7 Different Food Preservation Methods

Food preservation is the science that deals with the process of preventing food decay or spoilage, allowing it to be stored in a fit condition for future use. Food preservation ensures that the food’s quality, edibility, and nutritional value remain intact. Preservation prevents the growth of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms and slows the oxidation of fats to reduce rancidity. Here are seven different methods for preserving food.

Drying

This method lowers the activity of the water, which inhibits bacterial growth. Drying reduces weight, allowing foods to be transported more easily. Both the sun and the wind are used for drying, as are modern applications such as bed dryers, fluidized bed dryers, freeze-drying, shelf dryers, spray drying, commercial food dehydrators, and household ovens. You can use this method to dry meat and fruits like apples, apricots, and grapes.

Chilling

Storing food at a low temperature is the simplest and the safest way to store many types of food because the food you plan to chill usually requires little preparation. Fridges keep food fresh and protected because the cold slows bacterial growth and reduces spoilage. Depending on the type of food, it can last between a few days to a few weeks in the fridge before losing its texture and flavor.

Freezing

The freezing method uses freezing temperatures to preserve various food items, extending their shelf life by a few weeks to a month. At freezing temperatures, microorganisms rarely grow. Freezing, like chilling, employs specific measures to extend the shelf life of food items, such as food storage, freezing temperature and defrosting.

Canning

It is also known as bottling, in which you can use different types of canners to sterilize the jars and the food stored in them. You can use water bath canners to store high acid foods, whereas you can use pressure canners to store low acid foods. During the canning process, various food items such as vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, and so on are first processed and then stored inside a sterilized jar or can. Finally, you seal the jars with a top lid, and you can label them with information like the date of processing and the name of the food item.

Smoking

Smoking is a method of cooking, flavoring, and preserving food by exposing it to smoke from burning wood. Smoke has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and it is commonly used to smoke meats and fish. Hot smoking, cold smoking, smoke roasting, and smoke baking are all smoking methods.

Sugaring

Food preservation in a high-sugar environment inhibits bacterial growth by reducing the water content of the food. It’s useful particularly for fruit: you can make jam and marmalade that stays for a long time. Sugar granules, sugar syrup, or honey, among other sugary substances, work well to preserve food.

Salting and pickling

Curing, also known as salting, is the process of removing moisture from foods such as meat. Pickling is the process of preserving food in brine (salt solution) or vinegar (acetic acid). At a concentration of 20%, salt kills and inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Pickling can be accomplished in several ways, including chemical and fermentation pickling. In commercial pickles, they add sodium benzoate to increase shelf life.