That's an advantage of growing your own, for sure! That's one reason I like growing crops that don't even need any processing, or that I can store in canning jars. I can leave Jerusalem artichokes, carrots, rutabagas, green onions, and greens in the ground for the winter. I can just keep storage onions in reusable net bags, potatoes in cardboard boxes, and winter squash on shelves. And I can put dry beans in jars. All of those don't even take any energy or equipment for processing for use in the winter. Then, with dehydrating and canning, I can keep food in reusable glass jars - jars that will outlast me. I do reuse plastic bags when I freeze my harvest, though. I do put some things in the freezer in canning jars, but not too much. And like you show with little Monster Truck Pepper there, fresh is best! Happy gardening in 2017!