Food Preservation Techniques

Among the oldest technologies still used by humans today are the various food preservation techniques. People will always disagree on which is the best method of food preservation, but in general people want safe, nutritious foods that are considered to be of a very good quality. This is determined by taking into account wholesomeness, freshness, flavor, aroma, nutritional value, texture and color. Food is generally considered safe when there is no potential danger from pathogenic microorganisms, naturally occurring toxins or any other chemicals that are deemed to be potentially harmful. For food to contain no bacteria it must be sterilized; if it contains bacteria it has not been sterilized. Milk has bacteria living naturally in it and it will spoil in a couple of hours if it is left at room temperature. On the other hand, putting it in the refrigerator slows down bacteria to such an extent that it will stay fresh for two weeks or more, even with bacteria still present in i t.

Food preservation involves treating and handling food to either greatly slow down or stop spoilage that caused or accelerated by micro-organisms. Preservation normally involves preventing the growth of fungi, bacteria and other micro-organisms, as well as the oxidation of fats which the cause rancidity. However, some methods of preservation actually use benign fungi, yeasts or bacteria to preserve food and add specific qualities, for example wines or cheeses. It may also include processes which inhibit aging and discoloration that occur during food preparation, like the enzymatic browning (oxidation) in apples when they are cut. Some food has to be sealed after treatment to prevent recontamination with microbes while others, such as drying, mean food can be stored without special containment. There are many methods of preserving food including freezing, freeze drying, spray drying, food irradiation, sugar crystallization, adding preservatives, preserving in syrup, canning an d vacuum-packing.Salting, also known as curing, removes moisture from meats through osmosis. Meat is cured with sugar or salt, or perhaps both. Nitrites and nitrates are also used to cure meat and inhibit Clostridium botulinum.Sugaring is used to preserve fruits such as apricots, pears, apples, plums and peaches, either in syrup or in crystallized form.There is a product available called eggstrafresh� that is one of the best food preservation techniquesever made. eggstrafresh� can be found at http://www.eggstrafresh.com. It has been scientifically proven to increase the shelf life of foods by dramatically reducing oxidation and retaining moisture. It also greatly improves the taste, natural color, flavor and texture of all foods, not just fruits and vegetables.This is one of the oldest methods, it reduces water activity enough to prevent or delay bacterial growth. Most meats can be dried, along with many fruits. Cereal grains including rice, rye, barley, oats, maize, wheat and millet are also dried, as are grapes like sultanas, raisins and currants.SmokingProducts like wines, beers and cheeses keep for a long time because the production process uses micro-organisms to combat spoilage.SugaringSome food can be preserved by cooking in a material that solidifies and forms a gel, including maize flour, arrowroot flour and gelatin. Certain foods form a natural protein gel when they are cooked. Using jellying to preserve fruit produces marmalade, fruit preserves and jelly.CanningDryingModified atmosphereThis is a way to preserve food by altering the atmosphere surrounding it. For example, salad is extremely hard to keep fresh and is now being packaged in sealed bags with a modified atmosphere which reduces oxygen and increases carbon dioxide.Pickling is a method of food preservation leaving the food in an edible, anti-microbial liquid. Fermentation pickling uses food itself to produce preservation agents, usually in a process that produces lactic acid. Chemical pickling inhibits or kills bacteria and other micro-organisms in a liquid.JellyingControlled use of micro-organismVacuum-packing stores food in an airless environment, like an air-tight bag or bottle. This environment leaves bacteria without oxygen, slowing spoiling.The following are all methods of food preservation:BurialLye, or sodium hydroxide, inhibits bacterial growth by making food too alkaline.Freezing is commonly used domestically and commercially for preserving a wide range of food.Exposure to ionizing radiation is known as irradiation or cold pasteurization. It has a large range of effects including killing molds, insects and bacteria, and reducing the ripening and spoiling of fruits.Fish, meat and other foods may be flavored as well as preserved with the use of smoke. The combination of heat and the aromatic (phenolic) hydrocarbons from the smoke preserve the food.Burying food preserves it by providing much lower levels of oxygen, light and pH level, as well as providing natural desiccants in the soil and cooler temperatures.Vacuum-packingExtremely high pressure is sometimes used to preserve food. Pressure as high as 70,000 psi or more is used, resulting in food that retains its nutrients, appearance, texture and flavor whilst presenting spoilage.IrradiationSaltingFreezingPicklingLyeHigh pressure food preservation

There is a product available called eggstrafresh� that is one of the best food preservation techniquesever made. eggstrafresh� can be found at http://www.eggstrafresh.com. It has been scientifically proven to increase the shelf life of foods by dramatically reducing oxidation and retaining moisture. It also greatly improves the taste, natural color, flavor and texture of all foods, not just fruits and vegetables.

