When the power goes out, your fridge won’t keep things cold for long without an alternative energy source.
To keep your food from spoiling, it’s wise to have a backup plan for off-grid storage.
I’ve rounded up the best methods for storing food without relying on electricity.
9 Ways People Stored Food Before Refrigeration (& 1 Modern Method)
1. Root Cellars
Have you considered using a root cellar to store your food?
Root cellars are one of the oldest and most effective ways to keep food fresh without a fridge.
By tapping into the natural coolness and humidity of the earth, you can significantly extend the shelf life of your produce.
In a root cellar, you can store items like potatoes, carrots, beets, onions, apples, and cabbages for months.
The key is to maintain temperatures between 32°F and 40°F, which slows down the decay process. The darkness also helps prevent sprouting and preserves nutrients.
Just make sure there’s proper ventilation to prevent mold and to remove ethylene gas emitted by some fruits, which can cause other produce to spoil faster.
Building a root cellar doesn’t have to be complicated. It could be as simple as digging a hole in the ground and covering it with a hatch or using a section of your basement that’s below ground level.
However, it’s important to note that root cellars might not be effective everywhere.
If you live in a region with a hot climate – like parts of Florida, Texas, or Arizona – the ground might not cool down enough to keep your food fresh.
Root cellars rely on the natural coolness of the earth, and if the soil stays too warm year-round, it won’t provide the cooling needed.
Also, areas with high water tables can pose a problem, as moisture can lead to mold and spoilage.
In these warmer or wetter regions, you might want to consider alternative off-grid food storage methods like canning, dehydrating, or using evaporative coolers.
So, before you decide to build a root cellar, it’s important to assess your local climate and soil conditions.
If it’s a good fit, a root cellar can be an excellent off-grid solution for long-term food storage, tapping into a time-tested method our ancestors relied on.
2. Canning
I don’t believe that any single method is the ultimate solution to off-grid food preservation, but canning makes a strong case for itself!
As a species, we’ve been canning foods since 1809, which is 25 years earlier than the invention of the first fridge (yes, fridges are that old – I was shocked too), and almost 100 years before the first commercial, home-use fridge was invented.
Both canning methods (pressure canning and water bathing – I’ll explain the difference later), if done right, preserve food safely for a long time and kill harmful bacteria.
According to Colorado State University, canned fish can last for 18 months, canned fruits and veggies can last up to two years, as well as rice, pasta, and dry milk. Canned potatoes can last a stunning 30 months!
So, how does canning work?
Canning uses heat processing to preserve foods – the high temperature destroys microorganisms that could present a danger to you if you ingested them, and they could also accelerate the rate of food spoilage.
Canning also inactivates food processing enzymes that cause food spoilage, and since you’re creating a vacuum when canning, you’re taking oxygen out of the equation, which is the most important factor in food degradation!
Acidity makes the difference between the two canning methods.
The water bathing canning method is used for highly acidic foods (plums, pickles, jams, and relishes) and low acid foods that can be acidified (pickled vegetables and tomatoes for example), while pressure canning is used for foods with low acidity (red meats, seafood, poultry, carrots, green beans, etc).
To ensure food safety when canning, it’s important to use cans produced for food storage, not industrial cans (such as paint cans, for example). If you want to learn how to can whole strawberries, check out our guide!
After canning, all you have to do is keep the food in a dark, dry place, such as a pantry, to maximize shelf life.
3. Drying and Dehydrating Foods
Food dehydration is one of the oldest methods of long-term food storage.
Depending on the type of food, the method you used to dehydrate it, and the storage method, dehydrated foods can be safe to eat for as long as a full year.
Well-dehydrated foods that are stored in vacuumed bags in dry, dark places under 60°F will, obviously, last longer than foods kept in paper bags in a relatively warm place.
By dehydrating food, you remove moisture from it, which prevents bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing!
My friend said that dry jerky and dehydrated bananas kept him from not starving throughout military exercises back in his military days. He received the food as part of his MREs and they were true lifesavers (or at least stomach savers)!
Today, most people use modern dehydrators to dehydrate their food (which is a method I’d wholeheartedly recommend), but you can also use your oven, albeit less efficiently.
Hundreds of years ago, people dehydrated their fruits and veggies in the sun with primitive dehydrators, and this is a valid method that some people still use today.
The great thing about food dehydration is that you can dehydrate anything! Well, almost anything. Meat (beef jerky), fruits and vegetables, as well as herbs, and all of that at a low cost!
