Table content
- Food preservation methods.
- Foods which can be dried and there health benefits.
- Foods which can be freezed and not.
- Pickling methods and health benefits.
- Canning methods and health benefits
- Facts on food preservation
Food preservation
The term food preservation refers to any one of a number of techniques used to prevent food from spoiling. It includmethods such as canning, pickling, drying and freeze-drying, irradiation,pasteurization , smoking, and the addition of chemical additives. Food preservation has become an increasingly important component of the food industry as fewer people eat foods produced on their own lands, and as consumers expect to be able to purchase and consume foods that are out of season.
The vast majority of instances of food spoilage can be attributed to one of two major causes: (1) the attack by pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms ) such asbacteria and molds, or (2) oxidation that causes the destruction of essential biochemical compounds and/or the destruction of plant and animal cells. The various methods that have been devised for preserving foods are all designed to reduce or eliminate one or the other (or both) of these causative agents.
For example, a simple and common method of preserving food is by heating it to some minimum temperature. This process prevents or retards spoilage because high temperatures kill or inactivate most kinds of pathogens. The addition of compounds known as BHA and BHT to foods also prevents spoilage in another different way. These compounds are known to act as antioxidants, preventing chemical reactions that cause the oxidation of food that results in its spoilage. Almost all techniques of preservation are designed to extend the life of food by acting in one of these two ways.
The search for methods of food preservation probably can be traced to the dawn of human civilization. People who lived through harsh winters found it necessary to find some means of insuring a food supply during seasons when no fresh fruits and vegetables were available. Evidence for the use of dehydration (drying) as a method of food preservation, for example, goes back at least 5,000 years. Among the most primitive forms of food preservation that are still in use today are such methods as smoking, drying, salting, freezing, and fermenting.
Early humans probably discovered by accident that certain foods exposed to smoke seem to last longer than those that are not. Meats, fish, fowl, and cheese were among such foods. It appears that compounds present in wood smoke have antimicrobial actions that prevent the growth of organisms that cause spoilage. Today, the process of smoking has become a sophisticated method of food preservation with both hot and cold forms in use. Hot smoking is used primarily with fresh or frozen foods, while cold smoking is used most often with salted products. The most advantageous conditions for each kind of smoking—air velocity, relative humidity, length of exposure, and salt content, for example—are now generally understood and applied during the smoking process. For example, electrostatic precipitators can be employed to attract smoke particles and improve the penetration of the particles into meat or fish. So many alternative forms of preservation are now available that smoking no longer holds the position of importance it once did with ancient peoples. More frequently, the process is used to add interesting and distinctive flavors to foods.
Because most disease-causing organisms require a moist environment in which to survive and multiply, drying is a natural technique for preventing spoilage. Indeed, the act of simply leaving foods out in the sun and wind to dry out is probably one of the earliest forms of food preservation. Evidence for the drying of meats, fish, fruits, and vegetables go back to the earliest recorded human history. At some point, humans also learned that the drying process could be hastened and improved by various mechanical techniques. For example, the Arabs learned early on that apricots could be preserved almost indefinitely by macerating them, boiling them, and then leaving them to dry on broad sheets. The product of this technique, quamaradeen, is still made by the same process in modern Muslim countries.
Today, a host of dehydrating techniques are known and used. The specific technique adopted depends on the properties of the food being preserved. For example, a traditional method for preserving rice is to allow it to dry naturally in the fields or on drying racks in barns for about two weeks. After this period of time, the native rice is threshed and then dried again by allowing it to sit on straw mats in the sun for about three days. Modern drying techniques make use of fans and heaters in controlled environments. Such methods avoid the uncertainties that arise from leaving crops in the field to dry under natural conditions. Controlled temperature air drying is especially popular for the preservation of grains such as maize, barley, and bulgur.
Vacuum drying is a form of preservation in which a food is placed in a large container from which air is removed. Water vapor pressure within the food is greater than that outside of it, and water evaporates more quickly from the food than in a normal atmosphere. Vacuum drying is biologically desirable since some enzymes that cause oxidation of foods become active during normal air drying. These enzymes do not appear to be as active under vacuum drying conditions, however. Two of the special advantages of vacuum drying are that the process is more efficient at removing water from a food product, and it takes place more quickly than air drying. In one study, for example, the drying time of a fish fillet was reduced from about 16 hours by air drying to six hours as a result of vacuum drying.
Coffee drinkers are familiar with the process of dehydration known as spray drying. In this process, a concentrated solution of coffee in water is sprayed though a disk with many small holes in it. The surface area of the original coffee grounds is increased many times, making dehydration of the dry product much more efficient. Freeze-drying is a method of preservation that makes use of the physical principle known as sublimation. Sublimation is the process by which a solid passes directly to the gaseous phase without first melting. Freeze-drying is a desirable way of preserving food because at low temperatures (commonly around 14°F to –13°F [–10°C to –25°C]) chemical reactions take place very slowly and pathogens have difficulty surviving. The food to be preserved by this method is first frozen and then placed into a vacuum chamber. Water in the food first freezes and then sublimes, leaving a moisture content in the final product of as low as 0.5%.
