Food Preservation Techniques
While I have only tried a few Preservation methods I
am interested in food and the processes it under goes in order to make it last
longer. I have a garden, I have two
gardens actually. One is in the backyard
and one I keep on the front balcony. The
balcony holds all of my houseplants, An herb-garden, and a late blooming tomatoes
patch. “Green tomatoes are well worth harvesting. Those in the light green
stage will ripen, providing good eating long after the vines have been killed
by frosts.” (Garden Way Associates 23)
In the backyard I grow tomatoes, peppers, Scallions, Rhubarb, and
pretty flowers. The backyard garden
produces more tomatoes than the porch garden. I think this is mainly to do with them getting more sun, and being in the earth as opposed to in pots.
Last year for the first time I planted Thyme and Parsley in the outdoor garden. They flourished. By the end of summer
they were both big and beautiful. I decided to harvest, and store the leaves in ways
that would allow me to use them in all my winter dishes. Just the thought of this plan made me very
happy, I felt successful. I had grown it. I had cooked it. Now I would preserve
it.
There are two categories of preservation techniques: The traditional techniques and the industrial
techniques. The traditional techniques
consist of: Dehydrating,
Chilling, Freezing, Salting, Sugar, Marinating, Lye, Can & bottling,
Jellifying, Smoking Jugging, Fermentation and Pits & Trenches. “The aim of Preserving is to slow down the
activity of microorganisms and enzymes or destroy them altogether; they cannot
survive in acidic or dry conditions, in high concentrations of salt and sugar,
in alcohol, or in high temperatures.” (Steel 16) The industrial techniques consist
of: Hurdle technology,
“Hurdle technology is used in industrialized as well as in developing countries
for the gentle but effective preservation of foods.” (Leistner) Sterilization, Vacuum wrapping,
Imitation food, adding of Antibiotics,
Electroporation, Modified atmosphere, No thermal plasma, High-pressure
preservation, and Bio-preservation.
To preserve the parsley I used two methods, freezing
and refrigeration. My technique was to
wrap the freshly cut branches in plastic wrap and place into the freezer. This was not very successful. When I tried to the use it, all I got after
thawing was a shriveled mess. So I ended
up using it sparingly and always as iced crystals. “The freezing process does affect their texture,
so they are best frozen in oil or water for ease of use.” (Steel 32) To preserve the Thyme I used drying and
refrigeration. Drying; I preserved thyme by hanging it out to dry in my
pantry. This was very successful. My technique was to make small neat bundles of the freshly cut branches and wrap
string around the stem portions. “Dehydration is one of the oldest-known
methods of food preservation, probably because it is so simple and extremely
effective:” (Steel 124) My refrigeration technique for both plants
was the same. I stuffed wads of the
freshly cut plants into zip-lock bags. These I placed in the fridge, and used often while they
were still fresh.
The Porch Garden's production was also beautiful and plenty. The potted herbs, I decided to preserve
by keeping alive, smelled so good. My technique was to
place the various herbs in the sunniest windows and nurture them on plant food, water
and good conversation. This was not totally unsuccessful. But that is another story,
for another time.
Works Cited
Building
& Using Your Root Cellar. United States: Garden Way Associates,
Inc., 1978.
Leistner,
L. “Basic aspects of food preservation
by hurdle technology” International
Journal of food
Microbiology. 2000 Apr 10; 55(1-3): 181-6.
Steel,
Susannah. Get Started Preserving. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley,
2013.
