Have you ever wondered how food can be preserved and last a long time? Have you ever felt curious about how ancient people preserved their food to ensure a sufficient supply of food? After reading practical refrigerator storage tips, maybe you can improve your general knowledge about the common methods to preserve food.
1) Chilling Method
Refrigerator is now a standard food storage for us, preserving food through the chilling method, but it was once considered a luxury. Did you know that keeping food at a low temperature is the simplest, and often considered the safest way to keep many types of food. It is because the food you plan to chill usually requires little preparation or is already done for you. By keeping the food inside the refrigerator, the chilling method can be done. The benefits of implementing a chilling method is that preserve food quality and safety by slowing bacterial growth and minimising food spoilage. Depending on the type of food, it can keep in the fridge for a few days to a few weeks before the texture and taste reduce.
2) Freezing Method
The freezing method is another common method to preserve food quality. Frozen food can be stored properly for months. In fact, because pathogens cannot grow when food is frozen, food stored in the freezer can be kept for nearly long periods of time. Even so, the quality will decline and the taste will become unappealing over time, thus you should use most frozen meals within a few days or weeks, or even a year. Usually, we’ve done the freezing method frequently such as freezing the chicken.
3) Sugaring Method
In this context, sugar is really a powerful ingredient that does not kill you! Food preservation in a high-sugar environment acts as a bacteria inhibitor by reducing the water content of the food. It works especially well for fruit: you can make jam and marmalade that lasts a long time and store it in cans. Sugar granules, sugar syrup, or honey, among other sugary substances, work well to preserve food. To preserve certain foods, some sugaring recipes include alcohol in addition to sugar. Gentle reminder: please don’t use excessive amounts of sugar or it will affect your health badly!
4) Salting Method
Salt has been used as a preservative since earlier civilizations, it was once so important due to its food preservation properties that it was among the first goods traded, and battles were fought over salt. Osmosis is the process that takes place when humans salt foods to retain them. Osmosis tends to work by taking water along a cell membrane to ensure that the salt concentration or salt content on both sides is equal. Salt not only draws water out of food, but it also draws extra water out of any bacteria or microorganisms that seem to be on or in the meals, killing them.