a homestead survival garden plan

On a homestead, anything that gives a high yield with a small input is a win. When the daily harvest baskets are filled to the brim starting in August, preserving vegetables for the rest of the year can be exhausting. Not only can it be high energy for the gardener, but also for the budget itself. Heating big canners on the stove for hours on end, purchasing hundreds of ball jars, and running a dehydrator for days on end can be a huge expense. Not ideal for a survival garden pantry.

While I love opening a jar of homemade tomato sauce in early spring, I also love reaching for items that I was able to just hang, store on a shelf, or air dry. In a practical sense, a survival garden makes a lot of sense for anyone short on time. Which is all of us, right? The joy of eating home-grown vegetables in winter + early spring, long after the growing season is over, always feels like a small triumph. One step closer to self-sufficiency, a gift from summer’s heat opened in the darkness of winter.

Here is a list of my favorite vegetables that offer long-term storage without much input, materials, or power expense. Let these plants guide you in what to plant for your homestead survival garden.

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The Best Vegetables for long-term storage (homestead survival garden):

winter squash: our top pick for a homestead survival garden!

With hundreds of unique varieties, colors, and sizes, it’s pretty hard to get bored of winter squash. Some of the longest storing varieties are Butternut Squash and Homestead Sweet Meat. We still have had Homestead Sweet Meat Squashes stay fresh well into April, and if we grew more of them, I wouldn’t be surprised if they would last into May or June.

how to cure winter squash

The process of preserving winter squash is pretty passive. Harvest the squash with a good amount of stem still attached, and use a cloth to remove any dirt or debris. Let them sit in a dry, well-ventilated area, preferably in the sun with medium-high humidity for a couple of weeks.

I’ve seen some people cure their winter squash on metal racks in a greenhouse, but I have had good luck with placing them inside my kitchen on a metal table in front of a sunlit window, rotating the squash so that all sides got some good sun exposure.

Once the squash has cured for a couple of weeks, place in a cool and dry space, such as a pantry or shelf.

winter squash nutrition facts:

While exact nutrition facts will vary from squash to squash, as a general rule 1 cup of cooked squash is under 100 calories, with most of those calories coming from carbohydrates.

The orange flesh of squash provides beta carotene, vitamin c, potassium, and fiber (source).

As a bonus, pumpkin seeds can be roasted and eaten as a nutrient rich snack with good amounts of fat and protein - around 12g of each per cup.

dried beans: vegetable-based protein

Like winter squash, there are hundreds of kinds of beans that are perfect for drying. Some beans can be grown over winter in some climates, like Fava beans, while other beans, like tepary beans and cowpeas, grow well in climates with hot dry summers.

Dried beans can be soaked overnight, and then rinsed a couple of times with fresh water. Place the beans in a pot, and double the height of the beans with new water. Let simmer on the stove until the beans are slightly soft. Beans are a great food to cook on the wood stove, or speed up the process by cooking them in the instant pot. I find that usually an hour in the instant pot does the trick.

If kept in dry conditions, most dried beans will last for a couple of years, if not longer.

how to dry beans

There are two ways that I’ve found have a high success rate with drying beans for long-term storage.

The first method works if you have especially dry summers. All you need to do is let the beans dry inside their pods. Once a planting of beans has put on a heap of pods, I hold back on watering them and let the pods turn dry. When the pods crumble and break easily when rubbing them between your hands, the beans are usually dry. With this method, I will lay the beans out on a mesh drying rack of some sort, depending on the size of the beans, for about 1 full day before storing the beans in glass jars.

If you save your seeds from year to year, you can set some aside in envelopes - be sure to label them so you know what you have next spring!

bean nutrition facts:

While different beans have different nutritional profiles, most beans are a great source of both protein and fiber, with the added bonus of iron.

Soybeans top the protein charts with 28.62 grams per cooked cup (they also are a great source of fat, something hard to come by in the garden). Tepary beans have a little bit more protein than most beans (source), with 24g per cooked cup, compared to the standard 12-21g found in other varieties.

On average, 1 cup of cooked beans is around 200-240 calories.

amaranth: the easiest grain to grow for a survival garden!

Amaranth is a beautiful gluten-free grain that comes in brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold. This grain, or technically, seed, thrives in warm and dry summer climates, making them a perfect answer to low-water gardening. Amaranth stores for around a year.

