I imagine that title might look a little odd until you realize what sub this is :)
So two years ago I freeze dried a tray of cream cheese and two trays of greek yogurt. Coming out of the freeze dryer, they seemed absolutely great. They were dry, powdered well, and took water quickly.
I vacuum sealed the yogurt in non-mylar bags and vacuum sealed the cream cheese in two jars.
While doing some fall cleaning (it's like spring cleaning but it's in the fall, duh), I pulled most of the food out of the kitchen pantry to store in the basement with the rest. Living off of stores, I don't need to worry about keeping the kitchen pantry packed as much as just keeping something up there as a kind of "live inventory" that represents some of what's in the basement stores.
So I hauled about 10 bags of groceries down to the basement, put them away, looked through one of the shelves and took stock of conditions. I pulled a jar of cream cheese and the 4 bags of yogurt. I also pulled the "shelf stable" ham pieces - you know the kind you can get in the store that's filled with preserving shit and then vacuum sealed in a bag? Yeah, that stuff.
The yogurt was... brown. The clear plastic bags (as expected) aren't a perfect air/water barrier and it seems that after two years of storage that they were not up to the task. They still were "air tight" in appearance but not a good enough barrier. As said, this was expected but now I know at least "2 years" is a bit too long to expect them to hold. Squeezing the yogurt "powder" revealed that it wasn't much powder any more, more like a really dry but barely moist clump that looked like powder. I didn't even open them; they went right in the trash.
The ham was... brownish with spots of something that grew inside of it. I bought them in 2017 and were small pieces, $1 each, purchased just for this experiment. They were still air tight but the condition tells me that when they were packaged, sanitary conditions weren't top notch. Those went in the trash as well.
As for the other items on that shelf that I prepared/preserved myself, the green onions are starting to go a little brown but are still perfectly dry. They're freeze dried and sealed in jars so I expect that this is pretty much normal being two years old.
As for the cream cheese... It's fine. I popped open a jar this morning. Smelled fine, texture fine, still dry. It takes surprisingly little water to rehydrate and does well just stirring with a fork. The end result is a cream cheese that is light and fluffy, almost as if you had taken beaters and whipped the shit out of it. A blender would have done better as there were small lumps but that is because of it being mixed with a fork. It has a very slight cardboard-ish taste, certainly not fresh but it doesn't taste off in any other way. I put some on a bagel this morning and I'll let you know if it kills me.
In any case, it seems that the clear plastic for vacuum sealing is good for less than a year or so, mylar bags 18 months to two years (tops) and jars much longer. I'll keep this in mind as I start making my "home made MREs."
When you start having trouble speaking in your arms go a little floppy remember to write botulism on a piece of tape and put it around your wrist so when they take you to the hospital they know for the extremely rare condition to look for and don't think you had a stroke.
Not for longer term storage, no. It was partly a test to see if I could put something truly not originally shelf stable in one and make it work for something realistic. I go through a lot of yogurt because of its high protein amount. I needed to know if I could stockpile or if I need more realistic expectations. I have my answer and now you do too :)
Anything with fat in it cant be preserved long term reliably, even with drying, freezing, and airtight sealing. The fat content, in whatever form it is, WILL go bad eventually. I would imagine that this is the primary issue with those things. I'm stunned the cream cheese is decent.
I've had frozen meats and jerkies for probably a decade before, but the taste was not up to par and they were as close to zero fat content to start with as possible. I routinely eat decade old canned goods that other people decide they dont want anymore.
My advice for your future MREs is, NO fat in anything meant to store long term, and plastic is not an oxygen barrier.
I'm a little surprised too but only to a point. The glass jar is a better barrier and oxygen is what makes it go rancid. After all the oxygen has been used up, there's no more left for it to bind with. Oxidation of the fat stops and all you have to worry about is botulism.
There is ONE way to store fats but it's a bit of a pain. Tapioca maltodextrin. It binds with the oil/fat molecule and dissolves instantly in water.
I have some powdered peanut butter I made... I wanna say like 4 years ago. I put some in my coffee last night and it's just as good as the day I made it. It just takes a lot of it and it's not the cheapest thing to try to experiment with. I wanted to get good enough with it to make "powdered butter" and just learn more about it. The peanut butter worked fine. The butter experiment did not. Like I said, it's a pain. The butter has to be cold but mixing it in a blender makes it hot. When the maltodextrin gets warm, it doesn't work as well.