Author: Mark Gold

How to Make the Very Best Strawberry Shake

While you can still find good strawberries, on an early summer day, make a great strawberry shake. Retreat to that shady corner of the garden, under the oak canopy, listen to the melody of the birds and the whispering of the breezes through the branches, and linger over your shake. There's not much that's more refreshing and satisfying than a thick strawberry shake made with fresh, plump strawberries and premium ice cream. This one is topped with sweetened, flavored whipped cream.

2. Peel the tomatoes by starting a small slit in the skin with a knife at the tip of a tomato. Grasp the edge of the skin and peel the skin from the tomato in strips. Repeat with each tomato.3. Cut away the top of the tomato. Cut the tomato in half. With your thumb, loosen the seeds and press them into a bowl or into the sink. With Roma tomatoes, only the flesh will remain. With other tomatoes, you can remove most of the seeds. Throw the seeds away. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes.While it's easy to peel and seed tomatoes by hand, you can do it in less time with tools. A Victorio strainer, a food mill, or potato ricer will do it if the screens are small enough. (It takes 2.2 millimeter screen or smaller to catch tomato seeds.) A Victorio strainer has a hopper on the top and a twist handle and will handle a lot of produce in a hurry. It catches both the seeds and the skins and it is available with different sized screens to make anything from raspberry jelly to applesauce to salsa. You can get the same results from a food mill but without the large hopper and screw type crank of the vireo strainer, it is not as quick. A ricer is a simple hand press used to press one tomato at a time through a screen. It also is used to rice potatoes and other produce. Choose the tool that meets your needs.The following recipe makes two shakes. So as to not overfill the blender, make a half at a time.sweetened whipped cream for topping3. Put the shake in a tall, chilled glass while you make the second shake.4. Top the shakes with whipped cream and an optional strawberry and serve.How to Chop and Seed Tomatoes2 tablespoons olive oil1. Bring a pan of water to boil. Place four or five tomatoes at a time in the hot water and leave them in the bath for one minute. Remove them from the water and start another batch. Let the tomatoes cool to where you can handle them.1/2 teaspoon vanilla or other flavor2 to 3 cups peeled and seeded Roma or other tomatoesTools for Removing the Seeds from TomatoesCanning Your Tomato SauceIf you love your own tomato sauce, can it. Maybe you like the spice blend that you are using. Maybe it's the idea of doing it yourself, maybe canning your own tomatoes. Maybe it's to save money but it's great to can your own tomato sauce. Just make a bigger batch and can it according to the instructions from a reliable source such as your equipment manual or a government source.1. Chill the cream, the utensils, and bowl that you will be using.Chill the blender and glasses in the freezer before making the shakes. If your blender is at room temperature, it melts the ice cream and your shakes will not be as thick as they should. Use ice cream that is rock hard. (It's easer to remove rock hard ice from the package with a spade than with an ice cream scoop.) And don't run the blender longer than is needed. The heat from the motor will start to melt your ice cream.1/4 teaspoon salt or to tasteThere are some tricks to making a very good strawberry shake. Start with the very best berries. If they are not fully ripe, they won't be flavorful but if they are starting to get mushy, they may have an off-taste. And put the right amount of berries in the shake. Judge the amount by the color of the shake; it should be a rich but pastel pink. If it's too light, add more berries.For the whipped cream topping:1. Wash, trim, and slice the berries. Sprinkle the sugar on the berries and let them soak at room temperate for two hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Baker's note: If you have extra whipped cream, try freezing it. Spoon mounds onto waxed appear and put the sheet with whipped cream into the freezer. Once frozen, you can peel the mounds of whipped cream from the waxed paper, and store them in zipper plastic bag.

Author: Dennis Weaver

How to Make Fresh, Homemade Marinara Sauce

Homemade is better. This takes a little time but it's worth it. This sauce works well on pizza or pasta. With a little change in seasonings and by omitting the olive oil, you can make a salsa from this recipe.

