The basic idea behind preserving is handling and keeping food in such a way that the food maintains quality flavors, textures, and colors while avoiding the spoilage and bacterial growth that cause illness.

Throughout history, humankind has been rather creative at discovering ways of doing this. For example, the ancient tribes could use the surface of a frozen lake to keep meat cold. Other methods for preserving include cooking, freezing, salting, drying, pickling, curing, smoking, and placing the food in alcohol or sugar syrup.

Each of the aforementioned approaches provides similar results in terms of avoiding bacteria or mold, but they use far different processes and yield dramatically different products. For example, freezing and drying both cause a reduction in water, which deters spoiling. However, the textural result of freezing versus drying is vastly different.

Likewise, heating food kills many organisms, as does soaking food in alcohol. Again, the resulting taste of the food is very dissimilar. In many cases, the choice of preservation method is highly personal, subject to personal tastes. For example, some people may enjoy the ease of dried fruit while others prefer the fresher taste that freezing offers. The only time there really aren’t options is when food safety comes into question.

Throughout, you’ll find numerous tips for maintaining your old family recipes in their original forms without giving up any measure of safety. Please read and apply those tips carefully for the best, healthiest results.

The following sections offer a brief overview of the various preserving methods you’ll learn about in this book.

• Canning

  Canning begins with good food and sterile jars. It’s very important that the storage containers used in canning are properly cleaned to kill bacteria. Additionally, canning includes hot-water baths (for high-acid items) and pressure-cooking (for low-acid items) to create a vacuum and kill off any lingering, potentially harmful microbes, specifically botulism, which has no odor or taste and is potentially deadly.

• Drying

  Drying is a very effective way of preserving many foods because it decreases water, therefore thwarting or slowing any unhealthy organism’s growth. Drying is best suited to meats, fruits, and grains.

What causes freezer burn?

Freezer burn is caused by dehydration in foods that aren’t properly wrapped and packaged. The food often looks lighter in color and the flavor or texture is likely to have been altered slightly. Experts recommend using vacuum sealing and other moisture-resistant packing methods. You should also eat the items that have been in your freezer the longest first.

• Freezing

  Freezing is among the most utilized preserving processes. Items have a very long shelf life when properly packed and wrapped.

• Jellying

  There are a variety of items that create a jelly-type base for preserving, including fruit pectin, gelatin, and arrowroot flour. After jellying, the resulting food is often canned for increased longevity.

• Pickling

  Pickling preserves food by the use of brine (a liquid with high salt content) mixed with vinegar, alcohol, or oil. Pickling usually applies heat somewhere along the way so the food accepts the brine until the point of saturation. This also improves flavor! Nearly all vegetables are well suited to pickling.

Alert

If you’re planning on making your jams, jellies, and other preserved products into a sideline business, do your research. You may need a food permit or a totally separate kitchen for preparation to comply with state laws. Check your local ordinances regarding zoning, and don’t forget things like state tax permits and insurance.

• Salt Curing

  Similar to drying, salt draws out the water in meats. Some salt curing processes add sugar for the same effect.

• Smoking

  Smoking offers a two-fold benefit: It preserves food using heat and smoke, which also gives it extra flavor. Many people who grill enjoy using a variety of wood for smoking to achieve different tastes and aromas. Meat, poultry, and fish are the three most predominantly smoked items. Some nuts are also commonly smoked.

• Sugaring

  Most commonly seen in the preservation of fruit, sugar may be combined with water to create syrup or alcohol. Additionally, sugar may be crystallized on a fruit or spice to create a protective coating, as in candied ginger.