Why do we need to Preserve Food?

Well, if we don't preserve our food, as mentioned earlier, food spoils. There are 2 ways in
which this happens. The first is because of bacteria, molds or yeasts that exist in the air
and decay the produce. The other is the chemical reaction of naturally occurring enzymes
that ripen the fruit but then continue to decay and rot the fruit so that it loses both texture
and flavor.
By preserving food we not only retard the spoiling process but we also maintain the
texture and the flavor. And we can only do this if we choose the correct method of food
preservation with the right containers to safe guard against bacteria and other harmful
organisms.
The key to good food preservation is cleanliness. This means clean hands, clean surfaces,
clean utensils and clean bottles, if used. Also your produce should be fresh and at its
prime. It should not be at the point where it is starting to spoil or deteriorate.
There are several methods of food preservation, the most common we will discuss here.
Preserving Food by Salting and Air Drying
One of the oldest methods of food preservation is salting and air drying. The pioneers
used this method to dry meat. In South Africa it is called biltong, in Australia and
America it is called jerky. Fish was another food that was dried this way, as is today's
pork in the form of Prosciutto. Drying food like this was done because when people
traveled long distances they weren't sure when next they would get another supply of
meat or fish, and this was one way of making sure that they had a steady supply of
protein. Curing ham can be done at home with these instructions.
Preserving Food by Live Storage
Another method of preserving food is called live storage. This is when fruits and
vegetables are placed in either boxes or earth mounds in the garden where temperatures
are between 2 - 6 C or placed in a cellar during the winter months. The one problem
you will have with this method of food preservation is rats. Make sure that your food is
safe from the rats at all times, because if not, they will have a field day!
The early ripening apples and pears do not store well, and should just be eaten as they
appear. However, the late-ripening varieties are worth storing. Leave on the trees until

well ripe, but not blemished. Remove and allow to dry in a single layer overnight. The
next morning, wrap individually in paper and store in a dark place.
Potatoes can be successfully stored by storing with straw. Take a large wooden box, place
a layer of straw and then fill with potatoes or any other root vegetable to a depth of about
a foot. Cover again with straw. Continue in this way until all your vegetables are stored.
Cover with a stout lid that will allow air in, but keep rats out.
Drying Onions is one way of Food Preservation
Onions can be preserved by stringing them, or lying them on slats. Before they are stored
they must be thoroughly dried first. When stringing onions start with 4 onions with long
stalks. Tie them together and then tie on a long length of twine or bailing string. Add each
additional onion to the bunch making sure that the stalks are well secured and plaiting the
knotted stalks around the end of the bailing string so that the onions hang evenly when
you hold them up. Onions strung like this will keep indefinitely.
An old way of preserving food using live storage is clamping. This is when vegetables
like potatoes are lifted and allowed to dry for 2-3 hours. Then they are placed on a thick
bed of stray and placed carefully in a triangle shape. More straw is used to cover the
potatoes where a couple of days are given to allow the potatoes to finish sweating. After
they have stopped sweating the potatoes are then covered with soil, 5-6 inches deep.
Allow some of the straw to be seen protruding from the soil so that the vegetables can
still breathe.
Apples, carrots, cabbages, onions, parsnips, pears, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes and
turnips can all be stored and preserved in this way.
Preserving Food by Freezing
If food is stored in a freezer at -18 C it will keep well for at least 6 months. Freezing
meat and freezing vegetables are two ways we can preserve our food. Vegetables can be
blanched first and then frozen. Some fruit can also be preserved in this way. Meat and
fish can also be frozen, but they do have a shelf-life. Fish should not be frozen for more
than 3 months, and meat should not be frozen more than 6 months.
Meat should be well-wrapped because if it comes into contact with the cold air inside
your deep-freeze the meat will spoil and get freezer-burnt.

Apples, apricots, asparagus, beans, blackberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, capsicums,

