Making food keep: drying, canning, fermenting, storing and evaporative cooling

How do I make food keep longer without a fridge?

Five ways to keep food without a fridge compared – from drying, canning and lactic fermentation to cool storage of vegetables and evaporative cooling. Recipes, times and temperatures are deliberately not given here; for canning and fermenting only tested instructions from official bodies apply. Fridge and freezer during a power outage have their own entries.

Starting situation

Legend
Method	Mistakes are not very dangerous	Without electricity or fuel	Keeps for months	For meat, fish, dairy	Can still be started in a crisis	Simple equipment
Drying fruit and herbs: air, sun, oven	Partly	Depends	Yes	No	Partly	Yes
Home canning: tested recipes only	No	No	Yes	Depends	No	No
Fermenting vegetables: principle and safety limits	Partly	Yes	Partly	No	Partly	Yes
Storing the harvest: potatoes, root vegetables, apples	Yes	Yes	Partly	No	Partly	Partly
Evaporative cooling: clay pot cooler and wet cloth	Partly	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes

Legend:● Yes◐ Partly◇ Depends○ No* = note available

Drying fruit and herbs: air, sun, oven

Effort:: Moderate; weather-dependent
Needs:: Clean work surface, knife, rack or string, warm moving dry air, oven or dehydrator optional

Mistakes are not very dangerousPartly
Incompletely dried food goes mouldy; meat and fish are excluded without a tested process.
Without electricity or fuelDepends
Air and sun drying yes, oven and dehydrator no.
Keeps for monthsYes
If completely dry and stored dry.
For meat, fish, dairyNo
Can still be started in a crisisPartly
Possible if weather or energy allow.
Simple equipmentYes

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Home canning: tested recipes only

Effort:: High
Needs:: Tested instructions, suitable jars, water bath or pressure canner depending on the food, a heat source

Mistakes are not very dangerousNo
Mistakes can lead to botulism – life-threatening, often without visible signs.
Without electricity or fuelNo
Keeps for monthsYes
For meat, fish, dairyDepends
Low-acid foods only in a pressure canner following a tested recipe.
Can still be started in a crisisNo
Hardly suitable during emergencies.
Simple equipmentNo

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Fermenting vegetables: principle and safety limits

Effort:: Low to moderate; takes weeks
Needs:: Vegetables, salt in the right amount, clean vessels, a weight, a cool place

Mistakes are not very dangerousPartly
Discard at warning signs such as pink, slimy, putrid or mould growing in.
Without electricity or fuelYes
Keeps for monthsPartly
Long when stored cool; depends on vegetables, salt and temperature.
For meat, fish, dairyNo
This entry covers vegetables only.
Can still be started in a crisisPartly
Needs salt, vessels and weeks of time.
Simple equipmentYes

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Storing the harvest: potatoes, root vegetables, apples

Effort:: Low; check regularly
Needs:: Undamaged storage vegetables and apples, a cool dark room with suitable humidity

Mistakes are not very dangerousYes
Remove rotten items at once; cut away green parts of potatoes generously.
Without electricity or fuelYes
Keeps for monthsPartly
Weeks to months for suitable produce.
For meat, fish, dairyNo
Can still be started in a crisisPartly
Needs a suitable room and storage vegetables.
Simple equipmentPartly
No devices, but a suitable storage room.

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Evaporative cooling: clay pot cooler and wet cloth

Effort:: Low; refill water
Needs:: Two clay pots and sand or a basket and cloth, water that will not be drunk, dry air

Mistakes are not very dangerousPartly
For fruit and vegetables; perishables count as unrefrigerated in it.
Without electricity or fuelYes
Needs water, though.
Keeps for monthsNo
Extends freshness; does not replace preservation.
For meat, fish, dairyNo
Can still be started in a crisisYes
Only effective in dry air.
Simple equipmentYes

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