Chop the seeded tomatoes in a food processor or blender. Cook the tomatoes along with the seasonings and sugar for ten minutes or until it starts to thicken, stirring frequently. Add the olive oil. Let cool.1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperFor myself, I remember working alongside my family every year. Now, as a mother of five, I have made sure to pass the tradition of home canning onto my own children. Every year, we gather to work together, and to laugh together. As the jars fill up and are processed, I know I�ve provided quality bonding opportunities and fresh, wholesome food without preservatives. I also take a little time each year to appreciate my own mom and the love and care she provided for me.Sample your shake before you serve it. If it's not sweet enough, add another spoon or two of sugar. If it doesn't have enough flavor, add a teaspoon of strawberry flavor.Directions2/3 cup half and half (or a 50:50 mixture of milk and whipping cream)2. Beat the cream at medium speed until soft peaks form.1 cup heavy whipping cream (the fat content should be 35% or more)2. Place half the strawberries and half the ice cream in a blender plus half the juice from the berries. Puree until smooth and combined. Add half of the half and half and mix.1/2 cup granulated sugar aboutInstead of vanilla, try a different flavor. Strawberry of course works but any of the "warm" flavors will do. French vanilla, brown sugar, and caramel are all good choices.1 teaspoon crushed, dried oregano or a tablespoon of freshBaker's note: Alter the quantities of the garlic, oregano, and basil to suit your tastes. If you like more, add more.1 teaspoon dried basil leaves or two teaspoons fresh3. Add the powdered sugar and flavor and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Do not over whip.3 cups premium vanilla ice cream2 1/2 cups of ripe, fresh strawberriesPreserving foods is both easy and rewarding. When you�re just beginning, try gathering a few supplies each year. Start by purchasing a pressure cooker for canning, a basic canning kit, and the Blue Ball Canning Book, which includes directions for every step of the home canning process. The beauty with canning is everything you buy lasts a lifetime, except for the lids and food, of course. The canning kit includes a jar lifter, a lid organizer and a few other gems to make home preservation easier and more organized. In your second season, expand your supplies to include a food dehydrator, canning recipe books, and even more gadgets to preserve the bounties of the garden. In an extremely short time, you will have gathered all you need to build a lifetime of adventure and memories for you and your family.Baker's note: If you have extra whipped cream, try freezing it. Spoon mounds onto waxed appear and put the sheet with whipped cream into the freezer. Once frozen, you can peel the mounds of whipped cream from the waxed paper, and store them in zipper plastic bag.

Chop the seeded tomatoes in a food processor or blender. Cook the tomatoes along with the seasonings and sugar for ten minutes or until it starts to thicken, stirring frequently. Add the olive oil. Let cool.

Author: Dennis Weaver

Canning, a "Family" Tradition

What�s a busy mom to do? As the master of all multi-taskers, moms are always looking for ways to stay healthy and to create lasting memories for their families. One of the best ways to accomplish both of these goals is to preserve your own food at home.

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

For myself, I remember working alongside my family every year. Now, as a mother of five, I have made sure to pass the tradition of home canning onto my own children. Every year, we gather to work together, and to laugh together. As the jars fill up and are processed, I know I�ve provided quality bonding opportunities and fresh, wholesome food without preservatives. I also take a little time each year to appreciate my own mom and the love and care she provided for me.

Author: Linda VanDyke

Learn About The Best Processes in Preserving Foods

Preserving food is an age old technology discovered by humans. A lot of people would argue which is the very best process in food preservation. Generally people would like their food stuffs to be safe, of excellent quality, nutritious, fresh, wholesome, great nutritional value, nice color, good aroma, distinct flavor and texture.

Considered as an old method, where water is reduce to delay or prevent growth of bacterias. A lot of meats are dried, just like fruits. Millet, wheat, maize, oats, barley, rye, rice, cereal-grains, currants, raisins, sultanas and grapes are a few examples of food stuffs that uses drying to stop spoilage.Simple, targeted gifts mean more to the recipient -- and provide an inexpensive way for you to show your appreciation. Be different! Give a gift that keeps on giving -- and truly make a difference this year!Food is stored within an airless environment, like a bottle or a bag that's air-tight. Since there's no oxygen it slows spoilage.Although when it's placed inside a refrigerator the bacteria count slows down thereby making milk last in your refrigerator for 1 week even if it already has some bacteria.