All you have to do is seal the dried foods in bags or glass containers and store them on a shelf, which will dramatically increase their shelf life.
4. Salting and Smoking Meats
Salting and smoking meat is an ancient method of preservation that still finds plenty of use today.
The primary idea is simple: smoke coats the meat with antimicrobial compounds, and the salting (or brining) process draws out moisture.
Since most bacteria, yeast, and mold need moisture to thrive, reducing water content helps keep spoilage at bay.
However, there’s an important distinction to make:
- Hot Smoking (around 165–225 °F / 74–107 °C) does cook the meat, killing off most microbes. It’s generally safer right out of the smoker, but it won’t last as long as fully dehydrated or canned foods – unless you freeze it. (But remember, we’re talking off-grid, so freezer space may be limited or unavailable!)
- Cold Smoking (around 70–100 °F / 21–38 °C) does not reach temperatures high enough to kill bacteria effectively. Instead, cold smoking typically relies on salting or curing agents (like nitrites) plus the smoke compounds themselves to suppress bacterial growth. This process demands careful temperature control and proper curing to prevent dangerous pathogens from taking over.
Shelf Life
- Smoked Meat vs. Canned or Dehydrated Foods
Unfortunately, smoked meats don’t come close to the shelf life of canned or fully dehydrated items. If you do manage to vacuum-seal your smoked meat and freeze it, you can generally keep it a few months – some sources say up to four. Longer than that, and you risk spoilage or off-flavors. - Without Freezing
If you’re off-grid and can’t stash that brisket in a deep-freeze, keep in mind that typical hot-smoked meats need cool temperatures or they’ll go bad in less than a week. Vacuum sealing does help remove most oxygen, which slows bacterial growth, but it’s not foolproof – especially if your storage environment is warm or humid. For long-term storage, you’d need a much stricter process (e.g., heavier salting, cold smoking, and reduced moisture content) akin to certain traditional charcuterie methods.
Overall, if you’re looking for a reliable, no-fridge option, you can still smoke and salt your meat off-grid – just be very mindful of the type of smoking you choose (hot vs. cold), the proper use of curing salts, and how thoroughly you reduce the moisture content.
For extended storage, pair smoking with drying or canning, or store it in the coolest place you have available.
5. Pickling Foods
Pickling is one of the oldest ways to preserve food, and the entire recipe boils down to the pickling liquid being harmful to bacteria and other microorganisms, but not to you.
The combination of brine, vinegar, alcohol, salt, and vegetable oil is lethal for microorganisms, but completely safe for you to consume.
Now, the million-dollar question is how long do pickled foods last – the truth is we don’t know precisely.
(Note: If you skip a formal canning step, your pickles can still be shelf-stable provided the acidity is correct and the jars are sealed properly, but many prefer traditional canning for extra safety.)
We know, for a fact, that properly pickled foods (following proven recipes and canning guidelines) can last for at least 12 months if you immediately cool the jars and you store them at about 70°F.
However, according to the US Department of Agriculture, you can extend that shelf life if you store the pickled foods at an even lower temperature!
What we can say for certain is that you are, at the bare minimum, looking at more than a year’s worth of food with pickling!
6. Fermenting Foods
Fermentation is a food preservation process distinct from pickling.
Instead of using an acidic liquid to inhibit bacteria, fermentation relies on beneficial bacteria, yeast, and sometimes molds to break down carbohydrates.
This process often occurs in the absence of oxygen, as in lactic acid fermentation, but some types (e.g., mold fermentation) require oxygen.
This, in turn, generates acids, alcohol, and gasses, which preserve food and add a distinct flavor to the food. These byproducts lower the pH and create an environment hostile to harmful bacteria.
The most common examples of fermented foods are sauerkraut and pickles (yes – in some culinary traditions, pickles are put through not one, but two preservation processes).
Fermented foods are often full of healthy probiotics, according to Harvard Medical School, which helps with digestion.
Most importantly, and most relevant to the topic at hand, fermented foods last much longer than non-fermented foods.
While cabbage will spoil after only a few weeks if you leave it on a shelf, fermented sauerkraut will last for months, according to Harvard’s research.
For the best shelf life, store fermented foods in a cool, stable environment (like a cool cellar) and ensure that the fermentation process was done in clean, sterile conditions.
The exact shelf life of fermented foods depends on the exact food, the recipe you used, and storage method, but some preppers report that their fermented foods can last up to 18 months!