Once in a while. Sometimes I'll put chocolate. Or butterscotch. Caramel. Just stuff to mix it up a little sometimes. More than anything, the oils are what makes coffee taste awesome. The flavors are (sometimes) a bonus.
Just keep in mind that I'm using powdered peanut butter. You can make some or you can actually buy it (online, if you have to). It ends up being the same. It's easy to overdo the peanut butter flavor though so start sparingly.
In cases like this you should throw an oxygen absorber into the jar or package. I started using them on just about everything in my food prep procedures and it has made a huge difference on some things.
Problem you have is you're trying to dry out the fat. That's exactly the wrong thing. You want to melt the fat and pour it directly back on the meat and seal that and seal all air and moisture out. When you dry the fat it sucks up moisture. It's water that causes fat to go bad. Fat itself is a great preservative. That's what pemakin is. Panican is dried bits of meat with the fat poured back on them and stored in a leather pouch. That stuff will stay good for 21 years. The worst it'll happen is the top layer of fat that's exposed to the air might start to smell a little rancid but anything below the surface of the air will be good. It's what pioneers wore around their neck as they went walking through the forest in america. Pemican is one of the greatest things known and fat is a great sealer and store. It's the water that is the enemy. When you take the when you make the fat dry it can no longer seal out the water. When you cook boil or melt fat you're basically making all the water evaporate and steam out of it so you want to cook it down and steam all the water out of it and make sure that the fat completely covers whatever you're trying to preserve and in this case meat and sometimes people put berries and seeds inside the Pentagon as well. Look up how to make pemmican and make sure you doing it the old way and not some new redefinition of pemmican. There's a good guy on YouTube who shows how people made and preserved food in the 1700s and that's the one you want.
I mean... for now I have fresh food from the garden though that's drying up. Tomatoes, green beans, and the like. I also have a hella store of frozen shit and the solar and battery backup to make sure it doesn't go down. Food stores were made with this in mind and the idea of keeping it balanced between the two types of stores.
I don't have data but i feel like something must be lost in the storage process. Eating storage food, when fresh is available, sounds like you are needlessly hurting yourself in order to make a point.
Not the best eats, but it'll keep ya' alive during hard times. Or do as a supplement during harsh times. I've the same setup with some extras like spices and canned meats and tasty treats for moral boosts.
Hi totes - Do you mind giving some details about the Freeze Dry equipment you are using? I have looked into this type of set up a few times but have never found one that was affordable enough for me to gamble on it. The one I have been looking at is https://harvestright.com/product/home-freeze-dryer/ Can you offer advice or lessons learned?
Sure. The dryer I have is a Harvest Right, small size.
The biggest thing to remember is that this is a small mom & pop type of company. Remember that as you read the rest here...
The unit will come with oil but you can get the same kind at places like Tractor Supply. There are multiple models and instruction manuals over the years and as they increased their product quality, changed parts, upgraded software, etc. etc., they put out different instructions for care of the pump and oil. Regardless of what your manual says, filter after every batch, replace the oil when you can't see through it, take the pump cover off and clean it (carefully) after every 20 batches or at the end of the season depending on how much you use it.
Get an extra set of trays so you can stage food while you have one batch going. Be sure to get the silicone liners. The trays are not made to be used in an oven and will warp if you do so.
Filtering the oil does not require the filter system they have on their site. You can get a Britta water filter pitcher that uses the cartridges in the center of the insert, ditch the cartridges, and just line the hole with a coffee filter and fill that with cotton batting.
If you do decide to purchase one, do not be surprised if you have hiccups in your equipment. Again, mom & pop place. When I got mine, every single piece except the chamber unit itself had to be replaced due to defects. Even so, on the main unit, the processor board died out about 3 years after purchase and while I had to purchase the replacement, they gave me support free of charge the entire way.
The owner does indeed read every single review owners leave online. If you have a problem and leave it in a review, they will absolutely contact you to try to make it right.
Get the thinner hose if you have a choice. This is the hose that goes from the unit to the pump. It causes less condensation. On that, the hose is not made to be very flexible and the more you flex it, the more you run the risk of popping the seal on one of the ends.
As for anything, man, just have fun with it. The general rule is that if it would be like shit after you freeze and thaw it, it probably won't be good to freeze dry unless you intend to powder it, put it in stews, and so on (think about what a tomato is like after you freeze and thaw it). Go to youtube and just start watching videos. Retired Before 40 (I think is the name) has a lot of good videos on this. He even tried to make freeze dried (read: instant) coffee. Whatever you do, don't try to freeze dry butter because you will only manage to coat the entire inside of your dryer from chamber to pump with butter.
