RELOCATION; A FOOD PRESERVER’S WORST NIGHTMARE, OR IS IT?

Sometimes, life just throws a curve ball, doesn’t it? We spend years expecting a certain outcome, and suddenly, CHANGE.

As we approached middle age, we purchased a home that fulfilled our dream. It wasn’t fancy or expensive. It couldn’t possibly keep up with the Joneses, as they weren’t even on the same journey as we were. They were still running to soccer games while we were planning ahead, preparing for our golden years.

As part of that long-term goal, we built gardens, planted fruit trees and berries, built chicken coops and a greenhouse. We filled the canning pantry with jars of food. Literally, a couple thousand jars. We lived from our pantry, filling in at the store when necessary. We shared jars with our kids and friends as often as needed. We always preserved for ourselves and others.

Well, life has happened. Our easy transition to retirement has become a logistics challenge as we gear up to move half-way across the country into a completely different retirement scenario.

We will purge most of our belongings, load a truck or two, and start over. We will say goodbye to the years of work we have invested in our self-reliance homestead, and begin the dream anew in another location, with friends who have similar dreams. Our home will be sold to someone who has a dream of their own.

The real topic of discussion was what to do with our food storage. Suddenly, the beautiful rows of jars in our basement began to feel like an anchor.

OH WAIT!!!! Yes!! We purchased a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer a while back, and that machine is our ticket to an easy move. There are options now!

As I wandered through the canning pantry, I saw jars of diced potatoes. I grabbed pints of ham, and made scalloped potatoes, which freeze dried beautifully.

All of my chili, stew, vegetable soup, beans, and meats were loaded right on to the trays. I made skillet dinners using my ground beef, tomatoes, and some pasta from dry storage. Not all, but most of my jars either have been or will be preserved in their new form.

Whether I convert my canned “ingredients” into complete dinners, and then freeze dry, or I simply freeze dry them as they are, I am not only making them easy to manage but extending the life of the foods by many years.

The thought of packing cases of jars, then unpacking them on the other end is not appealing. Wondering how many might survive such a trip is a concern. However, freeze dried foods weight almost nothing. The mylar bags are unbreakable. Suddenly my worries about broken glass, liquids leaking, or being over the weight allowed for the truck are nil.

Whether you are living the expected life, or the one that hits you when least expected, the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer will be there for you. Harvest Right makes your best life even better.