While you don’t need to soak amaranth before cooking, it’s a good idea to give them a quick rinse before adding them to the pot to cook. If you are able to soak amaranth for a few hours beforehand, however, nutrients can be more easily absorbed and the grain becomes easier to digest. Remember to discard of soaking water (or save it to water your plants with!) and rinse the grain a few times after soaking.

how to dry amaranth for storage

When seeds start to easily fall from the plants, it is time to harvest. Either cut back the amaranth and place seed tops on a tarp or cloth to gather and winnow all at once, or bring a bucket to the field and harvest the seeds directly into the bucket before cutting back the rest of the plant.

You’ll need to winnow the seeds to clear out any other plant parts, which can be done on a breezy day or in front of a fan.

Place a thin layer of the seeds on a tray for at least a day in a warm area, then store in glass jars.

amaranth nutrition facts:

One cup of cooked amaranth provides around 250 calories, which includes 46g of carbohydrates and 9g of protein. Unlike most other grains, amaranth (and quinoa) are complete proteins, meaning that they have all of the essential amino acids contained within them.

potatoes: a must-have for long term food storage

A kitchen classic, potatoes are great for french fries, hash browns, or to bulk up a winter night soup. Of course, there’s mashed potatoes too!

If kept in cool and totally dark conditions, potatoes can last for 6 months before starting to sprout. For a couple of months after that, they are still edible as long as you remove the sprouts and eyes (otherwise, you’ll make some toxic fries).

For taste, my ultimate favorite is German Butterball. They have a soft texture that is perfect for mashed potatoes, and makes some delicious fries and hashbrowns. For storage, German Butterball is some of the longest lasting, along with other favorites like Yukon Gem, Yukon Gold, and Kennebeck (source).

In warmer climates, sweet potatoes might do better. Varieties of sweet potatoes known for their long storage time include

how to cure potatoes for storage

It really couldn’t be any easier! Pick them and cure them in a cool dark place with good air flow. Do not stack them and do not wash them. Cure potatoes for two weeks before storing. If you can store them in total darkness, like in a opaque tote or a closet, you’ll get a longer shelf life out of them. We store ours in a pantry that has a black out curtain on the window, keep the pantry door closed, and keep the pantry light off. In addition, we keep our potatoes under opaque fabric, which might be going overboard but it’s nice to have them last as long as possible.

If your potatoes have sprouted and are beyond eating, it’s probably almost time to plant them anyways!

potato nutrition facts

Potatoes are a great source of calories and carbohydrates. Potatoes also have potassium, vitamin C and vitamin B6. Blue and purple potatoes have an added bonus of polyphenol antioxidants, which have various health benefits (source).

onions: the base of every meal

For Northern growers, the Patterson variety can store for around 10 months. For growers in the southernmost regions of the United States, Red Creole can last for up to 7 months.

how to cure onions for storage

Braid onion tops together, or tie the tops together in bunches of 4-8, depending on size. Hang onions in a dry cool place out of direct sunlight until the skin of the onion starts to feel papery. Curing onions for storage takes 1-2 weeks. From there, trim the roots if necessary and hang in the pantry in a dry place.

Braided bunches of onions make a beautiful + practical decoration in the kitchen, and the humid/warm environment of the kitchen shouldn’t damage them if you’re actively using them as you cook.

onion nutrition facts

A medium onion is just under 50 calories, most of those calories coming from carbohydrates.

While onions aren’t high on the calorie list, they are the foundation of lots of recipes along with our next plant - garlic!

garlic: easy to grow homestead crop

Garlic is one of my favorite crops. Here in zone 7, we plant them in the autumn for an early summer harvest. Once we plant them and mulch around them, they need no further tending until it’s time to pick the delicious garlic scapes in the summer. The rain and occasional snow over the autumn, winter, and spring is enough water for this crop, which is another benefit to growing garlic over winter.

I’ve had good results with storing garlic through late spring, with softneck varieties outlasting hardneck varieties. Of the softnecks, Silverskin, Artichoke, and Creoles have the longest storage life of over 1 year (source. Since hardneck garlic types produce the tasty scape, I grow both kinds in my garden (usually Lorz Italian, Nootka Rose, and Sicilian Silver for softneck varieties and Shandong, Tzan, and Music for hardnecks).

how to cure garlic for storage

Do not clean garlic before curing. Braid softneck garlic tops together, or tie the tops of hard or softnecks together in bunches of 6-8, depending on size. Hang garlic in a dry cool place out of direct sunlight until the skin of the garlic starts to feel papery. Curing garlic takes around 2 weeks.

