. I glean as much fruit as I can most of the time it just takes my time to pick it. I dry, freeze or can "both waterbath and presure" all types of food what ever you can buy canned in the store can be done at home. It takes time but it is worth it.

I have taken heed to the idea we all need to have our own food supply built up on our own. Which reminds me I need to get the bulk order in..

http://www.azurestandard.com/

These folks ship as well as deliver to most of the western states even into OK

[Nenuphar]

I agree that it just makes sense to have some food put away for hard times. I am a beginner compared to many who have been storing food for years, but am building a pantry little bit by little bit (my significant other thinks I am slightly bonkers for doing so, but that's another story). I quite enjoy doing it. and frankly, I eat healthier foods when I am focused on the food I choose to store long-term in my home.

It seems like there are so many good American businesses online that sell dehydrated foods, staples, and other goods related to pantry building. So far, I have found only one in Canada (there must be more?) It is called Dri-Harvest and can be found here...

http://www.dri-harvest.com/Food.aspx

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[Holly Lindin]

Thanks for the (yet another. :)) link, Nenuphar! I'm gonna check Dri-Harvest out soon - and the video. That would be the next step for me, definitely - growing my own stuff and then dehydrating and saving whatever I know won't get used straight away. It'd definitely be a great way to eat my own veggies and fruits into the wintertime, when growing here is an obvious impossibility. :) Thanks again!

<3

[Moxie]

Last summer I had my first experience with pressure canners and was quite surprised how easy it is. '09 we had the first harvest from our "new" garden. This year I'll also be dehydrating as it is such a viable means of storing produce. We have almost 50 tomato plants along w/so much else... so I WILL be wearing an apron often!

Thanks for the link to the Excalibur ... I'm checking it out.

[DonnaA]

Thanks so much for the youtube link! I will be checking it out

I have an Excalibur dehydrator and it works great, easy to use and clean. I got the larger model off of ebay... :)

I also do a lot of canning and preserving. It is easy once you get the hang of it.