The precise mechanism by which salting preserves food is not entirely understood. It is known that salt binds with water molecules and thus acts as a dehydrating agent in foods. A high level of salinity may also impair the conditions under which pathogens can survive. In any case, the value of adding salt to foods for preservation has been well known for centuries. Sugar appears to have effects similar to those of salt in preventing spoilage of food. The use of either compound (and of certain other natural materials) is known as curing. A desirable side effect of using salt or sugar as a food preservative is, of course, the pleasant flavor each compound adds to the final product.
Curing can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Meats can be submerged in a salt solution known as brine, for example, or the salt can be rubbed on the meat by hand. The injection of salt solutions into meats has also become popular. Food scientists have now learned that a number of factors relating to the food product and to the preservative conditions affect the efficiency of curing. Some of the food factors include the type of food being preserved, the fat content, and the size of treated pieces. Preservative factors include brine temperature and concentration, and the presence of impurities.
Curing is used with certain fruits and vegetables, such as cabbage (in the making of sauerkraut), cucumbers (in the making of pickles), and olives. It is probably most popular, however, in the preservation of meats and fish. Honey-cured hams, bacon, and corned beef ("corn" is a term for a form of salt crystals) are common examples.
Freezing is an effective form of food preservation because the pathogens that cause food spoilage are killed or do not grow very rapidly at reduced temperatures. The process is less effective in food preservation than are thermal techniques such as boiling because pathogens are more likely to be able to survive cold temperatures than hot temperatures. In fact, one of the problems surrounding the use of freezing as a method of food preservation is the danger that pathogens deactivated (but not killed) by the process will once again become active when the frozen food thaws.
A number of factors are involved in the selection of the best approach to the freezing of foods, including the temperature to be used, the rate at which freezing is to take place, and the actual method used to freeze the food. Because of differences in cellular composition, foods actually begin to freeze at different temperatures ranging from about 31°F (–0.6°C) for some kinds of fish to 19°F (–7°C) for some kinds of fruits.
The rate at which food is frozen is also a factor, primarily because of aesthetic reasons. The more slowly food is frozen, the larger the ice crystals that are formed. Large ice crystals have the tendency to cause rupture of cells and the destruction of texture in meats, fish, vegetables, and fruits. In order to deal with this problem, the technique of quick-freezing has been developed. In quick-freezing, a food is cooled to or below its freezing point as quickly as possible. The product thus obtained, when thawed, tends to have a firm, more natural texture than is the case with most slow-frozen foods.
About a half dozen methods for the freezing of foods have been developed. One, described as the plate, or contact, freezing technique, was invented by the American inventor Charles Birdseye in 1929. In this method, food to be frozen is placed on a refrigerated plate and cooled to a temperature less than its freezing point. Alternatively, the food may be placed between two parallel refrigerated plates and frozen. Another technique for freezing foods is by immersion in very cold liquids. At one time, sodium chloride brine solutions were widely used for this purpose. A 10% brine solution, for example, has a freezing point of about 21°F (–6°C), well within the desired freezing range for many foods. More recently, liquid nitrogen has been used for immersion freezing. The temperature of liquid nitrogen is about –320°F (–195.5°C), so that foods immersed in this substance freeze very quickly.
As with most methods of food preservation, freezing works better with some foods than with others. Fish, meat, poultry, and citrus fruit juices (such as frozen orange juice concentrate) are among the foods most commonly preserved by this method.
Fermentation is a naturally occurring chemical reaction by which a natural food is converted into another form by pathogens. It is a process in which food spoils, but results in the formation of an edible product. Perhaps the best example of such a food is cheese. Fresh milk does not remain in edible condition for a very long period of time. Its pHis such that harmful pathogens begin to grow in it very rapidly. Early humans discovered, however, that the spoilage of milk can be controlled in such a way as to produce a new product, cheese.
Bread is another food product made by the process of fermentation. Flour, water, sugar, milk, and other raw materials are mixed together with yeasts and then baked. The addition of yeasts brings about the fermentation of sugars present in the mixture, resulting in the formation of a product that will remain edible much longer than will the original raw materials used in the bread-making process.
Heating food is an effective way of preserving it because the great majority of harmful pathogens are killed at temperatures close to the boiling point of water. In this respect, heating foods is a form of food preservation comparable to that of freezing but much superior to it in its effectiveness. A preliminary step in many other forms of food preservation, especially forms that make use of packaging, is to heat the foods to temperatures sufficiently high to destroy pathogens.
