I am very happy with the way my hay bale garden is producing.  Eliminating trips to the grocery store, at least for fruit and vegetables, is a major step on the road to self-sufficiency.

Once ripe, these fruits of my labor aren’t going to last long unless I find a way to preserve them for later.

I’ve been using several preservation methods.  I’m drying my herbs and fruits.  I’ve put up about 10 jars of pickles and tomato sauce too.  The quickest method I’ve found is the vacuum sealer though.

I purchased one of those FoodSaver vacuum packers, and I’ve had that thing roaring away in the kitchen for weeks.  I just quickly blanche my produce in boiling water to stop any enzyme activity.  This keeps your veggies colorful and flavorful even after a long stint in the deep freeze.

I’m getting a little vacuum happy though.  I’ve vacuumed a change of socks to keep them dry on the trail.  I compressed a ham sandwich down to the thickness of a playing card.  I even tested the sealer on one of my dog’s jerky treats; she gave it the stink eye and left it laying on the floor.

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