From there, trim the roots and tops if necessary and store or hang in the pantry in a dry place. Braided bunches of garlic make a beautiful + practical decoration in the kitchen, and the humid/warm environment of the kitchen shouldn’t damage them if you’re actively using them as you cook.

garlic nutrition facts

Garlic isn’t high on the calorie list, but they are the foundation of lots of recipes and add such a great flavor boost to meals.

herbs for seasoning and teas (can be air dried)

While herbs aren’t something you grow for calories, they are a wonderful asset to have in the kitchen. Herbs add flavor to meals, can be made into tea, and even can support our bodies with various health benefits.

While all herbs have some sort of health benefit, my favorites for primarily culinary flavoring are rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, and fennel seeds.

For herbal tea, I love chamomile and nettles, along with motherwort, wood betony, and mugwort.

If dried properly and kept in a dry place, dried herbs can last for at least one year.

how to dry herbs for storage

Herbs are extremely easy to dry for long term storage. Its best to harvest herbs when you’ve had a couple days of sunny weather and haven’t been watering them from overhead. Cut the part of the plant that you’re going to use, and then place them on a screen in a dry place to dry. You can also make small bundles of the herbs (having part of the stem make this easier) and hang the bundles to dry. I hang my herbs using pot hooks on a metal rack. This process usually takes a week if herbs are on a screen, or up to 2 weeks if hung in a bundle. If you have a wood stove, you can hang the herbs off of a nearby shelf (not too close to the stove, obviously, for safety!) for faster results.

herbal nutrition facts

Herbs aren’t really sources for calories, but they add such a great flavor boost to meals and often add specific antioxidants which can support our health.

nuts + seeds for a survival garden fat source

Finally, a great source of fat! Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are perhaps some of the easier and more accessible fats to grow. In the Pacific Northwest, hazelnuts are a great option. If you’re in the southern United States, pecans, pinenuts, hickory, and peanuts are an option for you. If you have sandy or loamy soil, walnuts might thrive (source.

Don’t eat bitter almonds - as a relative of the peach family, these seeds contain cyanide. Also, don’t eat raw cashews.

In general, nuts can be air-dried in their shells on a flat surface for around a month (source). In proper conditions, they can last for at least 6 months in dry storage.

For sunflower seeds, cut the heads once 90% of the seeds are ripe, and leave some of the stem remaining. Hang the sunflower from the stem to dry for around a week. Then, remove the seeds and place them in a single layer on a mesh rack or towel to dry for 1 day.

You can eat sunflower seeds raw, or roast them in the oven with some oil and salt. Sunflower seeds really only store when they are raw. Raw sunflower seeds last for around 4 months, but refrigerating or freezing them extends their shelf life to up to 1 year (source).

nuts and seeds nutrition facts

While nutrition will vary from nut to nut and seed to seed, in general these two foods are high in healthy fats and calories, and have a good amount of protein per serving. Most nuts and seeds have a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

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Grow long lasting vegetables for easy storage: my top picks for a homestead survival garden

long storage winter squash:

Winter Squash, Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead (Organic)

Winter Squash, Butterbaby Butternut (Organic)

Winter Squash, Lofthouse Landrace Moschata, Butternut type (Organic)

Winter Squash, Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Acorn (Organic)

my favorite beans for storage:

Cowpea, Purple Hull (Organic)

Soybean, Ezonishiki (Organic)

Tepary Bean, Blue Speckled (Organic)

Fava, 'Karmazyn'

Fava, 'Frog Island Nation'

Bear Paw- Scarlet Runner Pole Bean

Cannellini Bean

Pink Half Runner Bean

Vermont Cranberry Pole Bean

great picks for organic bulk bean seeds

Fava Bean, Windsor, Raw Seed (lb)

Organic Bean, Bush Cannellini (1/2 lb)

where to find amaranth seeds for eating:

Huazulco Alegria

bulk organic amaranth seeds for planting:

Organic Amaranth, Burgundy (1 oz)

long lasting onions:

Red Creole Onion

Onion, Cipolla di Rovato (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds

Storage Onion, 'Rijnsburg 5'

Patterson Onion Plants - Dixondale Farms

best garlic for long storage:

