Crucial facet of our meals preservation strategies is choosing the proper one for the job. There are lots of methods to protect meals, every with benefits and downsides. The easiest way to pick an acceptable meals preservation technique is to contemplate what sort of meals you’re preserving, how lengthy you want it to final, and what tools you might have accessible.
PLEASE spend money on a good canning e-book, Ball Canning Guide, or USDA Canning Tips
Canning Gadgets I Advocate:
What’s Meals Preservation?
Meals, by nature, is perishable with out intervention. Fortuitously, people have been utilizing numerous strategies of meals preservation for hundreds of years to extend the life and security of our meals.
Meals preservation is treating and dealing with meals to cease or gradual the spoiling (decaying or decomposing). Meals spoilage is brought on by the expansion of micro organism, yeasts, and molds, which might trigger sickness if ingested.
5 Meals Preservation Strategies
There are lots of completely different meals preservation strategies, every with its benefits and downsides. Some meals preservation strategies are comparatively new, whereas others date again to historical instances. Over time, we’ve refined the method and higher perceive the mechanisms. Listed here are the most typical meals preservation strategies:
Canning
Canning is sealing meals in hermetic containers (jars or cans) and boiling them to kill micro organism or different microorganisms which may trigger spoilage. Canning is an efficient strategy to protect meals as a result of it prevents oxygen from reaching it. Like most organisms, micro organism want oxygen to develop.
Canning Course of
Earlier than you start canning meals, learn the USDA’s Full Information to Residence Canning and my Residence Canning-Necessary Do’s and Don’ts!
- Select the proper canning technique.
There are two essential canning strategies: water bathtub and stress canning. Water bathtub canning is finest for high-acid meals like fruits and pickles, whereas stress canning is important for low-acid meals like meat and greens.
- Select the precise canning tools.
You’ll want a number of important items of apparatus to get began, together with a big pot, a canning rack, and jars with lids and bands.
- Put together your meals.
Canning recipes typically name for prepping the meals in a sure manner, resembling peeling or chopping greens. Ensure to observe the recipe rigorously to make sure that your meals is ready accurately.
- Course of the jars.
As soon as your jars are crammed with ready meals, it’s time to course of them. This entails inserting them within the canning pot and boiling them for a set interval. Seek the advice of your recipe for particular processing instances since every meals product is completely different.
Freezing
Freezing is the method of chilling meals to very low temperatures (-18°C or 0°F) to maintain micro organism from rising. Freezing is an efficient strategy to protect meals as a result of it prevents micro organism from multiplying.
Methods to Freeze Meals
Freezing is a wonderful option to protect leftovers or pre-made meals. It’s additionally nice for contemporary veggies out of your backyard.
1. Select the proper container.
Freezer-safe containers are constituted of supplies that received’t crack or shatter when uncovered to excessive chilly. Freezer luggage and plastic wrap are additionally good choices.
2. Label and date your containers.
It will aid you observe what you might have in your freezer and make sure that you employ it earlier than it goes dangerous. Generally, it’s laborious to inform what’s in that bag or container as soon as it freezes.
3. Fill your containers accurately.
Depart some house on the prime of the container so the meals can develop by freezing.
4. Don’t overfill your freezer.
Freezing meals can take up lots of house, so be sure to don’t overcrowd your freezer. It will assist make sure that your meals stays frozen and doesn’t spoil.
Pickling
Pickling preserves meals in an acidic answer, resembling vinegar or brine (saltwater). Pickling is an efficient strategy to protect meals as a result of the acid prevents micro organism from rising.
Methods to Pickle Meals
Pickling is an effective way to increase the shelf lifetime of your favourite vegetables and fruit. The pickling course of entails immersing the meals in a vinegar or brine answer, which preserves the meals and provides it a novel taste.
- Select your vegetables and fruit.
First, select the fruit or vegetable that you simply need to pickle. Asparagus, beets, bell peppers, blueberries, cauliflower, carrots, cherries, fennel, ginger, grapes, inexperienced beans, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, peaches, peppers, radishes, ramps, rhubarb, strawberries, squash, tomatoes, and turnips can all be pickled.
- Put together your answer.
Subsequent, put together the pickling answer: vinegar, water, salt, and spices. The fundamental ratio for pickles is 1:1 vinegar to water and a few mixture of salt and/or sugar. One other normal ratio is 3:2:1. So three components vinegar, two components water, and one half sugar.
- Sterilize the jars.
As soon as the pickling answer is prepared, sterilize your jars and lids by boiling them in water for 10 minutes.