Animal shelters always need extra help. Ask your local shelter what its needs are. Donate the items, or have a bake sale, garage sale or other fundraiser to provide for the need. For Children -- a Gift for the Future

Preservation of food involves the handling of your food & how it's going to be treated which would affect the speed of spoilage whether it's slowing down or growing fast, it could be accelerated due to the presence of microorganisms.2) Freezing10) Canning
• Purchase groceries for a needy family. Help them plant a garden in the Spring. If they have no gardening area, consider sharing yours.14) DryingUsed in preserving certain fruits like peaches, plums, apples, pears, apricots, etc using sweet syrup or maybe in some crystallized form.
• A small donation can feed many people at your local Salvation Army Soup Kitchen.Meat, fish, etc is preserved using smoke. By combining aromatic-phenolic hydrocarbons and heat coming from smoke would preserve foods.Use really high pressures. About seventy thousand worth of psi, which induces release of nutrients, maintaining the texture, appearance & the flavor while preventing spoilage.15) SugaringSalt is better recognized as the process of curing. This type of food preservation eliminates moisture found in meat using osmosis. The meat will be combined with salt, sugar perhaps even both. Nitrates and nitrites will also cure the meat & stop 'Clostridium botulinum' from appearing.When food isn't sealed and sterilized it would then create bacteria. Like milk, for example, contains bacteria living naturally within it thus spoiling its contents within 2 to 3 hours when kept outside in room-temperature.
• Find exactly the right gift at http://www.Surprise.com Categories range from the Caffeine Fiend, to the Chocoholic to the Empty Nester. There are also ideas for particular occasions and personalities.

There would also be drying wherein food is actually not stored inside any container. Other processes include freeze-drying, freezing, spray-drying, food-irradiation, sugar-crystallization, adding some preservatives, using syrup for preservation, vacuum-packing and canning.Food is generally classified as safe when there's no natural danger of toxins, pathogenic-microorganisms and chemicals that could be harmful. Food is called sterile when it doesn't have bacteria living naturally inside of it.For Just About Everyone

3) Irradiation
• Send Phone Cards for the soldiers, enabling them to call home. You can give them about 100 minutes for only $20. More info can be found at http://www.uso.org

For Those in Need

Once you have found the containers to suit your needs, the fun begins in earnest. This is a great opportunity to use your scrapping supplies to bring beauty and functionality together. Paper, stickers, and ribbons are great for decorating found-containers and bringing to them a little beauty. Material, ribbon, and a little spray adhesive can turn a shoe box into a gorgeous storage container. So go ahead! Get creative! Tame all those loose tools.There's an alternative to buying gifts that sit on a shelf waiting for the next garage sale. For something completely unique, why not consider gifts that 'keep on giving' for your friends, co-workers or loved ones?Why not give a gift in the name of your favorite animal lover? Visit Heifer Projects International, http://catalog.heifer.org for more ideas and information.
• Giving to your local food pantry helps those in need. Most pantries are reporting their donations have been down, so they'll need some extra help to replenish their shelves.Preserving foodstuffs means to stop the fungi growing, microorganisms & bacteria growing and also the oxidation of certain fats that will generate rancidity. While some other processes in preservation would mean putting bacteria, yeast and benign-fungi to your food so that it'll generate certain desirable qualities, like that of cheeses and wines.
• Why not give your crafter some craft supplies or gift certificates to a favorite craft store? The crafter can in turn create gifts to give away, or perhaps sell them for some extra bits of money.
12) Jellying
• Give a year's worth of TV Guide. Your kindness through this gift will never be forgotten. Many, especially those in nursing homes, cannot afford even a weekly newspaper.

Military/Soldiers

1) SaltingThe Gardener
Food is preserved by solidifying and forming them into gel, like using maize flour & gelatin. Jellying will produce fruit preserves, marmalade and jellies when this process if done on fruits.

Used in preserving certain fruits like peaches, plums, apples, pears, apricots, etc using sweet syrup or maybe in some crystallized form.




Author: Kathy Smith

Taming Of The Tools

Oh tools of mine you cut divine,

A $50 bond purchased today could be worth $100 in 20 years. For more info about other funds and ideas about growing kids' money over time, pop into this site: http://www.child.com/moms_dads/family_finance/gift_fund.jsp Your shopping mission is to find containers that can be adapted for tool storage. The containers need to be compact enough so as not to take up valuable scrapping space, yet roomy enough to store bulky tools. The trick to finding a suitable container is to look at each vessel and imagine your tools inside. To help you decide if a particular container will fit your needs, ask yourself these questions: will my tools fit inside? can I get them out and put them back in easily? will it fit well at my workspace without getting in the way? The containers should always offer easy access to the articles stored inside; otherwise you will be tempted to leave them laying loose on the workspace. Some options for slender tools, could be wide mouth canning jars, short flower vases, clay or metal pots, or any other container that would allow tools to stand up right. For tools that are a little bulkier, vertical bill sorters make for a nice storage solution. File racks that hang on the wall are a good solution for cutting mats, rulers, stencils, and templates. Over the door canvas shoe hangers make for great tool storage when your scrapping space is limited. You are only constrained by your imagination, when it comes to creative tool storage solutions.Preserving food by changing its surrounding atmosphere. Salads are difficult to keep fresh so they're packed using sealed plastic bags inside an atmosphere that's modified decreasing oxygen & increasing carbon-dioxide.Since the foods are buried, it would mean lower oxygen level, light & pH-level, and provides desiccants in soil & a more cool temperature.4) Highly pressurized food preservation