LORZ ITALIAN  BULK

SICILIAN SILVER

MUSIC BULK

SHANDONG

TZAN

NOOTKA ROSE

Organic Garlic, Music (lb)

organic potato seeds for long storage:

Yukon Gold Potato (Organic)

German Butterball Potato (Organic)

Purple Majesty Potato (Organic)

herb seeds + organic herb starts:

Betony

Calendula, Pacific Beauty Mix

Dark Purple Opal Basil

Greek Oregano

German Chamomile

Lettuce Leaf Basil

Mugwort

Rosemary

Stinging Nettle

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Ginger Mint

Greek Oregano

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) (Organic)

Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica) (Organic)

organic nut trees:

Sacajawea (Organic)

Eastern Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) (Organic)

Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea) (Organic)

Scharsch Franquette Walnut Tree

All-In-One Almond Tree

sunflowers for seeds, squash for seeds, etc:

'Emerald Naked Seeded' Pumpkin

'Kurogoma' Black Sesame

Organic Sunflower, Skyscraper (1/4 lb)

Sunflower 'Tarahumara'

Good vegetables for long-term storage (survival garden nice-to-haves):

These vegetables don’t store as long as those from my “best” list, but will store for a few months. In certain climates, some of these vegetables can be left in the ground and stored in your garden, freeing up valuable pantry space.

leeks as an alternative to onions

While leeks are the national vegetable of Wales, you can grow them in any temperate climate. Leeks have an oniony flavor, and when cooked, they have a rich and soft texture.

There are leeks that grow best in spring, in summer, and  lastly, leeks that can be grown over winter. Leeks grown throughout the winter can take over 120 days to mature, while leeks started in the spring months can be harvested in 90 days (source).

how to store leeks long-term

Leeks are great for climates with cool yet mild winters, as they can be stored directly in the ground with little ill effect. I have also seen farmers store leeks in buckets of dirt in a root cellar, which mimics the same effect but is a great solution for areas that have colder winter temperatures. Musselburgh is a particularly winter-hardy leek, along with American flag and Lancelot (source).

leeks nutrition facts

Leeks are mostly carbohydrates, and while they don’t add a lot of calories, they do add a lot of flavor (source).

carrots for a homestead survival garden

Sweet and tasty, carrots make a hearty addition to any meal. I like grating them and adding them to muffins or cookies for a carrot-cake-like taste.

how to store carrots long-term

Like winter-hardy leeks, carrots can also be stored “in place” in a garden without heavy frosts. In fact, a few light frosts brings out the sweetness in carrots, making for a delicious treat.

If you have extra cold winters, you can also harvest carrots and store them in a root cellar or cool pantry for up to 6 months. You can mimic nature by storing them in soil in a bucket in the pantry, or I’ve also seen folks store carrots in sawdust.

Yellowstone and Danvers are two varieties of carrots that have a long storage life (source). The Dolciva variety can be stored over winter and through the spring (source).

carrots nutrition facts

Carrots are mostly carbohydrates with around 1g protein per carrot. They are an excellent source of vitamin A if they are orange, while purple carrots are a great source of anthocyanins (source).

parsnips: a starchy blast from the past

A pale cousin to carrots, but they don’t necessarily pale in comparison. Parsnips are best roasted and have a heartier texture. Parsnips take about twice as long as carrots to mature - 100 days or more. Parsnips also become a little bit more sweet if they’ve been left out in a couple of frosts.

store parsnips long-term

You can store parsnips in your root cellar for up to 6 months with the sawdust method, as long as the parsnips aren’t stacked more than 2 rows high (source). You can also leave them in the ground and harvest them as needed throughout the winter.

parsnips nutrition

1 cup of sliced parsnips is 100 calories, with most of those calories coming from carbohydrates. 1 cup of parsnips gives just over 1g of protein, which isn’t anything to write home about, but is nice nevertheless. They are a good source of potassium and vitamin C (source).

rutabaga: easy calorie source for your survival garden

I never tried rutabaga until I grew it in my garden. It’s not the most popular of vegetables, although I do remember Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh growing them. And he did for good reason - rutabagas have a lot of nutrition and offer.