A lot of things they tell you that you can't freeze dry (high fat/oil, high sugar) you can as long as you don't expect long shelf life and keep it in the fridge or freezer. You'll get a longer shelf life, yes, but it won't be the same as freeze drying... say... a chicken patty or a batch of spaghetti with sauce.
Invest in a Food Saver, mylar rolls that work with it (get them on amazon), and the jar attachments so you can put stuff in jars and suck the air out. On that note, you can actually use your dryer to vacuum seal jars by plugging the pump directly into a wall for maybe 4 or 5 seconds. Again, youtube is your friend on that.
I do recommend freeze drying the following: Cookie dough, mini marshmallows, onion rings, pasta, mashed potatoes, ice cream (duh), shredded cheese (which you can grind into powder for all kinds of uses), pizza (just eat it dry), and anything else you can think of.
Probably the last big tip is that it will arrive on a semi, freight. You will either need the room for them to pull in and out or you will need a truck and meet the driver. It will arrive strapped to a pallet so, yeah, truck.
Harvest Right now has a $1500 option for a 'Oil-Free Pump' that they claim is maintenance free. Sounds like that may be a worthwhile upgrade given what you say about filtering
Just so you understand... that's an extra $1500 on top of the $2000+. The home made filter/batting filter lasts forever (I've used the same battting for... well... 4? 5? years now) and costs nothing so unless it's worth it to spend the extra money to avoid 5 seconds opening the drain valve and an extra 45 seconds filling it, I would suggest passing on that.
The only benefit to the oil-free pump is that you can run another batch as soon as you defrost the chamber instead of "defrost and filter" which is about the same amount of time, really.
So, I... don't really see a benefit unless you just want something that's one or two steps less?
Well, okay, eventually you need to separate the oil and water that comes out of the pump and you that by freezing it, pouring the top oil off and throwing the water away (you don't want it in your drain, really).
To me, the extra little stuff doesn't add up to $1500.
Probably not. There's more than just remnants of oil in there. By the time you need to draw out the water (and there's enough to make it worth doing), it's been sitting there a while and will have all kinds of gunk in it that soap likely won't touch. I mean, if you think about it, you've got enough water to make it worth your while so you've done maybe 10 batches and while the vast majority of what is pulled out is water caught in the pump, there's going to be at least some food material - not solid chunks, mind you, but other things that would sublimate as well. Do something like... hashbrowns or pineapple and the water will smell like it so there's more than just water in it. This is why you have to filter the oil in the first place. There's... "stuff."
Ah, right. I was thinking that you would worry more about grease/oil binding on the pipes out of your house so you wouldn't want to just pour it down without mixing with dish soap to bind it first.
These are powders by the time they're sealed - no pasteurization is possible, exposing the powder to heat might not be useful. The problem is that the bag used was not a good enough barrier and while I expected this, I now have confirmation.
Freeze dryers aren't exactly the cheapest equipment you can get in a home. I've started running a batch extra times if it's going to be on a shelf longer than about 6 months, however. So far that seems to kick it pretty well but, of course, time will tell.
Cream cheese probably has carrageenan in it, which is a stabilizer also used in condensed milk. The condensed milk process which includes a pasteurization step and adds sugar might rabbit hole to explore. It seems the sugar also helps in the preservation through “osmotic pressure” or some shit like that.
The natural yogurt biota are probably rendered inactive by the drying process so I dont know if you can count on them to “work” as they do in hydrated yogurt.
Ive heard that hard cheeses like cheddar, parm, asiago, etc stay a really long time.
This was yogurt I made at home. Whole milk + greek yogurt for culture. I'm guessing, more than anything, that the freeze drying process did its job but the clear bags weren't enough of a barrier and the culture in the powder reactivated or whatever and then... died. The freeze drying process freezes it to about -40 and then removes nearly all of the air while slowly heating it up to sublimate the water.
The cream cheese I did not make myself and any preservatives, stabilizers, etc. probably played a very large role in how it didn't go off at all.
Sugar is anti-bacterial in sufficient concentrations because there's just not enough moisture for bacteria to process it. I might consider that and salt as "organic" preservation additives and see how that works.
Hard cheese do tend to last a while and they are the kinds that you can trim mold off of and be fine. Soft cheeses, not so much because by the time you see the mold it is already in the most or all of the chunk. This is why it's not recommended to just scrape mold off of most foods. Jellies are an exception, however, because of the high sugar content.