In many cases, foods are actually cooked prior to their being packaged and stored. In other cases, cooking is neither appropriate nor necessary. The most familiar example of the latter situation is pasteurization. During the 1860s, the French bacteriologist Louis Pasteur discovered that pathogens in foods could be destroyed by heating those foods to a certain minimum temperature. The process was particularly appealing for the preservation of milk since preserving milk by boiling is not a practical approach. Conventional methods of pasteurization called for the heating of milk to a temperature between 145 and 149°F (63 and 65°C) for a period of about 30 minutes, and then cooling it to room temperature. In a more recent revision of that process, milk can also be "flash-pasteurized" by raising its temperature to about 160°F (71°C) for a minimum of 15 seconds, with equally successful results. A process known as ultra-high-pasteurization uses even higher temperatures, of the order of 194–266°F (90–130°C), for periods of a second or more.
One of the most common methods for preserving foods today is to enclose them in a sterile container. The term "canning" refers to this method although the specific container can be glass, plastic, or some other material as well as a metal can, from which the procedure originally obtained its name. The basic principle behind canning is that a food is sterilized, usually by heating, and then placed within an air-tight container. In the absence of air, no new pathogens can gain access to the sterilized food. In most canning operations, the food to be packaged is first prepared in some way—cleaned, peeled, sliced, chopped, or treated in some other way—and then placed directly into the container. The container is then placed in hot water or some other environment where its temperature is raised above the boiling point of water for some period of time. This heating process achieves two goals at once. First, it kills the vast majority of pathogens that may be present in the container. Second, it forces out most of the air above the food in the container.
After heating has been completed, the top of the container is sealed. In home canning procedures, one way of sealing the (usually glass) container is to place a layer of melted paraffin directly on top of the food. As the paraffin cools, it forms a tight solid seal on top of the food. Instead of or in addition to the paraffin seal, the container is also sealed with a metal screw top containing a rubber gasket. The first glass jar designed for this type of home canning operation, the Mason jar, was patented in 1858.
The commercial packaging of foods frequently makes use of tin, aluminum, or other kinds of metallic cans. The technology for this kind of canning was first developed in the mid-1800s, when individual workers hand-sealed cans after foods had been cooked within them. At this stage, a single worker could seldom produce more than 100 "canisters" (from which the word "can" later came) of food a day. With the development of far more efficient canning machines in the late nineteenth century, the mass production of canned foods became a reality.
As with home canning, the process of preserving foods in metal cans is simple in concept. The foods are prepared and the empty cans are sterilized. The prepared foods are then added to the sterile metal can, the filled can is heated to a sterilizing temperature, and the cans are then sealed by a machine. Modern machines are capable of moving a minimum of 1,000 cans per minute through the sealing operation.
The majority of food preservation operations used today also employ some kind of chemical additive to reduce spoilage. Of the many dozens of chemical additives available, all are designed either to kill or retard the growth of pathogens or to prevent or retard chemical reactions that result in the oxidation of foods. Some familiar examples of the former class of food additives are sodium benzoate and benzoic acid; calcium, sodium propionate, and propionic acid; calcium, potassium, sodium sorbate, and sorbic acid; and sodium and potassium sulfite. Examples of the latter class of additives include calcium, sodium ascorbate, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C); butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT); lecithin; and sodium and potassium sulfite and sulfur dioxide.
A special class of additives that reduce oxidation is known as the sequestrants. Sequestrants are compounds that "capture" metallic ions, such as those of copper, iron, and nickel, and remove them from contact with foods. The removal of these ions helps preserve foods because in their free state they increase the rate at which oxidation of foods takes place. Some examples of sequestrants used as food preservatives are ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA), citric acid, sorbitol, and tartaric acid.
The lethal effects of radiation on pathogens has been known for many years. Since the 1950s, research in the United States has been directed at the use of this technique for preserving certain kinds of food. The radiation used for food preservation is normally gamma radiation from radioactive isotopes or machine-generated x rays or electron beams. One of the first applications of radiation for food preservation was in the treatment of various kinds of herbs and spices, an application approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1983. In 1985, the FDA extended its approval to the use of radiation for the treatment of pork as a means of destroying the pathogens that cause trichinosis. Experts predict that the ease and efficiency of food preservation by means of radiation will develop considerably in the future. That future is somewhat clouded, however, by fears expressed by some scientists and members of the general public about the dangers that irradiated foods may have for humans. In addition to a generalized concern about the possibilities of being exposed to additional levels of radiation in irradiated foods (not a possibility), critics have raised questions about the creation of new and possibly harmful compounds in food that has been exposed to radiation.
Foods which can be dried
This is a list of notable dried foods. Food drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of bacteria and has been practiced worldwide since ancient times to preserve food. Where or when dehydration as a food preservation technique was invented has been lost to time, but the earliest known practice of food drying is 12,000 BC by inhabitants of the modern Middle East and Asia regions.