Rutabagas are kind of like turnips turned up to 11. I was punny there and didn’t mean to be.

store rutabaga long-term

Rutabagas can be stored in-place in the garden over winter if you’re in a mild climate. Mulching over the rutabagas helps to prevent freezing. Alternatively, rutabagas store quite well in a cellar or in the fridge, and can last for up to 6 months (https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/rutabagas-and-turnips-in-the-garden#:~:text=Rutabagas and turnips are quite,) for 3-4 months.).

rutabaga nutrition for a survival garden

1 medium rutabaga weighing 386g is about 145 calories, with 4.2g of protein, 9g of fiber, 160% vitamin C, 20% vitamin B6, and 16% Calcium, and 19% Magnesium.

turnips fast growing survival garden staple

Turnips might sound boring, but if you’ve watched Howl’s Moving Castle, you know that Turnip Head is the best character with lots of personality - sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy.

Likewise, turnips come in a variety of colors, with flavors that lean towards sweet or spicy, depending on the variety. Like most root vegetables, these are excellent roasted.

store turnips long-term

Turnips can be stored in-ground in their growing site, or can be stored in a root cellar for a couple of months. In a refrigerator, they can keep for up to 5 months (source).

turnips nutrition

Turnips are lower in calories than rutabagas, but are still worth growing.

beets: another fast growing homestead must-have

If you aren’t a fan of the earthy taste of beets, try golden beets! They are sweet and are excellent roasted.

how to store beets long-term

Beets can last for over a month in the fridge (I’ve had them last for 2 months before without any signs of aging). In a pantry, you can store them in saw dust, sand, or dirt for 3 months (source).

beets nutrition

1 cup raw has 2g of protein, and 13g of carbs (source).

cabbage: it stores longer than you think!

Cabbages and kings, another cartoon movie reference for another vegetable. Cabbages are the kings of fermented vegetables, with kimchi and sauerkraut topping the list of ways to keep cabbage long-term. But we’ll get to those below in the fermented vegetable section - surprisingly, cabbage heads can last for a long time in the fridge or root cellar.

store cabbage without processing

In the fridge, cabbage can store for around 2 months, which is pretty great for a leafy green! Little Mountain Ranch has a video where she shows how she stores cabbage in her root cellar for 9 months, which is pretty inspiring (source). She suggests either harvesting them with the root intact and storing them in the cellar like that, or store the cabbage heads (with root balls) in buckets of sand or soil.

cabbage nutrition

According to the USDA, 1 small head of cabbage (4.5 inches in diameter) is 176 calories with 18g of fiber and 9g of protein. Cabbage is a great source of vitamin C, and 1 small head gives about 28% calcium and 18% iron (source).

jerusalem artichokes (aka sunchokes)

They might be endearingly called fartichokes, but if your stomach adjusts to these hearty tubers, you’re in luck because they are ridiculously easy to grow. In fact, once you grow them, you might always have them in your garden, so they are best grown in a raised bed to keep them contained.

Jerusalem artichokes can cause quite painful gas cramping and other digestive upset because they are high in inulin, a type of fiber that the body’s digestive system cannot break down on its own. Instead, as a prebiotic, it feeds the helpful bacteria in your gut. However, when given a large amount of inulin, the helpful bacteria produce gas, which is painful to us humans (source). NOTE - inulin is NOT insulin.

So while these tubers take pretty much no effort to grow in the garden, they do take a toll on the digestive system if eaten without any pre-treatment.

Since they are kind of a permaculturist’s dream, I’ve researched some ways that are said to make them easier to digest, which I plan on trying out this year.

To make Jerusalem artichokes easier to digest, you can:

• boil them in lemon juice or vinegar to neutralize the inulin (source.
• ferment them so that the beneficial bacteria can feed on the inulin for you (source).
• triple treat them: according to John H in the comments of an article on Modern Farmer, his wife slices the tubers and then covers them with water and 1 teaspoon of salt, and then sets them aside overnight - similar to a quick fermentation, except she rinses them before going to the next step. Then she boils them in fresh water. Lastly, after they are boiled, she stir-fries them (source).
• Alan in the comments of the same article says that he boils his Jerusalem artichokes with a couple tablespoons of baking soda added to the water, and then roasts them afterwards (source).
• Cook the sunchokes for a very long time (12-24 hours, works well if you have them on top of a wood stove) (source).
• Keep the tubers in ground and let them go through a couple of frosts, as the frosts convert the inulin into digestible sugars. Harvest them on the day you plan to prepare them (source).

