Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Learn About The Best Processes in Preserving Foods

Preserving food is a very old technology discovered by humans. A lot of people will argue which is the absolute best process in food preservation. Generally, people want their food is safe, of excellent quality, nutritious, fresh, healthy, high nutritional value, nice color, good aroma, distinct taste and texture.

Foods are generally classified as safe when there is no danger of natural toxins, pathogenic microorganisms and chemicals that may be harmful. Mad called sterile when it is bacteria that live naturally within it.

When food is not sealed, and sterilized, so it would create bacteria. Like milk, for example, contains bacteria that live naturally in the ruin of its content within 2 to 3 hours when kept outside at room temperature.

Even when it is placed inside a refrigerator in bacterial slows down thus making milk last in your refrigerator for 1 week, although it already has some bacteria.

Preservation of food involves the handling of your food and how it will be considered which may affect the rate of decay, though it is declining or growing rapidly, it can be accelerated due to the presence of microorganisms.

Preservatives for food means to stop the growing fungus, microorganisms and bacteria grow, and also oxidation of certain fats, which will generate rancidity. While some other processes in conservation would mean putting bacteria, yeast and benign mushrooms in your meals so it will generate certain desirable qualities, like the cheeses and wines.

Some processes also stop food from getting discolored, like in the process of oxidation or enzymatic-browning like what we see in slices of apples. Certain types of foods are closed when processing is done to stop a second re-contamination of microbes.

There will also be drying in which food is not actually stored inside a container. Other processes include freeze-drying, freezing, spray drying, food irradiation, sugar crystallisation, some added preservatives, using the syrup for canning, vacuum packing and canning.

Here are some processes in the preservation of food:

1) Salting

Salt is better recognized as a process of healing. This type of food preservation removes moisture found in meat through osmosis. The meat will be combined with salt, sugar, maybe even both. Nitrate and nitrite will also cure meat & stop 'Clostridium outline' show.

2) Freezing

Normally used for commercial and domestic maintain large selection of different foods.

3) Irradiation

Exposed to ionizing radiation has been identified as cold-pasteurization or irradiation. This process of maintaining includes factors that would help to kill bacteria, insects, reduces mold & rot or ripeness of your fruit.

4) Strong pressure food preservation

Using really high pressure. About seventy thousand worth phi, which induces the release of nutrients to maintain consistency, appearance and flavor while preventing spoilage.

5) vacuum

Food is stored in an airless environment, like a bottle or a bag that is airtight. Since there is no oxygen, it slows down spoilage.

6) Pickling

Food is back in an anti-microbial and edible substance in liquid form. Fermentation type pickling actually uses real food in order to promote production of lactic acid. While chemical pickling kills or stops bacteria and microorganisms found inside the liquid.

7) Burying food

Since food is buried, it would mean lower oxygen level, light & pH levels and provides desiccant in the ground and one more cool temperature.

8) Smoking

Meat, fish, etc. maintained by smoke. By combining the aromatic hydrocarbons, phenol and heat coming from the smoke would preserve food.

9) Lye

Sodium hydroxide would stop growing bacteria by generating highly alkaline.

10) Canning

This would involve cooking your food and they are sealed in clean and sterile cans or jars. Sometimes, pressure cooking would be necessary as a last step in this process. Meats & veggies dishes containing low acidity should be subjected to pressure canning.

11) Use of controlled microorganisms

Cheese, beer and wine are kept within a very long period, because their process of production will use microorganisms to stop its deterioration.

12) Jellying

Food is preserved by clotting and produces them in gels using gelatin & flour. Jellying will produce fruit preserves, jams and jellies when this process, if done on fruit.

13) Change of Atmosphere

Preservation of food by changing its surrounding atmosphere. Salads are difficult to keep fresh, so they are packaged using sealed plastic bags inside an atmosphere that is modified downward increasing oxygen & carbon dioxide.

14) Drying

Regarded as an old method, where the water reducing retarding or preventing growth of bacteria. A lot of meat, dried, and fruits. Millet, wheat, corn, oats, barley, rye, rice, cereal grains, currants, raisins, sultanas and grapes are a few examples of foods that use drying to stop spoilage.

15) Sugaring

Used in retaining certain fruits such as peaches, plums, apples, pears, apricots, etc., using the sweet syrup or perhaps in some crystallized form.

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