Food Preservation involves preventing the growth of bacteria, fungi (such as yeasts), or other micro-organisms, as well as slowing the oxidation of fats that cause rancidity. Food preservation may also include processes that inhibit visual deterioration, such as the enzymatic browning reaction in apples after they are cut during food preparation.

Food Preservation is the process of keeping food from spoiling to save it for future use. This could also be a source of added income.

What makes food preservation important?

1.      It prevents food spoilage.

2.      It saves time, energy, and money from the family’s meal planning.

3.      It improves the health of the family.

4.      It enables us to eat foods even if they are not in season.

5.      It gives profitable work to people.

6.      It allows us to stock food for future use.

7.      It is an additional source of income.

You can make food preserves from homegrown fruits and vegetables like kamias, santol, tomatoes, papaya, pickles, and a lot more. Some families make food preserves as a hobby. They start by making homemade goodies, bottled and candied fruit preserves and give these as gifts for friends in different occasions. Later, through circle of friends, word-of-mouth and talks, orders start coming and the hobby becomes a profitable business activity.

Foods that can be Preserved:
                   fruits, vegetables, fish, seafood, pork, meat and eggs.

Food preserves can be made from homegrown fruits and vegetables and from buying foods, fruits or vegetables in the market during the peak of their season and flavor. Meat, fish, and eggs can be preserved too.

Methods of Food Preservation

Freezing - food is subjected to low temperature to control microbial growth, thus, preventing the food from spoiling. Raw meat, fish, some vegetables, and some fruits are kept in the refrigerator or freezer for some time before they are used.

Drying - a method used to draw out water from food. It is the oldest, simplest, and economical way of preserving food. It can be done through placing the food directly under the sun or combining it with parching.

Use of Preservatives - the most common preservatives are sugar, salt, and vinegar. Preservatives slow down or prevent the growth of bacteria in food and ensure that the food retains their original quality. Ripe fruits and some vegetables use sugar for preservative while vinegar with salt and sugar are used to make pickled vegetables and fruits. Candied fruits are preserved using sugar.

Freeze-drying - in this method, the product is frozen first then subjected to a strong vacuum machine which rapidly converts ice into vapor. Examples of products that make use of this method are instant coffee, dried mangoes, and apples.

Sterilization - the food is cooked then placed in glass jars which are sterilized in order to have a longer shelf life. Sweetened fruits, fruit juice, and other desserts are preserved this way.

Smoking - in this process, salt is placed on the food first. Then it will be exposed to smoke coming from slow burning sawdust or wood shaving that emit a chemical compound called creosote. This slows the growth of bacteria while it undergoes drying process. Some fish and meat undergo this process.

Canning - this is the most common way of preserving food. Canned milk, juices, tomato sauce, processed meats such as sausage, canned beef, corned pork, and potted meat are just some examples of food preserved by canning.

Tools and Equipment Needed in Food Preservation

When you choose your tools and utensils correctly, then your work will be easier and enjoyable. This will also contribute to good quality of the finished product.

Before doing the actual work, these tools and equipment should be prepared and checked. These include the following:

• Cutting Board
• Knife
• Measuring Spoons
• Measuring Cups
• Tongs
• Kitchen Fork
• Bowls
• Colander
• Wire Basket
• Glass Jars
• Grater
• Tray
• Strainer
• Muslin Cloth
• Weighing Scale
• Funnel
• Refrigerator/Freezer
• Kettle
• Sauce pan
• Stove
• Double Broiler
• Carajay (Kawali)

Health and Safety Rules in Preserving Food

Doing your food preservation will be successful if you follow these rules:
1. Choose foods that are of good quality.
2. Be sure that the equipment and tools that you need are complete and
clean before starting your food preservation
3. Ensure correct and accurate measurements.
4. Follow the procedure correctly.
5. Follow the exact time in cooking.
6. Let the sterilized food inside the glass jars cool down first before storing
them.
7. Store preserved food in a cool, dry place.

Some Recipes for Food Preservation

SALTED EGGS

Ingredients:

2 dozen chicken or duck eggs

8 cups

2-2 ½ cups rock salt

Procedure:
1. Arrange eggs in a wide-mouthed jar.
2. Put 8 cups of hot water in a pitcher until salt is completely dissolved.
Let it cool. If desired, test the saltiness of the brine by dropping a slice of
potato in it. If the potato floats, the solution is salty enough.
3. Pour cooled salt solution over eggs in the jar. Cover jar with foil or
plastic wrap.
4. After 3 weeks, remove the eggs from the brine. Store in he refrigerator
and cook as needed.

PORK TOCINO

Ingredients:

1 kilo pork

4-5 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tbsp salt

1/8 tsp salitre (optional)

achuete seeds for coloring

Procedure:
1. Slice pork into 1 cm. thickness crosswise.
2. Mix salt, sugar, salitre, and achuete sauce. Rub on both sides of the
pork.
3. Pack salted pork in a plastic bag and seal. Keep in the freezer for 3-5

days.
4. Tocino can last for half a month when stored in the freezer.

  

BEEF TAPA

Ingredients:

1 kilo beef

2 tsp of coarse salt

4 tsp of brown sugar

a dash of ground pepper

achuete soaked in oil to color

Procedure:
1. Slice the beef thinly.
2. Mix salt, sugar, and ground pepper very well.
3. To make it more attractive, color with achuete.
4. Sprinkle and rub curing mixture thoroughly and evenly on both side of
beef slices.
5. Store the beef slices in a covered container at room temperature.
6. Turn the beef slices every now and then.
7. Let the food stand for about four days.
8. Dry under the sun for about three hours.
9. Fry in cooking oil.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup peanuts (skinless)

1/4 tsp fine salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup light syrup (1/4 sugar and 1/4 water)

Procedure:

Prepare and grease cookie sheet. Using a heavy saucepan and over medium heat, boil water, syrup, sugar, and salt. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add peanut. When it begins to thicken, test it by dropping a little in cold water. When it turns hard and brittle, remove from heat and immediately stir in baking soda and butter. Spread at once on the greased cookie sheet. Use 2 forks to spread and stretch. Swift action is needed in this stage or your candy would harden without being spread.
When it cools, snap candy into small pieces by hand. Store in bottle with tight cover.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the importance of food preservation to your family?

2. How can food preservation help improve the economy of a community

and the country?

3. What are the different preservatives used in food preservation? Which

are commonly used in processed meat?

4. Why is it important to follow safety rules in preserving food?

What will you do in the following situation?

1. Every Sunday, your mother buys 2 kilos of fish and meat. It so

happened that the freezer is full. What will you do to preserve both?

2. What could be done to fruits and vegetables harvested from your own

garden?

3. Vegetables perish easily. What will you do when you were given a lot of

them by a cousin who came from the province?

• Choose one from the preservation recipe learned in this lesson. Bring the materials to the class and do it on your own.
• Have your family members taste the preserved food and let them write their feedback on a piece of paper.
• Share these feedback to a classmate or friend.
• Write your experience about food preservation on the lines below.