Alternatively, the Jerusalem artichoke tuber can be turned into a JADAM recipe that works well against slugs, which you can learn more about here and here.

long-term storage for jerusalem artichokes

Store in ground all winter, it’s as easy as that!

jerusalem artichoke nutrition

The reason for going through all of the trouble to make these tubers digestible is that they have a nutritional profile similar to potatoes - 1 cup is about 70 calories, with 2g of protein and 42% iron (source).

fresh eggs: it wouldn't be a survival garden without chickens!

Eggs are a great source of protein and fat, and can be made into any meal from breakfast to dinners to snacks and baked goods.

farm-fresh eggs storage time

Unwashed, fresh-from-the-chicken eggs can last up to a month on the counter, which is pretty awesome. You can also store them in the fridge for three months (source).

chicken egg nutrition

1 large 50g egg is about 70 calories, with 6g of protein and 4.8g of fat. The larger the egg, the more calories, fat, and protein it will have. 1 cup of eggs will give you 347 calories, 23g of fat, and 30.5g of protein (source).

storage apples: long-storage apples are a thing!

Certain apples taste best right off of the tree - sweet, flavorful, and juicy. Other varieties of apple actually get better as they age off the tree and in storage. Some apples with a long storage time are the Newton Pippin, Braeburn, Fuji, and heirloom Winesap varieties (source).

how to keep storage apples

Storage apples can be wrapped in paper individually - perhaps saving any paper bags or uncoated paper that is often used as a cushion in boxes that you get in the mail throughout the year is a good idea.

apples nutrition

1 medium apple is just under 100 calories, with most of those calories coming from carbohydrates (source.

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Boost your survival garden with these medium long-storing vegetables

best winter-hardy leeks:

American Flag Leek Seeds (Organic)

long storage carrot seeds:

'Over The Rainbow' Carrot Mix (Minnesota Over-Wintered)

Yellowstone Carrot

'Dolciva' Carrot

parsnips that will overwinter:

Organic Parsnip, Turga (1 oz)

rutabaga seeds:

'Rutabangin' Rutabaga Grex

Joan Rutabaga Seeds (Organic)

best turnips for long storage:

'Six Root Grex' Turnip

Purple Top White Globe Turnip Seeds (Organic)

best tasting beets:

'Golden Grex' Beet

Golden Detroit Beet Seeds (Organic)

long storage cabbage varieties:

Copenhagen Cabbage

Golden Acre Cabbage Seeds (Organic)

jerusalem artichokes

Organic Jerusalem Artichoke (2 lb)

fresh eggs

storage apples

Fuji Red Apple Tree

Dwarf Honey Crisp Apple Tree

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Vegetables for Easy fermentation (survival garden food preservation):

I’m including a list of vegetables that are easy to ferment even though fermentation requires canning salt and glass jars. However, there is no power input in the fermentation process, and often the fermented vegetables can be stored in a cool room in the house without refrigeration.

Fermented Cabbage (kimchi, kraut)

Traditional napa cabbage kimchi (Tongbaechu-kimchi: 통배추김치)

Making Sauerkraut

Fermented Carrots

Recipe: Naturally Fermented Carrot Sticks

Recipe: Carrot Kraut

Cucumbers (fermented pickles)

Homemade Fermented Cucumber Dill Pickles

Traditional Cucumber Kimchi Recipe (Oi-Sobagi) | Beyond Kimchee

Tomatoes (salsa)

Recipe: Naturally Fermented Salsa

Green beans (dilly beans)

Recipe: Lacto-Fermented Dilly Beans

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Make some happy stomach bacteria with these vegetables for easy fermentation:

best kinds of cabbage for kimchi

Napa Bilko Cabbage Seeds (Organic)

Seed Collections, Kimchi Garden (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds

seeds for kraut cabbage

Cabbage, Amarant (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds

Cabbage, Winter King Savoy (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds

carrot seeds for a survival garden

'Over The Rainbow' Carrot Mix (Minnesota Over-Wintered)

Yellowstone Carrot

'Dolciva' Carrot

cucumber seeds for fermented pickles

Muncher Cucumber Seeds (Organic)

Green Finger Cucumber Seeds (Organic)

Double Yield Cucumber Seeds (Organic)

best tomato seeds for fermented salsa:

Gift Seed Tin - Salsa Fiesta Collection

Gigante di Rotonda Tomato

Tomato, Napoli Roma (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds

bonus: storage tomatoes:

Tomato, 'Piennolo Rosso'

grow green beans for dilly beans

Tendergreen Bush Bean Seeds (Organic)