- Fill the jars.
Then, rigorously place the fruit or vegetable within the jars and pack them tightly.
- Cowl with the proper answer.
Lastly, pour the pickling answer over the fruit or vegetable till utterly coated, then seal the jar with a lid. PICKLING IS FOR REFRIGERATION ONLY. Please don’t put these jars in your pantry shelf. If you happen to determine to course of these jars, observe the BALL Canning or USDA Canning Tips.
Drying/Dehydrating
Drying is a means of eradicating moisture from meals, which makes it troublesome for micro organism to develop. Drying is an efficient strategy to protect meals as a result of the dearth of moisture prevents micro organism from multiplying. Dehydrating meals is an effective way to create shelf-stable meals lasting for months and even years. I exploit mine inside one 12 months and begin the method once more with new vegetables and fruit.
Methods to Dehydrate Meals
Vegetables and fruit are mostly dehydrated. I’ve dehydrated apples, bananas, kale, watermelon, and Basil, to call a number of.
- Select contemporary, ripe fruit or greens.
Please make certain they’re freed from blemishes or bruised spots. If you happen to’re utilizing frozen fruits or greens, thaw them utterly earlier than dehydrating.
- Reduce the produce into uniform items.
You need items which can be not more than 1/2 inch thick. If the items are too thick, they’ll take too lengthy to dehydrate; in the event that they’re too skinny, they might dehydrate inconsistently.
- Placed on dehydrator racks.
Place your fruit or greens on the dehydrator racks, guaranteeing they don’t contact one another. Use a number of racks to make sure good airflow round all of the items if vital.
- Activate the dehydrator.
Set the dehydrator to the advisable temperature for the kind of fruit or vegetable you’re drying. Most vegetables and fruit have a temperature between 135 and 145 levels Fahrenheit. Please confer with your dehydrator model e-book.
- Examine on the produce.
After the advisable drying time has handed, examine the produce. If vital, flip the items over and proceed dehydrating till they’re completed in line with your model of dehydrator e-book.
- Retailer correctly.
Retailer the dried fruit or greens in an hermetic container. For finest outcomes, use them inside 6-12 months. Please keep in mind that they don’t have preservatives.
Fermenting
Fermenting is the method of utilizing micro organism to protect meals. The micro organism convert the sugars within the meals into lactic acid, which prevents different micro organism from rising. Fermenting is an efficient strategy to protect meals as a result of the lactic acid inhibits the expansion of various micro organism.
Methods to Ferment Meals
Nearly any vegetable might be fermented, however if you wish to ferment the rest, make certain to do your analysis.
- Select your fermenting vessel.
A mason jar or crock container works nicely.
- Decide your fermenting meals.
Cabbage makes nice sauerkraut, however you too can ferment carrots, beets, or different greens.
- Shred and chop the meals.
Shred or chop your meals to be fermented and add it to the vessel.
- Add Salt.
Add some salt. Salt helps protect fermented meals and is a vital step.
- Fill with water.
Fill the vessel with water, leaving about an inch of headspace on the prime.
- Cowl the vessel.
Cowl the fermenting meals with a fabric and safe it with a rubber band.
- Ferment the meals.
Ferment the meals for about 2 weeks (depart it within the vessel), checking on it sometimes to make sure all the pieces goes nicely.
- Retailer correctly.
After 2 weeks, switch the fermented meals to a brand new container and retailer it within the fridge. Fermented meals will probably be good within the fridge for a number of months!
In case you missed this put up, Why You Ought to Inventory Sauerkraut
Benefits and Disadvantages of Widespread Meals Preservation Strategies:
Every meals preservation technique has its benefits and downsides.
- Canning- That is an efficient strategy to protect meals however requires specialised tools and might be time-consuming.
- Freezing- Freezing is straightforward and handy, however it could trigger freezer burn if not completed accurately.
- Pickling- is an effective way so as to add taste to meals, however it could make meals too salty for some folks.
- Drying or dehydrating -is a easy and efficient strategy to protect meals, however it could take a very long time, relying on the moisture content material of the meals product and the temperature setting of your unit.
- Fermenting- is an effective way to protect meals and add taste, however it requires particular care to forestall contamination. (Refrigeration solely)
Ultimate Phrase
There are lots of alternative ways to protect meals. The most effective technique for you’ll rely in your wants and preferences. You should definitely do your analysis earlier than you begin preserving meals as a way to select the perfect technique in your state of affairs! At all times use a recipe to protect your meals accurately; that’s why I all the time have my preservation instruction books useful! Could God Bless this world, Linda