7. Preserving Vegetables and Herbs in Oil
We’re now getting into the truly ancient territory of food preservation methods!
This method was invented by the ancient Romans as they realized that oil is a natural preservative.
The method still works nowadays, but it requires very careful handling (proper dehydration or cooking beforehand, plus cold storage) to be safe.
Most foods can cause food poisoning and/or botulism if you don’t prepare them correctly (dehydrate them or cook them) before oiling them.
Many food safety experts also recommend acidifying (e.g., adding vinegar or citric acid) and/or salting foods before storing them in oil to further reduce the risk of botulism, and to keep jars in the fridge or a very cold cellar (around 40°F / 4°C) if possible.
Sun-dried tomatoes, chilis, ginger, eggplant, mushrooms, and herbs are the most common choices for oil preservation, but it’s important to keep them in a cold, cool environment, like a root cellar.
The reason for this is bacteria, as oil presents a perfect environment for bacteria growth.
Garlic, for example, is often kept in jars of oil, but experts recommend eating it within four days to avoid health hazards.
All in all, this is a method that technically works, but I’d personally avoid it as it’s the most dangerous one on the list.
8. Preserving Nuts and Fruits in Honey
Honey is a much safer preservative than oil.
However, it’s not as versatile as other methods, since you can usually only use it for nuts, fruits, and sometimes carrots (though many people partially dehydrate them first).
You can bet that it’ll keep your food safe, because honey’s high sugar content removes water from microorganisms – essentially dehydrating and killing them.
Throughout history, honey’s preservative power has been well-known. Ancient Egyptians used it for embalming, while the Romans preserved fruits – and sometimes meats – with it, though results with meat were questionable.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about honey is that it doesn’t perish! If sealed properly, it can last for centuries or even millennia. It may crystallize over time, but gentle warming will restore it to liquid form.
So, if you want to store a few jars of honey-packed nuts, chopped fruits, or berries, go right ahead. Just make sure they’re low in moisture (or have been partially dried) so you don’t dilute the honey.
Stored this way, they can remain safe and delicious for years!
9. Preserving Foods in Alcohol
According to the LA County Master Food Preservers, 40% alcohol kills all bacteria, which makes it a great preservative.
However, this is somewhat of an oversimplification – it kills or inhibits many microorganisms, but may not be 100% effective under all conditions. In addition, there’s no widely recognized, research-based “safe canning” guideline for preserving foods in 40% alcohol.
This isn’t exactly news, as this method’s been used for hundreds of years, but there’s still not enough research to provide us with a scientifically safe recipe.
The most common practice of alcohol preservation relates to brandy, as it seems to be the go-to choice for most people, and small fruits, such as peaches, plums, and citrus.
As such, fruits can last up to four months, which seems like a pretty cheap and simple way of preserving pounds upon pounds of fruit. The issue, however, is obvious – once you eat them, you may get drunk.
There’s no other way about it – if you eat a lot of food that has spent the past few months bathing in 40% alcohol, you’re ingesting the alcohol.
This makes it a bad option for everyday storage in a prepping scenario, but it’s, at least in my opinion, a good option for storing a tasty treat.
10. Modern Method: Freeze Drying Foods
Freeze drying is the newest method of long-term food storage and it’s attracted a lot of attention in the prepping community because of how effective it is.
The freeze-drying process, also known as lyophilization if you’re interested in the scientific term, freezes the food and vaporizes the ice crystals. Since there’s no water in the food, the shelf life is prolonged by a massive degree.
Commercially freeze dried foods can last up to 25 years, according to the University of Minnesota, but only if the food is packaged into moisture-proof bags, such as Mylar bags, after the process.
This means shelf-stable meat, eggs, dairy, fruit, vegetables and even complete meals are achievable with a home freeze dryer!
There are, however, two negatives with this method.
First of all, it’s by far the most expensive food storage method on this list. You need to buy a freeze dryer, and they’re not exactly cheap.
Secondly, the freeze drying process doesn’t eliminate microorganisms – it only freezes them, “pauses” them, so to say.
To ensure safety, especially with meats, pre-treatments such as cooking, blanching, or other microbial reduction methods are often recommended.
For fruits and veggies, proper cleaning and sometimes blanching are used to preserve color and nutrient quality while reducing microbial load.
This isn’t that big of an issue, but it’s important to point out for obvious health-related reasons!