Black Cherokee Wax Bean

Jade Bush Bean

Vegetables and Fruit that freeze easily for your homestead freezer:

Freezer space is precious. Many homesteaders have a second freezer, so I’m including some of my favorite freezer-friendly vegetables and fruits here. In some areas of the world, the winters are cold enough where a freezer can be kept outside and not draw power for months. (link to simple living alaska)

On a hot summer day, the last thing I want to be doing is standing in front of a pot of boiling water to blanch vegetables for freezing. Here are some vegetables that can be frozen easily, with minimal processing.

where to find reusable freezer bags

Silicone Sealer Bag Set - 4 Pack Reusable Food Storage Bag

These silicone bags are meant for the freezer and are on sale right now!

They also have just the large ones which hold 1.5 quarts here:

Silicone Sealer Bag - Large Reusable Food Storage Bag

Silicone Zip Sealer - Jumbo Reusable Food Storage Bag - 135oz / 4000mL

homestead sources for glass + stainless steel freezer safe containers

OXO Good Grips 8 Cup Smart Seal Glass Rectangle Container

Here is a list of vegetables that don’t need to be blanched before freezing to make your life easier:

Carrots (grated)

Onions (diced fine)

Leeks (diced fine)

Zucchini (grated)

Peppers (sliced)

Berries (blackberries, strawberries, etc.) (flash freeze)

Pesto (more than basil, can make pesto from other greens/herbs)

tomatoes (can be frozen whole, turned into sauce at anytime - source)

Eggs (scrambled)

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Plant a survival garden for your freezer:

All of the vegetables have links above, except for …

berries

Blueberry - Jewel (Early Mid-Season)

Blackberry - Chester (Thornless)

Potted Blackberry - Baby Cakes

zucchini

Dark Star Zucchini

Early Straightneck Summer Squash Seeds (Organic)

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Some pre-cooking/power input but easily done

broth

This is something that I make with leftover kitchen scraps, such as onion skins, garlic skins, carrot tops and off-cuts, fennel stalks, and ginger peels. If we have made a ham, I add the hock to the pot while making the broth. I also like to save pasta water to add to broth water instead of pouring it down the drain.

When making tomato sauce, I skim off some of the water in order to hasten the process, and save that water for broth as well.

Anything that I save for the broth I store in the freezer, unless I am making the broth within the next day.

I make broth in the instant pot for a minimum of 1.5 hours, but you can also simmer broth on the wood stove in the winter time.

Check out my fast and easy Instant Pot Vegetable Broth Recipe

Jams

Freezer jams are awesome to make, especially during the winter months with fruit that you froze the previous summer. If you use frozen fruit, be sure to fully thaw the fruit before making the jam.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Caponata (link to preserving italy book)

One of my favorite items that I froze this past winter was caponata, made with mostly vegetables from our farm, with the addition of olives and raisins. I never would have thought to freeze caponata, or that frozen caponata would be any good, had I not seen the recipe in Preserving Italy by Domenica Marchetti. I add zucchini into the mix to make use of that vegetable when its producing to the max! While it does involve cooking in the heat of the summer, it’s so delicious that I don’t mind.

Preserving Italy: Canning, Curing, Infusing, and Bottling Italian Flavors and Traditions a book by Domenica Marchetti

Find an adaptation of Domenica’s Caponata recipe here:

How to make truly excellent caponata

Squash (pre-cooked leftovers)

When I bake a hefty Homestead Sweet Meat Squash for dinner, we usually have leftovers to last us for a few meals. I like to set aside a quart square glass freezer container of cooked squash, which I thaw and then bake into pumpkin/squash pies later on.

Tomato sauce

Like caponata, tomato sauce requires cooking, but you can freeze it to save on the heat/work/expense of canning the sauce as well. Be sure to use freezer-safe containers for this!

How to Make and Freeze Tomato Sauce

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My hope is that you’ll be able to maximize your winter food storage and plan your homestead survival garden with these easy to preserve vegetables!

Storing food long-term can be quick and easy - no canner required!

You don’t have to be a prepper to have a sense of self-sufficiency even through the “hunger gap” of March + April. These crops are pantry staples for good reason - this is how food was kept before electricity was invented!

Are you growing a homestead survival garden?

Learn more about self-sufficiency and survival gardening with our in-depth look at nutrient-dense vegetables to grow for your homestead.

Or, if you're apartment homesteading, have a look at our full guide to homesteading in an apartment.

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