Various bouillon cubes
Bouillon cube is dehydrated bouillon(French for broth) or stock formed into a small cube about 15 mm wide. It is typically made by dehydrating vegetables, meat stock, a small portion of fat, salt, and seasonings, and shaping them into a small cube. Vegetarian and vegan types are also made.Instant breakfast typically refers tobreakfast food products manufactured in apowdered form, which is generally prepared with the addition of milk and then consumed as a beverage. An example includes Carnation Instant Breakfast, which was introduced in 1964.
Instant coffee is a beverage derived from brewed coffee beans. Instant coffee is commercially prepared by either freeze-drying or spray drying, after which it can be rehydrated. Instant coffee in a concentrated liquid form is also manufactured.
Powdered eggs are fully dehydrated eggsmade using spray drying in the same way that powdered milk is made. Powdered eggs have a storage life of 5 to 10 years when stored without oxygen in a cool environment. Another dried egg product is freeze-dried eggs, which can be shelf stable for up to 25 years.
Freeze-dried ice cream is ice cream that has had most of the water removed from it by a freeze-drying process; sealed in a pouch, it requires no refrigeration. It achieved fame as a popular food in human spaceflight.
Freeze-dried eggs can be shelf stable for up to 25 years.
Freeze-dried ice cream, Neapolitan flavor
Edible jellyfish is often salt cured, creating a dried finished product.
Kashk is used in a large family of foods found in Lebanese, Palestinian, Egyptian, Kurdish, Iranian, and Central Asian cuisine. It is made from drained sour milk or yogurt by forming it and letting it dry. It can be made in a variety of forms, including rolled into balls, sliced into strips, and formed into chunks.
Evaporated milk is a shelf-stable cannedmilk product with about 60% of the water removed. It differs from sweetened condensed milk, which contains addedsugar.Powdered milk is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk to dryness. In modern times, powdered milk is usually made by spray drying.nonfatskimmed milk, whole milk, buttermilk, or whey. Pasteurized milk is first concentrated in an evaporator to around 50% milk solids. The resulting concentrated milk is then sprayed into a heated chamber where the water almost instantly evaporates, leaving fine particles of powdered milk solids.
Non-dairy creamer is a liquid or granular substance intended to substitute for milk orcream as an additive to coffee or other beverages.Instant noodles are dried, cooked noodlesusually sold with packets of flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. Instantramen is a very common type of instant noodle product.
Health Benefits of Dried Fruit
Dried fruits offers some advantages over fresh fruits: a longer shelf life and portability. If you are watching your weight, dried fruits should be eaten in moderation as they contain significantly more calories per serving than fresh fruits. Some dried fruits contain sugars added in processing which increase its calorie content. However, dried fruits without additives offer numerous health benefits.
Advertisement
High Fiber
Dried fruits generally contains more fiber than the same-sized serving of their fresh counterparts. Fiber helps keep your digestive system running smoothly. Dried apricots, for example, contain 6.5 grams per cup, while fresh apricots contain just 3.1 grams. A cup of raisins contains 5.4 grams of fiber versus just 1.4 grams for seedless grapes. Fiber not only helps your digestive system. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, it helps prevent obesity, heart disease and some forms of cancer.
Antioxidants
Some dried fruits are a good source of certain antioxidants, according to a 2005 study in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition." Phenols, a type of antioxidant, are more abundant in fruits like dates and figs than in some fresh fruits, leading researchers to advise that more dried fruits be included in the American diet. Plant polyphenols have been found to fight heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer and degenerative diseases of the brain, according to the November-December 2009 issue of "Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity."
Nutrient Density
Because most of the water is extracted from dried fruits, their nutrients are condensed into a small package. Dried fruits like apricots, raisins, prunes and figs contain high amounts of beta carotene, vitamin E, niacin, iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium, reports the European Food Information Council.
Fat and Calories
Dried fruits contains little to no fat. They also contain significant calories per serving, making them a natural source of energy for athletes. They are also a good supplement for people seeking to gain weight healthfully. If you are watching your weight, you may want to limit your intake of dried fruit due to the calorie content.
Foods which can be freezed and not.
Eggs: Fridge
The Food Standards Agency recommends storing them in the fridge, as the risk of salmonella is increased by changes in temperature – which can also affect the quality and taste.
As certain recipes require eggs at room temperature, it’s wise to take them out a few hours before cooking.
Jam: fridge
Our hygiene expert, Dr Sally Bloomfield, recommends keeping your spread in the fridge, as otherwise mould can form – especially once it’s been opened.
Prior to opening it’s fine to keep it in the cupboard.
Cheese: Fridge
Cheese is prone to going off as its high protein content acts as an energy source for bacteria to grow.
Soft cheeses like mozzarella and goat’s cheese have the shortest shelf life as they also have low levels of salt.
Medium cheeses such as cheddar, edam and gruyere are also best kept in the fridge, as the cold locks in acidity and flavour.
