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Different traditional ways of preserving food have been around since ancient times and other modern methods have emerged as technology evolves.

If you want to prepare for an emergency, it’s worth knowing a food preservation method or two so you can keep your stockpile full of supplies.(h/t to IAmCountryside.com) Food preservation ensures a reliable food supply year-round

In the past, people encountered freezing winters or they wanted to live somewhere else but had to bring large amounts of food with them until they reached their destination.

Soon, the Industrial Revolution brought new ways of preserving food. But as the supermarket became more common, the knowledge of different food preservation methods waned.

This knowledge encountered a resurgence as humanity acknowledged that food preservation is still important. While there is little to no risk of starvation now, as a prepper knowing some of these methods can give you the freedom to eat quality food year-round and after a disaster. Canning

Nicolas Appert is credited for discovering howto preserve fruits in jars.

During the Napoleonic Wars, soldiers and sailors atesalt-preserved meats and whatever fresh fruits and vegetables they could find. Unfortunately, depending on the seasons and location, these items were often scarce.

Because Napoleon needed to feed his troops better, he offered 12,000 francs to whoever could develop a new and safe way of preserving food. He also wanted the food to be nutritious, portable and dependable.

Appert, who was a French confectioner, observed that food sealed in containers and then heated was safe to eat until the container opened.

During each economic recession in the U.S., home canning and commercially canned foods gain popularity because they give financially stressed households a chance to store food or spend less on their meals. Cold storage

The use of snow and ice to preserve food goesback to the Romans who dug snow pits and insulated them with grass. Persians also stored ice in pits called yakhchals.

In the U.S., ice houses were built on estates or small and separate buildings for storing food. The ice industry flourished in the early 1800s when inventions like the horse-drawn ice cutter and insulated ships ensured safer and more profitable harvesting.

Families used iceboxes to keep food cold. For a century, families received ice delivered to them from larger ice houses.

The first gas-powered refrigerator appeared in 1911, but households in America using electricity had to wait until 1927. Newer inventions and developments made refrigerators safer, more efficient and more affordable.

The followingyears saw more developments, such as refrigerated railroad cars, refrigerated trailers for semi trucks, small fridges in college dorms and room-sized units for restaurants and grocery stores. (Related: 4 Food preservation methods to avoid spoilage and 3 alternatives to refrigeration.) Dehydrating

Through dehydration, you can prevent the growth ofbacteria, mold and yeast that cause food spoilage.Removing moisture allows food to last months or years while also retaining many nutrients.

The earliest known food dehydration was practiced in 12,000 B.C. People in modern-day the Middle East and Asia laid food out under the sun, where desert air desiccated it before storage.

During the American Civil War, food was dehydrated for commercial use. However, its quality was poor and its popularity plummeted after the war.

In modern times, dehydration is once again a thriving industry not because of war, butin preparation for one. Preppers also dehydrated food to prepare for natural disasters, economic downturns or other emergencies. Freeze-drying

Freeze-drying might seem like one of the newest food preservation methods becauseArsene d’Arsonval developed the process of lyophilization in 1906. Thisprocess involves freezing the food and dropping the surrounding pressure so ice turns directly to vapor.

However,freeze-drying has existed as early as the Incan Empire.

Frost-resistant potato varieties are exposed to freezing nights in the Andes and then brought into the sunlight. Both sunlight and trampling by foot eliminate water and remove skins from the potatoes, which allows them to freeze again.

The process produces a dried, wrinkled, pelletized potato product that can last years. Chuno is then used as flour, in soups or desserts.

While you can use appliances to freeze-dry food at home, you can also purchase freeze-dried food for your stockpile to skip the hassle of the whole process. Freezing

Freezinghas been used for centuries. Freezing food for commercial transport started sometime in 1885 when sailors packed frozen chicken and geese into insulated containers before shipping from Russia to London. This occurred during winter months and the introduction of cold air freezing plants in Russia enabled the industry.

While it might seem redundant to learn about these different food preservation methods amid modern technology and the availability of different products, doing so can helpextend your garden harvests into the winter. Where to get freeze-dried food supplies for your prepping needs

The Health Ranger Store is committed to helping you prepare for any emergency andwe’re proud to introduce different items for your prepping stockpile.

TheRanger Bucket Set – Organic Emergency Storable Food Supplyis an emergency food supply that’s certified organic and laboratory verified. All the food items in the buckets are organic, non-GMO, laboratory-tested for heavy metals and free of chemical ingredients such as preservatives or MSG.

The buckets contain pantry essentials such as black beans, long-grain brown rice and rolled oats. These products can be stored for up to 10 to 15 years, depending on storage conditions.

The Health Ranger Store also offers our specialty Fair Trade Organic Freeze-Dried Coffee in a convenient and easy-to-prepare format.

