20 Off-Grid Ways to Store Food Without Electricity Jenny Graham, December 15, 2023December 14, 2023 Are you prepared to store food without electricity in the event of a natural disaster, power outage, or even worse an attack on our electrical grid. Or maybe you are just wanting to homestead off-grid. Either way, there are several ways to store food without electricity. Let’s pull the plug. Jump to 20 Ways to Store Food Without Electricity Common Supplies You’ll Need to Store Food Without Electricity When it comes to the ability to store food without electricity, it’s a good idea to prepare in advance. Gather these food storage supplies you’ll need to store food without electricity. Mason jars and lots of lids. Be sure to get a variety of sizes, from jam jars to 1/2 gallon jars. Canning supplies, such as a large stock pot, pressure canner, jar lifters, funnels, fruit pectin, and a good book on canning. Unrefined, high quality salt. Buy it in bulk. A high quality sugar. Buy it in bulk. Gallons of vinegar. High quality oils in bulk, such as olive oil, lard, or food grade mineral oil. Smoker or smoke house for cold smoking and a source of wood. The Most Common Ways to Store Food Without Electricity Now that you’ve got your basic supplies gathered, let’s start with the most common ways to store food without electricity. All of these simple methods take some basic knowledge. A great resource to have on your shelf is The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery. It has everything you need to know about living off the land and food storage. Pickling for Food Storage Pickling is a food preservation method where you submerge food in a solution of salt, vinegar, herbs and spices. The acidity of the vinegar helps prevent bacterial growth and mold, which helps preserve the food. Canning To Store Food Without Electricity Canning is a well known method for food storage but requires the correct supplies and knowledge. Water bath canning is used for fruits and high acid tomatoes. On the other hand, pressure canning is used for low acid foods like vegetables and meat. Correctly canning foods can safely extend their shelf life up to a year or more. In The Encyclopedia of Country Living, you can find 12 life-saving canning rules to learn and follow. Jams and Jellies as a Preservation Method Making homemade jam or jelly is an excellent way to preserve an abundance of fruit. The fruit preserves easily because sugar is a preservative. Fermentation Process for Food Storage For centuries, the fermentation process has been used to store food without electricity. It basically involves submerging vegetables in a salt water brine. It creates an environment where beneficial organisms can break down the sugars and starches in the food, creating a probiotic rich food that can be stored long term. Leave Root Vegetables in the Ground One of the easiest methods for food storage is to leave crops in the ground. Several root crops, such as carrots, turnips, beets, rutabagas, parsnips, and sweet potatoes can be left in the ground to harvest as needed. Preserving in Alcohol to Extend Shelf Life Using alcohol to store food without electricity is an easy way to extend the shelf life of food. Fruit is a popular choice. Since alcohol can be 80-100 proof, no bacteria can survive in it. You can also use alcohol to store medicinal herbs in, essentially making a tincture. Drying or Dehydrating for Food Storage Drying or Dehydrating foods works for preservation because of the low moisture content. Bacterial growth doesn’t happen in foods that have been dried. So, as a rule of thumb, it’s better to get foods too dry than not dry enough for long term storage. You can dry foods in the sun, oven, or with a dehydrator. Some foods that dehydrate well are: fruits veggies herbs meats fish Salt Curing as a Preservation Method Salting is another way to store food without electricity. A 5% salt solution reduces bacterial growth, a 10% solution stops most bacterial growth, while a 15% salt solution stops bacterial growth. People have been salt curing meats and veggies for ages. Use Olive Oil to Store Food Without Electricity Olive oil can be used to preserve food. Most recipes call for cooking the food first then submerging it into olive oil in airtight containers to extend the shelf life. Smoking Meat to Extend Shelf Life Smoking meat is a traditional method of food preservation. While the main reason to smoke meat is for flavor, it is also a way to preserve meat and fish. Use Wet Sand to Store Food Without Electricity Storing food in wet sand is another method of storing food without electricity. This method works because of the insulating and moisture-retaining properties of wet sand. It creates a cool and humid environment, which slows bacterial growth on perishable foods. Tater Holes for Food Storage This is a similar concept as a root cellar but on a smaller scale. Digging a hole or burying a can in a well drained area can work well for food storage. Just be sure to keep it well covered to keep it as cool as possible. Larding for Meat Storage Larding for meat storage was popular before refrigeration. This method of