[ + ] TheViciousMrPim
[ - ] TheViciousMrPim 14 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 09:30:09 ago (+14/-0)
Technology these days is amazing
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 17 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 09:31:31 ago (+17/-0)
[ + ] Crackinjokes
[ - ] Crackinjokes 3 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 11:19:31 ago (+3/-0)
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 5 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 11:36:47 ago (+5/-0)
[ + ] deleted
[ - ] deleted 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 14:35:49 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] TheYiddler
[ - ] TheYiddler 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 16:31:10 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] CPU
[ - ] CPU 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 11, 2022 02:46:02 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 11, 2022 07:45:04 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] TwiceBanned
[ - ] TwiceBanned 2 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 09:40:37 ago (+2/-0)
I've had frozen meats and jerkies for probably a decade before, but the taste was not up to par and they were as close to zero fat content to start with as possible. I routinely eat decade old canned goods that other people decide they dont want anymore.
My advice for your future MREs is, NO fat in anything meant to store long term, and plastic is not an oxygen barrier.
Keep up the good work.
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 3 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 10:07:59 ago (+3/-0)
There is ONE way to store fats but it's a bit of a pain. Tapioca maltodextrin. It binds with the oil/fat molecule and dissolves instantly in water.
I have some powdered peanut butter I made... I wanna say like 4 years ago. I put some in my coffee last night and it's just as good as the day I made it. It just takes a lot of it and it's not the cheapest thing to try to experiment with. I wanted to get good enough with it to make "powdered butter" and just learn more about it. The peanut butter worked fine. The butter experiment did not. Like I said, it's a pain. The butter has to be cold but mixing it in a blender makes it hot. When the maltodextrin gets warm, it doesn't work as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WtA6cEm4uk
[ + ] cyclops1771
[ - ] cyclops1771 3 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 10:17:36 ago (+3/-0)
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 11:10:52 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] cyclops1771
[ - ] cyclops1771 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 12:46:56 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 13:55:17 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Centaurus
[ - ] Centaurus 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 14:03:05 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] TheViciousMrPim
[ - ] TheViciousMrPim 2 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 10:33:28 ago (+2/-0)
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 11:10:13 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Glowbright
[ - ] Glowbright 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 13:11:44 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Crackinjokes
[ - ] Crackinjokes 2 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 11:21:58 ago (+2/-0)
[ + ] s23erdctfvyg
[ - ] s23erdctfvyg 2 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 12:55:14 ago (+2/-0)
The German equivalent is Erbswurst. The recipe is different but the premise is the same.
[ + ] TwiceBanned
[ - ] TwiceBanned 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 20:11:34 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] SecretHitler
[ - ] SecretHitler 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 10, 2022 00:32:40 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Whatthefuck
[ - ] Whatthefuck 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 14:09:49 ago (+0/-0)
Rendering the fat first by boiling out all the moisture is key. You can store rendered fat almost forever.
[ + ] MaryXmas
[ - ] MaryXmas 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 10, 2022 20:35:47 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 10, 2022 20:39:59 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] MaryXmas
[ - ] MaryXmas 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 11, 2022 09:04:40 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] GlowNiggerDick
[ - ] GlowNiggerDick 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 17:26:31 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] PotatoWhisperer
[ - ] PotatoWhisperer 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 20:53:52 ago (+0/-0)*
[ + ]deleted
[ - ] deleted 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 14:35:03 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 15:37:15 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] Glowbright
[ - ] Glowbright 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 13:00:46 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 2 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 14:17:45 ago (+2/-0)
The biggest thing to remember is that this is a small mom & pop type of company. Remember that as you read the rest here...
The unit will come with oil but you can get the same kind at places like Tractor Supply. There are multiple models and instruction manuals over the years and as they increased their product quality, changed parts, upgraded software, etc. etc., they put out different instructions for care of the pump and oil. Regardless of what your manual says, filter after every batch, replace the oil when you can't see through it, take the pump cover off and clean it (carefully) after every 20 batches or at the end of the season depending on how much you use it.
Get an extra set of trays so you can stage food while you have one batch going. Be sure to get the silicone liners. The trays are not made to be used in an oven and will warp if you do so.
Filtering the oil does not require the filter system they have on their site. You can get a Britta water filter pitcher that uses the cartridges in the center of the insert, ditch the cartridges, and just line the hole with a coffee filter and fill that with cotton batting.
If you do decide to purchase one, do not be surprised if you have hiccups in your equipment. Again, mom & pop place. When I got mine, every single piece except the chamber unit itself had to be replaced due to defects. Even so, on the main unit, the processor board died out about 3 years after purchase and while I had to purchase the replacement, they gave me support free of charge the entire way.
