With fuel shortage and food scarcity becoming more and more common place in the UK there has never been a better time to learn how to preserve food. Simply put it allows you to make food last longer.
Whether you choose to use canning, picking, drying, freeze drying, fermentation, curing or freezing or a mixture. It’s always good to have some cans or jars around the house for last minute meals and this way you can be sure of exactly whats in them. A healthy and cost-efficient option which allows you to eat seasonal foods all year round.
So, if you want to save money, prevent waste and ensure your family is fed read on.
Refrigeration – A simple method of preservation would be using cool temperatures to keep food good for longer. You can keep your food in the fridge, cellars and pantries. This is ideal for potatoes, yams, onions, garlic, apples, cabbage, turnips, beets, carrots.
Drying foods inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and Mold through the removal of moisture content. Foods that dehydrate well are fruits, vegetables, legumes, spices, meat, and fish.
Freezing foods is another simple method which preserves fresh flavours and textures. Freezing slows the growth of microorganisms and enzymes that can cause food spoilage.
Fermentation is a chemical reaction in which microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeast, convert carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids under anaerobic conditions. This process creates foods like cheese, yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, and sourdough bread.
Vinegar pickling creates a high acid environment that kills off microbes and causes food to change in flavour and texture. Vinegar, salt, and sugar are heated and added to fruit or vegetables to make pickles of cucumber, okra, apples, beets, peppers, carrots, onions, cauliflower, green beans, and plums.
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