carrots, cauliflower, celery, cherries, citrus fruit, corn, figs, grapes, nectarines, parsnips,
passion fruit, peaches, peas, pineapples, plums, raspberries, rhubarb, spinach, and
tomatoes can all be frozen.
Preserving Food by Canning and Bottling
Home canning and bottling are used to preserve food. The food is heated to a high
temperature which aids in killing off any bacteria present and disarming the enzymes.
This method is perfect for fruit and vegetables that have a high acidic content. However,
any foods with a low acidic content such as fish, meat, seafood, poultry and most
vegetables, then it is advisable to freeze these foods as a method of preserving them. If
canning and bottling is used instead and the process is mishandled, one can end up being
very sick as the bacteria has not been effectively inhibited.
Ideal bottling conditions are being able to place your bottled produce in a dark room in
order to prevent vitamin loss and at a temperature below 18 C.
Apples, apricots, beets, blackberries, capsicums, cherries, citrus fruit, figs, grapes,
mulberries, nectarines, passion fruit, peaches, pineapples, plums, raspberries, rhubarb and
tomatoes can all be preserved by this method.
Preserving Food by Pickling
Many foods can be preserved with pickling and making your own pickles . The effect of
the pickling liquids on both fruits and vegetables in your pickle recipes is very similar.
The salt in the brine or the vinegar hardens the cellulose of the foods to such an extent
that they are impervious to the action of bacteria. While this permits the foods to keep
well, it also makes them difficult to digest, a fact that must be remembered when pickled
foods are included in the diet.
Apples, beans, beets, cucumbers, mushrooms, onions, pears, tomatoes walnuts, and
watermelon are just some of the fruits and vegetables that can be preserved by this
method.
Preserving Food by Jams and Jellies
Making jams and jellies out of excess fruit is another food preserving method. The
addition of sugar and the evaporation of water in the process allows for the fruit to be
successfully preserved.

Apples, blackberries, apricots, cherries, citrus fruits, figs, grapes, mangoes, mulberries,
passion fruit, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, raspberries, and rhubarb can all be
preserved using this method.
Preserving Food by Drying
Drying fruits such as tomatoes, peaches, grapes, apricots and prunes can either be done
naturally using the sun or dried using a slow oven. Reducing the water content of the fruit
reduces the chance of bacteria growing. Although food drying has been done for centuries
the vitamin content of the food dried this way is often compromised. Firstly, Vitamins A,
E and some B-complex Vitamins are lost if the food is dried in full sunlight. Secondly,
Vitamins A, C, and E is lost through the oxidation process when stored for any length of
time.
To dry apples, core them, slice them, string up the slices and hang them over a stove or in
a solar-heated drier for 5 hours at 65 C. When crisp and dry put them in an airtight
container.
Preserving Food by Smoking
Finally, we conclude this article on preserving food using methods of smoking . This is
very successful using fish and meats. You don't actually need a fancy smoker to smoke
your fish or meat. If you have a fireplace that you use every night, then you can make
good use of the chimney. Hang the meat high up in the chimney so that it is out of the
way of the fire, and leave it there for about a week, making sure that the wood fire doesn't
go out during that period of time.
If you want to build a smoker there are two methods of smoking meat, one is a cold
smoking method, and the other is a cooked-smoking method that is more common in
America and Germany.
With the cooked-smoking method the meat is smoked at high temperatures from 65 - 93
C. Here, due to the high temperatures, the meat is cooked and smoked at the same time.
Meat cooked this way has to be eaten fairly shortly after production, unlike the cold
smoking method that allows one to keep the meat a little longer.

For those of you who would like to smoke your own meat, smokehouses can be built or
devised out of barrels and charcoal cookers. If you are wanting a concrete smokehouse
and looking for smokehouse plans then look no further.
Preservation of Food at home
Easy home tips
Tip 1: Before keeping green chillies in the fridge, remove their stems. This will keep
them fresh for longer.
Tip 2: Beans have a tendency to have fungal growth on them, if they aren't washed and
dried properly before placing them in the fridge.
Tip 3: Don't throw away milk packets. They are the best food grade packets to store fish,
chicken or meat in portions.
Tip 4: Prepare cotton bags out of cloth pieces or pillow covers. These keep leafy
vegetables fresh for a long time.
Tip 5: Place vegetables and fruits in separate bags in the fridge, as fruits emit ethylene
gas which, in turn, causes vegetables to yellow.
Tip 6: If you plan on storing eggs for more than a month, apply cooking oil with a brush
on the egg shells; this will prevent the eggs from rotting sooner.
Tip 7: To preserve paneer for a longer time, cover it up with blotting paper and keep it in
the fridge.
Tip 8: Never keep any cooked food outside for more than two hours, refrigerate as soon
as it cools down. In case of thawing, never prolong it for more than two hours. If you
have a microwave oven, thaw it immediately just before cooking or sitting down to eat.
Tip 9: Store fruit such as grapes in perforated packets in the fridge. Fruits such as
bananas, melons, plums, etc. can be refrigerated after they have ripened in order to extend
their shelf life by a day or two.
Tip 10: Packets used for breads are food grade packs that can be used to store lemons and
chillies in the fridge. In fact, storing fresh coriander leaves in packets and curry leaves in
newspapers keeps them fresh longer