Hard cheeses like Parmesan and manchego can be stored in the cupboard, as they have a low moisture content meaning they’re less likely to decay.
But once it’s opened or cut, it’s exposed to micro-organisms in the air and should then be kept refrigerated.
Salad dressing, ketchup and mayonnaise: Fridge
Due to the fresh eggs and cream in these products, they can spoil easily.
As a result it’s wise to keep them in the fridge.
They can become rancid if they are kept at room temperature.
Ketchup should also be kept in the fridge as it stays fresher when chilled.
Pickles, chutney and mustard: Fridge
These tend to contain less sugar than most preserves and jams, and less salt than Marmite, so they’re best kept in the fridge, especially once open.
Read the instructions, though, as some might be safe at ambient room temperature.
If it’s homemade, definitely keep it in the fridge, as the jars haven’t been professionally sealed so they’re more prone to mould.
Nectarines, peaches and pears: Cupboard then fridge
These can go in the fridge, but it might impact the flavour.
The best thing to do is allow them to ripen on the counter top, then pop in the fridge once they’re already nice and sweet.
Grapes and berries: Fridge
Grapes are one which not everyone pops in the fridge, but it’s best to.
If you don’t it’s much more likely they will spoil quickly, which is the same with berries and cherries.
Apples: Fridge
Apples are one of a small number of fruits that are best to be stored in the fridge.
This is because as they ripen they release ethylene gas, a natural compound that makes fruit and veg nearby ripen and eventually go off.
Chilling them slows theproduction of ethylene, making them last longer.
foods you should STOP refrigerating!
We're completely aware of how modernrefrigeration is a substantial practice in every kitchen and household. It goes a long way in preserving our food and maintaining its quality.
But did you know, despite popular belief, refrigerating certain foods can actually change their flavour (not in a good way). This is not it. It can even reduce their nutritional quality, or accelerate the spoiling process. Keep reading to find out the food items you are never supposed to refrigerate. We bet some of these are sitting in your fridge right now!
1) Bread
It is perfectly fine to freeze bread, but keeping it in the fridge causes it to dry faster. And you end up eating dry bread. Instead, keep what you’ll eat within four days at room temperature and freeze the rest. Store in a cool cupboard or bread box for a fresh slice.
2) Herbs
It's natural instinct to stuff the fresh herbs, you just bought from the grocery, right onto the fridge. But did you know herbs wilt faster in the fridge? You could place them in a water-filled glass jar on your kitchen counter to to keep it fresh and crisp.
3) Potato
Refrigeration adversely affects the flavour of potatoes, therefore it is best to store them in paper bags. Remember, plastic bags promote moisture and speed decay process.
4) Onion
The best way to store onions is in a paper bag in a cool, dark spot, away from potatoes. Potatoes tend to release moisture and gases that can cause onions to rot. They soften and impart an oniony scent on nearby foods. The moisture of the fridge softens the onions and moldy.
5) Salad dressings
Just like other condiments, most salad dressing, especially ones that are vinegar or oil-based, are just fine stored outside the fridge. However, cream, yogurt, or mayo-based dressings should be stored in the fridge.
6) Tomato
Tomatoes lose their flavor and start becoming mushy when stored inside the fridge. In order to ripen the tomatoes faster, however, store them out of the fridge in a paper bag. Once ripe, they’ll last for about three days.
7)Ketchup,soy sauce
Thanks to the vinegar and preservatives, the saucy ketchup and soy sauce will be just fine without refrigeration, even after it has been opened.
8) Cereal
Your morning cereals will be fine and happy outside the fridge. So don't upset them.
9) Oils
Pretty much all oils are safe to store at room temperature. If the oil has a lower saturated-fat content, such as safflower or sunflower, it will benefit from being kept cool, so store it in a dark cabinet or the fridge door. The only oils that you must refrigerate are nut-based oils.
10) Coffee
You all know this. Coffee fares best in an airtight container. In fact, refrigeration condenses coffee and reduces the flavor.
11) Pickles
High on preservatives, pickles will stay fresh outside the fridge. Store it in an open space, so air can move around it.
12) Honey
Refrigeration will cause the luscious honey to harden. That's why you should be storing it at room temperature and out of direct sunlight.
13) Garlic
Refrigeration reduces the flavor of garlic and affects its lifespan as well. The refrigerated environment can actually cause mold to develop. Store garlic in a paper bag in a cool, dark spot.
14) Spices
Ground spices need no refrigeration whatsoever.
24) Peppers
Whether red, green, yellow, and even chili peppers, they're going to be just fine without any refrigeration. Store them in a paper bag in a cool space.
Pickling Method
The main difference between this category and canning is that you need two things for pickling: salt and acid. Pickling requires you soak your produce, most famously cucumbers, in a brine with salt. When they have pickled for the desired amount of time you transfer them to a jar full of vinegar. At this point you can use the canning method to produce a vacuum seal, if you wish.
