Boiling and blanching foods is a simple, easy and safe method of traditional food preservations. It sanitizes, brightens, and sweetens most vegetables and prepares them for freezing and/or dehydration.

Long before refrigeration, burying food was a safe and effective form of traditional food preservation.

Canning using a hot water bath is a safe and simple way to preserve foods for winter meals. It's my favorite method for preserving tomatoes as it preserves their flavor with perfection.

Pressure canning is a must for low acid foods like soup stocks and squashes. For years I used the huge metal pressure canner. Now, I use an Instant Pot for pressure canning. It is much safer, doesn't heat up the kitchen, and great for small batches of any preserved foods.

Confit is simply meat cooked slowly in its own fat. This traditional method of food preservation creates one of the best presentations of meat you'll ever enjoy. I've made many a confit, but the dishes never lasted long enough to preserve!

My absolute favorite cured meat is Prosciutto, salt cured and aged ham. Curing meats is another traditional method of food preservation that got our ancestors through harsh winters in days before refrigerators, grocery stores, and fast food shops.

Dehydrating herbs, fruits, tomatoes and so much more is a safe and affordable way to ensure winter meals are made with fresh and local ingredients. Learn how with this Dehydrating 101 post!

I keep a gallon of salt brine on hand all summer long. Fermentation is the fastest, safest, and most effective food preservation technique available. I also preserve fruits and herbs with kombucha and water kefir. Check out the basics of this traditional food preservation method now!

I have a big, upright freezer. I could not manage winter meals affordably without it. Freezing is not an optimal food preservation technique because power outages can create a lot of spoilage. It also is not all that traditional. But, it is a safe, cheap and effective way to preserve foods.

Using steady heat to preserve foods is a long standing traditional method of food preservation. Called a perpetual stew or hunters stew, this bit of cookery involves constantly adding ingredients to an ongoing pot of stew that can be kept simmering all winter long.

Jellying is a traditional food preservation method near and dear to many a home cook! Even with a low-carb, no sugar diet I make jellies. They are good for more than just spreading on toast! Jellies can be added as flavoring to many a dish. Check out this apple jelly recipe from one of my favorite food preservation follows!

Jugging is a traditional food preservation method from France and England. It involves marinating the meat in wine or brandy for at least 24 hours, so I'm in already! Who doesn't love a bit of drunken rabbit? This recipe, from another one of my favorite follows, is inching its way to the top of my kitchen to-do list as fall approaches.

Overwintering crops is a very satisfying food preservation method for kitchen gardeners everywhere! It is certainly one of mine! There is absolutely nothing better than traipsing out to the garden on frigid January mornings to harvest kale and carrots for satisfying winter meals. I'm in zone 6a, which gets very cold and always have fresh veggies in my winter garden.

Preserving foods in olive oil is a flavorful preservation method. Of all the techniques we're reviewing this is probably the most susceptible to contamination. I'm including this post in the round-up because it recommends refrigerating the preserves. It is also a beautiful article. Enjoy!

Pickling is a traditional food preservation technique that requires soaking fruits and vegetables in a brine. The brine, either vinegar or salt, can be flavored with herbs and spices. The creative flavor options are endless. Check out this post for the basics on pickling.

Root cellaring is a low-cost, low-maintenance traditional food preservation method that requires some skill building. Because this method relies on natural maintenance of temperature and humidity, many a new preservationist will need to study up on how to work with nature to preserve foods. I liked this comprehensive guide because it speaks to the beginner.

Sugaring is a traditional food preservation technique from the 18th century. While it is not one of the more stable methods, it is quite tasty. I recommend storing sugar preserves in the refrigerator. This video covers all the bases for the technique.

Smoking is a traditional food preservation technique probably as old as fire itself. This method uses wood smoke to remove moisture and bacteria from meats, cheeses, eggs, and vegetables. It is an effective and flavorful technique that is quite popular in the backyard BBQ community.

Vacuum sealing is not a traditional food preservation technique. Honestly, it is not affordable either. But, no list would be complete without mentioning this trendy way of keeping food stored safely in the seasonal kitchen.

Vinegar is a very safe and affordable way to preserve fruits, vegetables, and herbs. We've already explored pickling with vinegar, so I thought I'd close with a post about making flavored vinegars. Skies the limit of flavor combinations once you get this food preservation technique down. For you fellow kombucha brewers, this is a great way to use the more vinegary brews that are inevitable in the summer months.