Storing food properly involves preventing it from spoiling, as well as preserving it's flavor, texture and nutrient content. There are a variety of food preservation and storage methods available, each providing varying levels of protection. Base your selection of a storage method on the types of foods involved.
Dehydrated foods may stay flavorful and full of nutrients for decades, when properly stored in a cool, dark environment, according to Brigham Young University's 2005 study "Nutritional Adequacy and the Shelf Life of Food Storage." Dried goods do lose some of the intensity of their flavor during the dehydration process, making this the best option for basic or bland grains and beans that will be flavored when cooked. Store dried foods in moisture-proof packaging and remove any oxygen in the package to help stabilize nutrients, which may be done at home with small oxygen absorbing packets. Vitamins A and C are commonly lost in the dehydration process, but other nutrients stay intact.
Many root vegetables and fruits with hard outer skins store best in a dark, dry, cool environment, like that of a root cellar. Root cellars are small underground storage areas that were much more popular before supermarkets became the norm, according to "Mother Earth News." Pumpkins, apples, squash and many other vegetables will stay at full flavor and nutrient levels from harvesting through spring without any special preparation. Canned and dried foods also keep their nutrient and flavor levels higher when stored in a root cellar because light, heat and moisture all degrade these qualities in your stored foods.
Quick freezing in an air-tight plastic bag or vacuum sealed package stops the ripening or break down process that robs many foods of their flavor and vitamin content. The Walden Effect website recommends steam-blanching vegetables and immediately freezing them once they cool. Meats generally freeze well without protein breakdown or flavor changes, unless air is present in the packaging and freezer burn occurs. Dry grains and beans generally benefit little from freezing.
Although it will only keep most the driest foods stable for a few months when just tossed in a kitchen cabinet, the popular vacuum sealing tool can be used to increase the flavor and nutrient retention of any other storage method. Dried and dehydrated goods are impervious to moisture once vacuum sealed, and since the plastic is sealed tight to the surface of the meat, steaks and pork chops won't be damaged by freezer burn.