A bonus of pickling is that it does not change the texture too much. The vegetables undergo a fermentation process, which also results in a vitamin boost. Pickled vegetables are known for having an increased level of vitamin B6.
Pickled fruits:
Pickle leftover watermelon rinds to create a sweet yet savory condiment that pairs well with pan-seared pork chops.Try these tangy, pickled pears in an arugula salad or enjoy them as a stand-alone snack.Pickled figs make for a delectable accompaniment to any grilled meat.Take your Moroccan and Middle Eastern cuisine to the next level by pickling your own lemons.Spice up dessert with pickledgrapes infused with cinnamon and black pepper.Add peeled ginger and smoky spices to pickled mango for a flavorful fruit relish.Transform meaty red tomatoes into bright pickles that will give ketchup a run for its money.For a pop of flavor, toss pickledpineapple in a Southeast Asian-inspired stir-fry dish.Save that pumpkin shell afterHalloween and pickle it for a zesty addition to your Thanksgiving table.
Pickled vegetables:
Venture away from thick-skinned and root vegetables by picklinggreen beans instead.Cooked vegetables like roasted tri-colored peppers make delicious pickles and brighten up any appetizer plate.Pickled beets are a traditional picnic food that can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere.Punch up bland cauliflower by pickling it with carrots and red bell peppers.Create sweet and sour ramps (wild leeks) when you preserve them with vinegar instead of butter.Kick up any dish with pickledgreen chili peppers and enjoy the flavor when fresh ones are out of season.Combine pickled eggplant chunkswith olive oil and feta cheese for a savory appetizer best served alongside fresh bread.There is no need for ranch dressing when you pickle your own celerysticks.Celebrate the flavors of the south and enjoy pickled okra.Swap the same ol' dill pickle for halved Brussels sprouts.Pair briny, pickled corn alongside your go-to grilled dishes all summer long.
Health Benefits Of Pickles
There are so many pickles with abundant nutrients available that can help our body in various ways. Let’s look at the benefits in detail.
Antioxidant Properties
Pickles can be a good source of antioxidants, especially Decalepis hamiltonii or Swallow root pickle. As the vegetables or unripe fruits are stored fresh without cooking, the antioxidants present in those vegetables or unripe fruits are preserved as is. Antioxidants are those micronutrients that help in protecting our body against the attacks of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable chemicals that are produced by cellular metabolism. These unstable chemicals react with our cells and damage our DNA to become unstable and in the process, create more free radicals. We can protect ourselves from these radical attacks by consuming food with high antioxidants.
Improve Digestion
Probiotic bacteria are those friendly bacteria that are present in our digestive system. These bacteria actually help us in the digestion of food. Sometimes, due to the use of antibiotics, along with invading bacteria, these friendly bacteria are also killed. The fall in their numbers can cause digestive problems that can be solved by eating pickles made without the use of vinegar. Naturally, fermented salt pickles encourage the growth of these friendly bacteria, which will replenish their numbers in our digestive system and restore our health.
Supply Essential Minerals & Vitamins
Fresh pickles, dips or chutneys are made from leafy vegetables or herbs such as coriander, curry leaves,spinach, parsley, and amaranth. These fresh pickles are interesting and appetizing ways of making children eat their share of leafy vegetables and herbs, which are otherwise boring for them. Eating freshly made pickles not only tastes good, but also supply essential vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, and minerals like iron, calcium, and potassium. Vitamins and minerals are vitalmicronutrients which protect us from diseases, help us build immunity, strengthen bones, enhances vision, cureanemia, and various other problems.
Control Diabetes
Studies have shown that consuming vinegar-based pickles improves hemoglobin levels in diabetic patients, which in turn helps in controlling diabetes. The acetic acid present in vinegar has been noted to be responsible for this phenomenon. However, care must be taken to avoid the consumption of salted pickles as excess salt increases blood pressure.
Improve Digestion
In India, Indian gooseberry or amla (Phyllanthus emblica) is one of the favorite fruits that are pickled. This fruit is believed to possess several health benefits according to Ayurveda treatments and moreover, since amla is a seasonal fruit, unripe amla pickles are prepared and preserved. It is a customary practice in some Indian families to have amla pickle as the first course or an appetizer as it is believed that amla pickle improves digestion.
Liver Protection
Apart from benefits such as improved digestion, amla or gooseberry pickle also has hepatoprotective properties. Studieshave shown that when amla extracts were administered to lab animals with chemical-induced hepatotoxicity or liver damage, the damage was reduced significantly.
Reduce Ulcers
Ulcers are internal wounds caused due to a failure of mucous membranes and acid interaction on tissues. Particularly, gastric ulcers are caused by a weakening of mucous membrane and hyperacidity. Regular consumption of amla or Indian gooseberry pickle also helps in reducing ulcers, if any.