With a much longer shelf life than regular coffee, Health Ranger Select Organic Freeze-Dried Instant Coffee delivers a bold and exquisite flavor of medium roast coffee that you can enjoy immediately.

Visit Health Ranger Store and Brighteon Storeand browse lab-verified food supplies for your prepping needs.To read more stories about food preservation and tips for building your survival stockpile, visitFoodStorage.news.

Watch this clip about the health benefits of drinking organic coffee.

This video is from theHealth Ranger Store channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories:

An essential guide to storing organic foods for survival.

Powdered cheese: A versatile, shelf-stable food to add to your survival stockpile.

HIDDEN DANGER: Beware of arsenic contamination in rice.

Sources include:

IAmCountryside.com

HealthRangerStore.com 1

HealthRangerStore.com 2

HealthRangerStore.com 3

Brighteon.com
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Donald Trump sending ‘top of the line’ weapons to support NATO in Ukraine war

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Donald Trump sending 'top of the line' weapons to support NATO in Ukraine war

Donald Trump has agreed to send “top of the line weapons” to NATO to support Ukraine – and threatened Russia with “severe” tariffs if it doesn’t agree to end the war.

Speaking with NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte during a meeting at the White House, the US president said: “We’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons, and they’re going to be paying for them.

“This is billions of dollars worth of military equipment which is going to be purchased from the United States, going to NATO, and that’s going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield.”

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Donald Trump and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte in the White House. Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a “very good conversation” with Mr Trump late on Monday. He thanked him for the “willingness to support Ukraine and to continue working together to stop the killings”.

Weapons being sent from to Ukraine include surface-to-air Patriot missile systems and batteries, which the country has asked for to defend itself from Russian air strikes.

Mr Trump also said he was “very unhappy” with Russia, and threatened “severe tariffs” of “about 100%” if there isn’t a deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days.

The White House added that the US would put “secondary sanctions” on countries that buy oil from Russia if an agreement was not reached.

Analysis: Will Trump’s shift in tone make a difference?

As ever, there is confusion and key questions are left unanswered, but Donald Trump’s announcement on Ukraine and Russia today remains hugely significant.

His shift in tone and policy on Ukraine is stark. And his shift in tone (and perhaps policy) on Russia is huge.

Read Mark’s analysis here.

Mr Zelenskyy previously criticised Vladimir Putin’s “desire to drag [the war] out”, and said Kyiv was “working on major defence agreements with America”.

It comes after weeks of frustration from Mr Trump over Mr Putin’s refusal to agree to an end to the conflict, with the Russian leader telling the US president he would “not back down” from Moscow’s goals in Ukraine at the start of the month.

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Trump threatens Russia with ‘severe’ tariffs’

During the briefing on Monday, Mr Trump said he had held calls with Mr Putin where he would think “that was a nice phone call”, but then “missiles are launched into Kyiv or some other city, and that happens three or four times”.

“I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy,” he added.

Earlier this year, Mr Trump told Mr Zelenskyy “you’re gambling with World War Three” in a fiery White House meeting, and suggested Ukraine started the war against Russia as he sought to negotiate an end to the conflict.

After Mr Trump’s briefing, Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev said on Telegram: “If this is all that Trump had in mind to say about Ukraine today, then all the steam has gone out.”

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Meanwhile, Mr Zelenskyy met with US special envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv, where they “discussed the path to peace” by “strengthening Ukraine’s air defence, joint production, and procurement of defence weapons in collaboration with Europe”.

He thanked both the envoy for the visit and Mr Trump “for the important signals of support and the positive decisions for both our countries”.

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How one man with a hacksaw and an e-bike became a Texas flood ‘hero’

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How one man with a hacksaw and an e-bike became a Texas flood 'hero'

Locals call him the “Bicycle hero,” but Texas man Evan Wayne says he’s just doing what he can to help his community after it was cut off due to the recent devastating and deadly flooding tragedy.

When the local Sandy Creek flooded following torrential rains in Texas, it destroyed the only bridge into one community. Residents were cut off from access to supplies, including everything from necessities like food, water, and medicine to basic comforts.

Although the bridge was impassable to cars, volunteers who quickly organized to help the stranded residents found that the damaged bridge could still be traversed on foot. Or in the case of Evan Wayne, it could be covered by an electric bike.

Evan joined hundreds of volunteers who answered the call of grassroots organizers by working together without any official capacity. While many started by hand-pulling garden carts of supplies uphill to reach the stricken community, Evan jury-rigged a trailer to an e-bike and took on as much of the load as he could, helping shuttle much-needed food and gear into the community over hundreds of round-trip journeys.

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“This was a dog trailer 48 hours ago. I had a hacksaw, hacked the top off, grabbed some bungee cords, and here we are,” explained Evan in an interview with CBS Austin, while waiting for the next load of gear to be stacked on his trailer.

