Food Preservation Methods
The purpose, processes and methods of food preservation have gone through significant changes throughout its history. What started out as a necessary activity to be able to provide soldiers with food when deployed in a far away land, has transformed into a worldwide industry where preserved products are now used for various things including snacks, relief goods, and camping provisions to name only a few. Also, preserved foods enjoy a much better reputation today as compared to when it was first introduced. Back then, people regarded preserved food with much apprehension or as an unnecessary luxury since it costs too much due to the then inefficient way of canning the products. In terms of the process, the concept behind food preservation then was to drive air out of the container as they believed it to be the cause of decay. Later discoveries however, particularly that of Louis Pasteur made it clear that bacteria, not air was the one truly responsible. Following this revelation, we now have several methods of preserving food that are all widely used today. To properly understand the process, we must remember that food preservation is done to either slow down the decay of food, or eliminate the bacteria altogether. Here we look at some of the most commonly used methods of food preservation.
Read the rest of this entry »
Recipe Ingredient Substitution Chart
Run out of butter? Don’t have an apple pie spice? Use this chart to know how to replace ingredients without harming your food. This is VERY usefull, I suggest printing it and put it on the fridge.
Great books about food preservation
Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning
Typical books about preserving garden produce nearly always assume that modern “kitchen gardeners” will boil or freeze their vegetables and fruits. Yet here is a book that goes back to the future—celebrating traditional but little-known French techniques for storing and preserving edibles in ways that maximize flavor and nutrition.
The Complete Guide to Food Preservation
Canning Pickles as a Method of Food Preservation
First done by Frenchman Nicolas Appert in 1809, canning pickles as a method of food preservation essentially remains the same. This method generally involves heating the container until it reaches the required temperature to kill bacteria responsible for food spoilage- a process also called heat processing. What results from this a vacuum container which can keep the pickles for as much as a whole year.
The process is simple enough- which undoubtedly adds to its appeal. In order to do it, all you need are (1) glass canning jars and 2-piece metal canning lids, (2) a large, non-reactive stainless steel pot with a secure lid, (3) a jar rack, (4) Tongs, (5) Rags, and (6) a timer. When all the materials are present, make sure to wash the jars with water and soap, thoroughly cleaning the inside as well as the outside of the containers. Afterwards, place them on the rack which should be inside the metal pot.