Word of Caution: Almost all pickles contain a high amount of salt in them. It not only adds to the taste, but it also helps in preserving the pickle and acts as an anti-microbial, keeping away unwanted bacteria, yeast, and fungi. However, excess salt consumption through pickles can cause problems of its own.
Hypertension is one of the major risks of eating excess salt. It is known to be one of the major reasons causing strokes and heart attacks, especially in older people. Also, hypertension increases with increased age.
Apart from the risk of hypertension, Indian pickles may contain high quantities of oil, which increases the risk of fat and cholesterol development in our body. Hence, the regular intake of these delicious foods must be reduced and must be limited to only occasional consumption.
Canning Method
In order to can foods, you need heat. The canning technique was developed by a French chemist years ago and was used to preserve food for Napoleon's army. Canning is a popular way of preserving fruits, vegetables and meats.
Both cans and glass jars are suitable for canning. The important thing will be to sterilise your equipment in simmering water for a few minutes (this includes lids). Then they will be ready to be filled with things like jam. After filling, place the lid on firmly, but not too tight. To finalise the process lower the jars into a pot full of water, cover and bring to a boil. Process for about 10 minutes. Pull the jars out of the hot water and let cool. They will vacuum seal as they cool. Cooking times vary per recipe.
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT FOR CANNING AND PRESERVING
If you plan to can, freeze, or dry your food, you’ll need some special tools. The equipment involved with canning or preserving food is designed for efficiency and safety, so be sure you to use them. If you have these pieces already, great! If not, add them to your shopping list:
Tongs: Have tongs ready for lifting hot foods out of boiling or simmering water. Any variety that you prefer will work, but a locking mechanism keeps them out of the way when not in use.
Candy thermometer: Find a good quality thermometer, with a clip for attaching it to the side of a pot. This item is so useful; it is a good idea to have a backup in case one breaks while you are using it.
Jar lifter: This tool is a specialized set of tongs. Its rubberized ends fit securely around any size canning jar, to lift them in and out of your canner.
Canning funnel: Used for canning foods, this wide mouth tool keeps the rims of jars clean. It can also be used to fill ziplock bags neatly.
Canning jars: Canning jars are made from tempered glass to withstand the high heat and pressure of your canner. Both narrow- and wide-mouth jars are available, with wide-mouth being easiest to remove the food from once it is canned.
Water-bath and/or pressure canner. If you’re going to can, you must use the appropriate canner. For canning high-acid foods (fruits, jellies, relishes, and pickles), get a water-bath canner. For low-acid foods (vegetables and meats), get a pressure canner.
Water-Bath Canning Pressure Canning Drying Freezing
1. Gather supplies and equipment; keep jars hot.
2. Prepare food.
3. Fill your jars, leaving proper headspace and releasing air bubbles. Put on lids and hand-tighten screw bands. .
4. Place jars in water-bath canner.
5. Bring water to boil and allow to boil for amount of time specified in recipe.
6. At end of processing time, remove jars and allow to cool completely.
7. Test seals.
8. Store!
1. Gather supplies and equipment; keep jars hot.
2. Prepare food.
3. Fill your jars, leaving proper headspace and releasing air bubbles. Put on lids and hand-tighten screw bands.
4. Place jars in pressure canner.
5. Close and lock the canner.
6. Process jars as outlined in the recipe.
7. At end of processing time, allow pressure to return to 0.
8. Remove jars from canner and allow to cool completely.
9. Test seals.
10. Store!
1. Gather supplies.
2. Prepare food.
3. Arrange food on dehydrator trays.
4. Dry at specified temperature, occasionally turning food and rotating trays.
5. Check for doneness, using guidelines in recipe for what properly dried food looks and feels like.
6. Place in airtight storage container and store in cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.
1. Gather supplies.
2. Prepare food.
3. Place food in freezer containers, leaving specified headspace (if using rigid containers) or pressing out all excess air (if using freezer storage bags).
4. Slightly chill food or, if it was blanched, allow to come to room temperature.
5. Loosely pack food in freezer.
6. When completely frozen, repack more tightly in freezer.
Benefits of Canning
Canning food in your own home is a safe and rewarding process that is becoming popular again as food prices soar and people realize they need to pay attention to securing their food supplies. NOLA Green Roots entire mission is to build a more sustainable community. Preserving food with home canning is an excellent way to increase your consumption of the local food from the gardens we provide in your baskets. Eating locally requires eating foods when they are in season, and canning allows you to capture the bounty of any particular crop in season and extend its availability throughout the year.
– Long shelf life. Canned fruits and vegetables are preservative-free; the canning process (high temperatures and sterile containers) destroys organisms that would cause spoilage. Canned food remains safe as long as the container remains intact. Although most canned foods are coded with “use by” dates you’re wise to rotate them. Change your supply of canned products at least every other year.
• Nutritious. Canned foods – and other dishes made with canned ingredients – are as nutritious as fresh, according to research, and perhaps more so, if fresh aren’t handled properly. For lycopene (a carotenoid that protects against prostate cancer), canned tomatoes are better than fresh!