In the first two days of the operation, he made around 100 round trips each day, shuttling food and water as well as critical rescue supplies. “Right now, I’m waiting on a couple of chainsaws that I’ll bring in for a crew that’s been going at it with handsaws so far.”

In addition to delivering needed supplies, Evan has often found himself moving something even more important: information. “I’ve flagged down medics. I’ve been the guy that goes between Austin EMT and STAR Flight because I’m quicker than cell phones sometimes, people don’t have signal a lot of the time.”

Evan quickly points out that he isn’t the only one helping. “I’ve got an e-bike, but other people are pulling carts. People are walking, people are carrying things. Everyone is doing what they can.” But there’s no doubt that his ability to carry more gear at higher speeds and make hundreds of round-trip journeys so far in and out of the stricken neighborhood has helped impact countless lives.

“This is all volunteers here. They’re just taking it upon themselves to get people where they need to go. I think there’s an umbrella company coming in, taking over tomorrow, but until they get here, people are just taking care of people, which is what you’ve got to do.”

E-bikes proving their worth in emergencies

While many people consider electric bicycles just another form of recreation, they’ve proven to be potent transportation alternatives after natural disasters worldwide.

Not only do their small and efficient batteries make performing hundreds of rescue trips like Evans’ possible, but recharging can be done simply and easily with a solar panel when electricity is out after a disaster. And when gas stations are out of fuel (or simply can’t pump it with the power grid down), e-bikes can keep running while gasoline-powered motorcycles or ATVs run dry.

Electric bicycle batteries have also proven to be a handy source of emergency power after hurricanes and other disasters, often helping owners keep their phones charged up for days to remain in contact with family or rescue services.

While most hope to never need theirs for emergency purposes, electric bicycles have proven their worth in countless disaster scenarios, adding benefits far beyond just alternative transportation, recreation, or fitness riding.

E-bikes can be kept running nearly indefinitely after natural disasters with access to solar recharging equipment

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New electric car grants of up to £3,750 aims to drive sales

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New electric car grants of up to £3,750 aims to drive sales

The taxpayer is to help drive the switch to non-polluting vehicles through a new grant of up to £3,750, but some of the cheapest electric cars are to be excluded.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said a £650m fund was being made available for the Electric Car Grant, which is due to get into gear from Wednesday.

Users of the scheme – the first of its kind since the last Conservative government scrapped grants for new electric vehicles three years ago – will be able to secure discounts based on the “sustainability” of the car.

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It will apply only to vehicles with a list price of £37,000 or below – with only the greenest models eligible for the highest grant.

Buyers of so-called ‘Band two’ vehicles can receive up to £1,500.

The qualification criteria includes a recognition of a vehicle’s carbon footprint from manufacture to showroom so UK-produced EVs, costing less than £37,000, would be expected to qualify for the top grant.

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It is understood that Chinese-produced EVs – often the cheapest in the market – would not.

BYD electric vehicles before being loaded onto a ship in Lianyungang, China. Pic: Reuters
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BYD electric vehicles before being loaded onto a ship in Lianyungang, China. Pic: Reuters

DfT said 33 new electric car models were currently available for less than £30,000.

The government has been encouraged to act as sales of new electric vehicles are struggling to keep pace with what is needed to meet emissions targets.

Challenges include the high prices for electric cars when compared to conventionally powered models.

At the same time, consumer and business budgets have been squeezed since the 2022 cost of living crisis – and households and businesses are continuing to feel the pinch to this day.

Another key concern is the state of the public charging network.

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The Chinese electric car rivalling Tesla

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “This EV grant will not only allow people to keep more of their hard-earned money – it’ll help our automotive sector seize one of the biggest opportunities of the 21st century.

“And with over 82,000 public charge points now available across the UK, we’ve built the infrastructure families need to make the switch with confidence.”

The Government has pledged to ban the sale of new fully petrol or diesel cars and vans from 2030 but has allowed non-plug in hybrid sales to continue until 2025.

It is hoped the grants will enable the industry to meet and even exceed the current zero emission vehicle mandate.

Under the rules, at least 28% of new cars sold by each manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero emission.

The figure stood at 21.6% during the first half of the year.

The car industry has long complained that it has had to foot a multi-billion pound bill to woo buyers for electric cars through “unsustainable” discounting.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said the grants sent a “clear signal to consumers that now is the time to switch”.

He went on: “Rapid deployment and availability of this grant over the next few years will help provide the momentum that is essential to take the EV market from just one in four today, to four in five by the end of the decade.”

But the Conservatives questioned whether taxpayers should be footing the bill.

Shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon said: “Last week, the Office for Budget Responsibility made clear the transition to EVs comes at a cost, and this scheme only adds to it.

“Make no mistake: more tax rises are coming in the autumn.”

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