Saving food
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Buy a whole steer with four people and split it into quarters to reduce cost per pound.
It is cheaper than buying retail cuts.
- Requires storage space
one person who lived it
Ask neighbors or post on local Facebook pages to find people with excess fruit trees who will give you the harvest for free.
Many people, especially the elderly, have difficulty harvesting or disposing of excess fruit and are willing to help prevent waste.
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Rest gamey meat in buttermilk for 8 to 24 hours to remove musk and tenderize it.
It removes the game taste and tenderizes the meat.
one person who lived it
Forage citrus fruits growing over fences in arid regions, but avoid other wild plants due to toxicity or pests.
Other wild plants in these areas may be attached to cacti or be poisonous.
- Unknown wild plants in arid regions should be avoided.
one person who lived it
Use a nearby vocational school's meat processing lab for free or low-cost cutting and processing.
They do it for educational purposes.
- May require a small donation
one person who lived it
Inquire about the type of tree mulch before accepting it if you are growing vegetables.
Some types of mulch are bad for soil used for growing veggies.
one person who lived it
Pack freezer bags tightly with meat to reduce spoiling.
It cuts down on spoiling.
one person who lived it
Leave apples on the tree until the leaves fall off to improve their sweetness and crispness.
They become crispy and sweet.
one person who lived it
Do not place free mulch near building foundations.
It may contain termites or other unwanted pests.
one person who lived it
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Give a jar of processed preserve (like jam or pickles) back to the donor after harvesting their excess produce.
They will likely contact you right away next year.
one person who lived it
Check if 'pay-to-pick' farms are offering fruit for free during oversupply periods.
Removing rotting fruit prevents insect and disease outbreaks.
one person who lived it
Vacuum seal meat instead of leaving it in butcher paper to prevent freezer burn if not eaten quickly.
Butcher paper does not prevent freezer burn if the meat is not consumed rapidly.
one person who lived it
Ask farmers for permission before taking vegetables from their fields rather than trespassing.
The produce is often their seasonal income source.
one person who lived it
Avoid relocating wood from unknown sources to prevent spreading tree diseases.
Trees needing removal often harbor serious diseases that can cause devastating epidemics if relocated.
one person who lived it
Remove tree stumps by drilling holes, applying potassium nitrate stump remover, and letting it sit.
one person who lived it
Ask the produce manager for discarded items instead of the general store manager.
General managers often deny requests outright, while produce managers may agree to set items aside.
one person who lived it
Consider whether the time spent foraging and learning identification is better used earning money to buy food.
Foraging is time-intensive.
one person who lived it
Visit your local library's seed library to obtain free seeds.
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