Welcome to DAY 5 of the 2025 7 Day Challenge. For 7 days, we are testing our Emergency Preparedness and Food Storage Plans. Today we are going to take some action as part of this challenge!
In order to receive each day’s emergency scenario in your email please sign up for the 7 Day Challenge email list or subscribe via text by texting 7daychallenge to 717-788-3663.
REMEMBER: To get the most out of the challenge, don’t be too literal about the scenarios. Modify them to fit YOUR family’s situation. Also, try to actually DO each day’s tasks. Don’t try to justify why you wouldn’t “need” to. The point is to PRACTICE our skills!
Day 5: EARLY FROST ❄️
You wake up to the news: an early frost is moving in tonight. Your garden harvest is still on the vine, and you risk losing it all if you don’t act quickly. Whether you garden or not, this scenario is a reminder to practice food preservation with whatever you have on hand.
TODAY’S CHALLENGES:
👉 Preserve one food item today. You can freeze-dry, dehydrate, can, or even make a freezer meal.
👉 Do some research and purchase a few books on home preservation (see my recommendations below)
👉 Bonus: inventory your preservation supplies (jars, lids, bags, oxygen absorbers).
HELPFUL HINTS:
Freeze-Drying: Great for fruits, veggies, or even full meals. (I recommend Harvest Right and Blue Alpine if you are looking for a home freeze-drier)
Dehydrating: Slice and dry apples, herbs, or veggies, perfect for snacks or to use in meals-in-a-jar. (I recommend the Excalibur dehydrator)
Canning: Even one small batch of jam or salsa is a win. Check out my Canning 101 post for tips on getting started.
Freezer Meals: Prepping a couple of dinners now saves stress later. Check out these 8 freezer meals I made for my sweet grandma when she was having a hard time cooking on her own.
Preservation Books: Here are a few books that I have and use myself:
– Yes, You Can!
– Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
– The Dehydrator Bible
REFLECTION:
Take a few minutes after your “no water” day to think through what worked and what didn’t. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Were you able to quickly preserve any items you had on hand?
- Did you feel confident using your preservation method, or did you need to look up instructions?
- Did you discover you’re missing supplies (like canning lids or mylar bags)?
- Was your preservation project more/less time-consuming than you expected?
- If you had to rely on preserved food for a month, how much do you realistically have ready?
Print out the worksheets below and add items you need to do, to learn, and to buy as you find holes in your preparedness plans today. Print multiple sheets as needed.
SHARING TIME:
One of the best parts of the challenge each year is seeing how everyone else survived the day. You’ll get new ideas and encouragement just by reading the stories! Here’s how to join in the conversation:
- Post in the Facebook Group thread for Day 5: Tell us how you did today. What food did you preserve today? What’s one thing you’d like to try preserving next?
- Photos welcome but not required — you can just describe your experience if you’d rather not show your supplies. But it’s fun to show off your finished results!
Don’t skip this part! Remember … the group conversation is one of the most valuable parts of the seven day challenge.
-Jodi Weiss Schroeder
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net