Send a care package to the troops. For ideas of what 'not' to send this year, follow this link: http://www.army.mil/operations/oif/FAQ.htmlThe Animal Lover

I would love to see your creative storage solutions post a picture to our layout gallery showing your favorite, functional piece.




Author: Tina Parker

Unique Gifts: Ideas for All Seasons

'We Make a Living by What we Do,
But We Make a Life by What We Give.'
-- Winston Churchill

Give a goat. How about a pig? You'll be providing food and income-producing animals (cows, chickens, sheep, pigs, water buffalo). These animals in turn provide milk, eggs, and wool. Families then share one or more of their animals' offspring with other needy families.

For care package ideas, there are 2 downloadable and printable pages of ideas here. See top of page at this link: http://www.asa.themilitary.netHere are some processes in preserving food:Exposing to ionization radiation identified as cold-pasteurization or irradiation. This process of preserving involves factors that would help in killing bacteria, insects, molds & reduces spoiling or ripening of your fruits.In the never ending battle of workspace clutter, our tools are often the number one culprit. There are scissors, trimmers, hole punches, paper piercers, bone folders, craft knives, decorative punches, rulers, templates, etc., etc. The list goes on and on; if you add adhesive dispensers to the inventory you are soon up to your neck in loose tools. What is the best way to tame all these indispensable tools? The solution.....drum roll please, ORGANIZATION!9) Lye7) Burying foodbut on my workspace you create such a clutter.Usually used for commercially and domestically preserving huge selections of various foods.Food is left within an anti-microbial and edible content in liquid form. Fermentation type of pickling actually uses actual food to encourage production of 'lactic acid'. While chemical-pickling kills or stops bacteria & microorganisms found inside the liquid.Uh oh, there it is, that dreaded word that makes most of us cringe. It takes away all hope of midnight elves coming in to put away our tools and clean up leftover scraps at the end of a long day of scrapping. It means (gulp) I have to do it. Take heart! the process can actually be quite enjoyable. The trick is start with something really fun - SHOPPING! For those of us with limited budgets, finances do not need to be a deterrent. There are ways to shop that won�t cost you a cent. One of those is to shop through your own home for what you need; another is to shop at mom�s or any other willing family member�s home.

Does your gardener like to 'can' or freeze their produce? How about providing them with canning jars, lids and other supplies.

Donate your unused frequent flyer miles. Help pay for soldiers who arrive in the states for a 2-week leave or emergency leave. These soldiers are brought into the US, but then have to purchase last-minute tickets at higher prices to travel the rest of the way back home to their families. Find more info at http://www.HeroMiles.org

A roll of Postage Stamps can last a long, long time. This is a great gift, especially for the elderly or those living on a limited income.Cheeses, beers & wines are kept within a very long period of time because their process of production will use micro organisms to stop its spoilage.This would involve the cooking of your food & they're sealed in clean & sterile cans or jars. Sometimes pressure cooking would be required as a last step in this process. Meats & veggies dishes that contain low acid content should undergo pressurized canning.11) Using controlled micro organisms

Know someone who loves to garden? Buy the seeds or plants (vegetable, flower, fruit, etc.) and tools that make it easier for them to garden. If they have a good year, they'll be able to share the abundance with family, neighbors and friends.

Look into Legitimate Charities. This site offers an alphabetical list of National Charities: http://www.Give.org/reports/index.asp 6) Picklingon projects you save me such timeyou slice through paper like butterSodium-hydroxide would stop growing bacteria by generating much alkaline.The Parent/Grandparent/Senior

8) SmokingSome processes also stop food from getting discolored like in the process of oxidation or enzymatic-browning like what we see in sliced apples. Certain kinds of foods are sealed once treatment is done in order to stop another recontamination by microbes.5) Vacuum-packing

Simple, targeted gifts mean more to the recipient -- and provide an inexpensive way for you to show your appreciation. Be different! Give a gift that keeps on giving -- and truly make a difference this year!




Author: Darlene Arechederra