Food & Growing
Food Storage & Growing
Kate's food resilience journey started with a chest freezer of homegrown courgettes and a panic-buy of tinned tomatoes. Her guides cover both ends: what to grow, and what to store.
“I grew too many courgettes. That's how it started. Then I learned to preserve them. Then I realised I'd accidentally built a food storage system.”
— Kate, SelfSufficientNow
Food & Growing Guides
Guide
How to Build a 3-Month Food Pantry (Without Spending a Fortune)
Kate's practical guide to building a 3-month food pantry without panic-buying or spending a fortune. The rotation system, storage basics, and what to buy first.
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How to Build a 3-Month Food Pantry USA (Without Spending a Fortune)
Kate's practical guide to building a 3-month pantry for US families — what to buy, rotation system, storage, and realistic timeline for affordability.
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Best Freeze-Dried Food Storage 2026: ReadyWise, Mountain House, and UK Alternatives
Kate's review of the best freeze-dried food storage options in 2026 — ReadyWise, Mountain House, and UK-available alternatives. What actually tastes good.
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Best Heirloom Seeds 2026: Varieties Kate Grows and What to Order First
Kate's guide to the best heirloom seeds for food security — the varieties she grows in Somerset, what produces reliably, and where to order in the UK and US.
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How to Start a Vegetable Garden for Food Security: Kate's First-Season Guide
Kate's first-season guide to starting a vegetable garden for food resilience. What she wishes she'd known, what actually produces in a UK climate, and where to begin.
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Best Food Dehydrator 2026: What Kate Uses and Why It's Her Favourite Preservation Tool
Kate's review of the best food dehydrators in 2026 — Excalibur vs Nesco vs Cosori. What she bought, what she'd buy again, and which to skip.
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Best Pressure Canner 2026: Presto vs All American vs Ball — Kate's Verdict
Kate's honest comparison of the best pressure canners in 2026 — Presto 23-Quart, All American 921, and Ball FreshTech. What she'd buy for a UK kitchen.
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How to Preserve Vegetables at Home: Canning, Freezing, and Fermentation
Kate's guide to preserving vegetables at home — water bath canning, pressure canning, freezing, and fermentation. Which method suits which vegetable.
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Best Mylar Bags for Food Storage 2026: Sizes, Oxygen Absorbers, and What Kate Stores in Them
Kate's guide to mylar bags for food storage — which sizes to buy, how many oxygen absorbers to use, and which dry foods last 25+ years when packed correctly.
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How to Can Food at Home: Kate's Beginner Guide to Pressure and Water Bath Canning
Kate's beginner guide to home canning — water bath vs pressure canning, which foods need which method, and the mistakes first-time canners make.
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