The owner does indeed read every single review owners leave online. If you have a problem and leave it in a review, they will absolutely contact you to try to make it right.
Get the thinner hose if you have a choice. This is the hose that goes from the unit to the pump. It causes less condensation. On that, the hose is not made to be very flexible and the more you flex it, the more you run the risk of popping the seal on one of the ends.
As for anything, man, just have fun with it. The general rule is that if it would be like shit after you freeze and thaw it, it probably won't be good to freeze dry unless you intend to powder it, put it in stews, and so on (think about what a tomato is like after you freeze and thaw it). Go to youtube and just start watching videos. Retired Before 40 (I think is the name) has a lot of good videos on this. He even tried to make freeze dried (read: instant) coffee. Whatever you do, don't try to freeze dry butter because you will only manage to coat the entire inside of your dryer from chamber to pump with butter.
A lot of things they tell you that you can't freeze dry (high fat/oil, high sugar) you can as long as you don't expect long shelf life and keep it in the fridge or freezer. You'll get a longer shelf life, yes, but it won't be the same as freeze drying... say... a chicken patty or a batch of spaghetti with sauce.
Invest in a Food Saver, mylar rolls that work with it (get them on amazon), and the jar attachments so you can put stuff in jars and suck the air out. On that note, you can actually use your dryer to vacuum seal jars by plugging the pump directly into a wall for maybe 4 or 5 seconds. Again, youtube is your friend on that.
I do recommend freeze drying the following: Cookie dough, mini marshmallows, onion rings, pasta, mashed potatoes, ice cream (duh), shredded cheese (which you can grind into powder for all kinds of uses), pizza (just eat it dry), and anything else you can think of.
Probably the last big tip is that it will arrive on a semi, freight. You will either need the room for them to pull in and out or you will need a truck and meet the driver. It will arrive strapped to a pallet so, yeah, truck.
[ + ] Glowbright
[ - ] Glowbright 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 15:00:15 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 2 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 15:34:11 ago (+2/-0)
The only benefit to the oil-free pump is that you can run another batch as soon as you defrost the chamber instead of "defrost and filter" which is about the same amount of time, really.
So, I... don't really see a benefit unless you just want something that's one or two steps less?
Well, okay, eventually you need to separate the oil and water that comes out of the pump and you that by freezing it, pouring the top oil off and throwing the water away (you don't want it in your drain, really).
To me, the extra little stuff doesn't add up to $1500.
[ + ] Glowbright
[ - ] Glowbright 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 15:42:55 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] PotatoWhisperer
[ - ] PotatoWhisperer 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 21:01:38 ago (+0/-0)
Would mixing it with soap(1) do the trick or am I missing something?
(1) To bind the oils and such like with normal cooking oils.
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 21:19:00 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] PotatoWhisperer
[ - ] PotatoWhisperer 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 21:25:44 ago (+0/-0)
The other stuff in the gunk... No idea lol.
[ + ] RIGGED_ELECTION
[ - ] RIGGED_ELECTION 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 12:39:20 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 12:48:41 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] Sheitstrom
[ - ] Sheitstrom 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 11:50:04 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 12:21:46 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] PostWallHelena
[ - ] PostWallHelena 0 points 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 11:37:01 ago (+0/-0)
Cream cheese probably has carrageenan in it, which is a stabilizer also used in condensed milk. The condensed milk process which includes a pasteurization step and adds sugar might rabbit hole to explore. It seems the sugar also helps in the preservation through “osmotic pressure” or some shit like that.
The natural yogurt biota are probably rendered inactive by the drying process so I dont know if you can count on them to “work” as they do in hydrated yogurt.
Ive heard that hard cheeses like cheddar, parm, asiago, etc stay a really long time.
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes [op] 1 point 1.6 yearsOct 9, 2022 12:27:52 ago (+1/-0)
The cream cheese I did not make myself and any preservatives, stabilizers, etc. probably played a very large role in how it didn't go off at all.
Sugar is anti-bacterial in sufficient concentrations because there's just not enough moisture for bacteria to process it. I might consider that and salt as "organic" preservation additives and see how that works.
Hard cheese do tend to last a while and they are the kinds that you can trim mold off of and be fine. Soft cheeses, not so much because by the time you see the mold it is already in the most or all of the chunk. This is why it's not recommended to just scrape mold off of most foods. Jellies are an exception, however, because of the high sugar content.