food storage involves taking meat that has already been cooked and storing it in a crock smothered in lard. The lard prevents oxygen from reaching the meat so it doesn’t spoil as quickly. This was a popular method of storing meat, especially in the winter, when the crock would be kept outdoors or in a root cellar. Long Term Eggs Storage There are several methods to storing eggs long term without electricity. Among my favorites are water glassing eggs or storing mineral oil dipped eggs in a bucket of salt. Ways to Store Food Without Electricity That May Take Work Now that we’ve got the easiest and most common ways to store food without electricity out of the way, let’s take a look at some bigger storage ideas. A Root Cellar to Store Food Without Electricity If you live in an area where you can have a root cellar they can be a valuable asset to store food without electricity. Root cellars can be built partially or even better, entirely underground, which will keep food nice and cool for a long period of time. A Charcoal Cooler or Zeer Pot to Store Food A Zeer pot and a charcoal cooler are two different names for essentially the same type of cooling device. Both refer to a simple, low-cost, and low-tech method of cooling that uses the principles of evaporative cooling. They may also be called an evaporative cooler. Basically, it is one small pot put into a larger pot. The gap between the two is filled with charcoal and wet sand. Veggies can be stored inside the inner pot and covered with a wet cloth. The moisture evaporating from the sand creates a cooling effect in the inner pot. Bury a Cooler Underground or an Old Freezer Coolers, refrigerators, and old broken freezers are great options for inground food storage. They are well insulated already. Sinking them down into the cool ground will give you a cool place for food storage. Keeping Food in a Cool Stream If you have to store food without electricity and have access to a cool stream, food can be kept cool with the cold water from the stream. Veggies and such can be put into a basket or container that water can flow through. It’s not a long term solution but will work for short periods to keep food cool until you are ready to use it. Spring House for Food Storage A spring house is a small building or structure built over a natural spring. Historically, spring houses were used for food storage before refrigeration. The spring provides cold temperatures for preserving perishable food. Ice Box or an Ice House as a Cool Place Ice boxes were used in homes to store food without electricity before refrigeration. If there is no electricity, this is still a possibility if you live in an area where you can also have your own ice house. What is a Safe Temperature for Perishable Food? The safe temperature for perishable food is 40 degrees and below. This will slow bacterial growth, keeping food good for a long time. Foods That Need to Be Stored at 40℉ and Below These are your most important foods to preserve. Figure out which method of food preservation you want to use today and get busy extending the shelf life of your food supply. Meat Poultry Seafood Dairy Products Cooked Foods Eggs that have been washed Any Opened Condiments and Sauces Foods that Keep Well In a Dry, Cool Place Carrots Beets Sweet Potatoes Parsnips Onions Garlic Winter Squash Turnips Potatoes Pumpkins Foods That Keep Well at Room Temperature Bread Nuts Honey Tomatoes Garlic Onions Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Winter Squash Why You Should Learn to Store Food Without Electricity Learning to store food without electricity is a valuable skill for many reasons. Learning these skills is useful for food storage in stressful times, such as a natural disaster or a power outage for a long period of time. A well known food preservation method to store food without electricity will increase your self-sufficiency and sustainability. It will also allow you to take advantage of bulk food deals, saving you money in the long run, if you know how to store food properly. Learning traditional food storage methods such as canning, pickling, fermenting, and drying also allows you to enjoy seasonal produce throughout the year. So, what is your favorite way to store food without electricity? You may also enjoy other off-grid reading such as, Hide Tanning: The Easy Way to Tan Hides at Home Happy Homesteading, Prepping, & Preserving, Jenny @ The GrahamStead Family Farm Jenny and her family have been homesteading for over 20 years. They are currently farming on their 10 acre Florida farm, that they built from the ground up, 8 years ago, growing 100% of their meat and a lot of their vegetables. From their small herd of Aberdeen Angus Cattle, Pastured Poultry, Sheep, and seasonal pigs, they are able to raise enough meat for the family while selling extra to the community. All the while, striving to butcher at home, as much as possible, and use the bits and pieces of their harvest by preserving food, making bone broth, and (Jenny’s favorite) tanning all kinds of hides! SOURCE: Emery, Carla. Encyclopedia of Country Living,. Sasquatch Books, 2019. Homestead Kitchen Homesteading