• Tamper resistance. Cans are very tamper-resistant. Any opening of the package is clearly evident. However, you should watch for rust, dents, bulges or leaks. These could mean that the contents in the can are not safe to consumer.
• Food safety. Food is heated to destroy bacteria and then sealed in cans within hours of harvesting. Washing, peeling, and other steps in the canning process remove almost any pesticide residues left on unprocessed foods. For maximum flavor and nutritional value from canned foods, use the product immediately after opening it. Handle any leftover as a perishable food – stored in the refrigerator to retain taste and nutritional quality.
You can approach home canning as a hobbyist or a full-time enthusiast who stocks a sizeable percentage of his or her food supply with home preserved food. Whether you want to enjoy a couple fun weekend projects putting up jam or seriously supplement your diet, you will enjoy many personal benefits while being a better steward to the environment and supporting your local economy. And the way things are going with the global food market, you will likely save money as well, especially as time goes on.
Your home canned foods will be stored in jars that you can use again and again, unlike the throw-away packaging from grocery store food.
FACTS ON FOOD PRESERVATION
1. Fact or myth? Old church cookbooks have great canning recipes you will want to use.
2. Fact or myth? As long as you boil the jars of canned vegetables long enough, you will have a safe end product.
3. Fact or myth? Vegetables, meats and most mixtures of foods should be canned only in a pressure canner.
4. Fact or myth? Canning in your oven is a safe, convenient way to seal jars.
5. Fact or myth? You can invent your own salsa recipe and can it as long as you process it in a water-bath canner.
6. Fact or myth? Acid, such as lemon juice or citric acid, should be added to all tomatoes prior to canning.
7. Fact or myth? Most vegetables do not require heat blanching prior to freezing.
8. Fact or myth? You can expect high-quality food when you freeze foods in plastic containers that previously held whipped topping or margarine.
9. Fact or myth? You can use glass mayonnaise jars to can food, such as peach sauce, in a boiling water-bath canner.
10. Fact or myth? Paraffin wax provides an excellent seal on jelly and jam jars.
11. Fact or myth? Pickles are so acidic that they do not need to be processed in a boiling water-bath canner.
12. Fact or myth? Screw bands should be tightened “fingertip tight” prior to canning.
Answers and Explanations
1. Myth. Old church cookbooks often provide outdated and unsafe canning recipes.
U.S. Department of Agriculture canning guidelines underwent a major overhaul in 1994, and in 2006, canning guidelines were reviewed and revised. Follow only current research-tested canning recipes, such as those from USDA/Extension or Ball.
2. Myth. Unless you process canned foods properly, you could put yourself at risk for botulism, a potentially fatal form of foodborne illness. Clostridium botulinum spores can grow and produce a toxin in low-acid foods in sealed cans or jars. Boiling jars at 212 degrees will not kill this organism or its spores.
3. Fact. The acidity (or pH) of a food determines how foods should be canned. Low-acid foods such as these must be processed in a pressure canner:
Vegetables (except when acidified)MeatsPoultrySeafoodSoupsMixtures of acidic and low-acid foods
4. Myth. Canning in an oven is not safe. This method can be extremely dangerous for low-acid foods.
5. Myth. If you invent your own salsa recipe, you can freeze it. Follow salsa formulations exactly and measure/weigh ingredients carefully.
6. Fact. Tomato varieties vary in the amount of acid they contain depending on variety and growing season. For safety, tomatoes to be canned in a water-bath canner or a pressure canner should be acidified with one of the following:
Add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice per quart (1 tablespoon per pint)Add ½ teaspoon of citric acid per quart (¼ teaspoon per pint)
7. Myth. For best quality, vegetables should be heat-treated (or blanched) in boiling water for the recommended length of time. Blanching inactivates enzymes (small proteins that regulate processes). Without blanching, undesirable flavor, texture and color changes can occur.
8. Myth. Using these types of containers can result in freezer burn or dehydration. Freezer burn is a quality issue, not a safety issue. You may not want to eat freezer-burned food because of changes in the color, texture and flavor.
9. Fact (kind of). They are safe to use, butMason-type jars are the best choice for canning. Expect more seal failures and potential breakage when reusing commercial jars. Mayo jars have a narrower sealing surface and are tempered less than Mason jars.
10. Myth. Paraffin wax does not provide an air-tight seal. Spoilage (mold growth) can occur. Use two-piece, self-sealing lids on jams and jellies.
11. Myth. Many molds, yeasts and some bacteria survive in acidic environments. To inactivate molds, yeast and bacteria, process pickles in a water-bath canner for the recommended time.
12. Fact. Just use your fingertips – not your muscles – to tighten screw bands. Overtightening can lead to seal failures. Prepare lids as directed on the package. Do not reuse lids. You can reuse screw bands.
