How To Preserve Products For A Long Time: Conservation

Conservation in our imagination appeared in the 18th century - when Napoleon announced the search for new ways to store food as long as possible. It is believed that the beginning of conservation was the needs of the army.

Fruits and vegetables, which occupy a significant part of the diet of each person, are seasonal. That is why you need to take care of their harvesting and storage in order to be able to enjoy these products all year round without overpaying for their greenhouse counterparts in supermarkets.

Conservation methods

All methods of food preservation can be divided into those that lead to a decrease in the amount of moisture in the product , as a result of which bacteria cannot exist there, and those that leave the products filled with substances that are poisonous to microbes, but completely safe for humans.

• Drying It is used for fruits, meat, fish and some vegetables. The essence of the process is to rid the product of moisture before bacteria can spoil it.

• Pickles. After processing products with salt , it (salt) extracts most of the liquid from the products , as a result of which an unfavorable environment for the development of microorganisms is created.

• Pickling Treatment of products with acids that are safe for humans - acetic, citric, lactic. They are harmful to bacteria.

• Fermentation This method of conservation is typical for dairy products and vegetables. The principle of fermentation is similar to pickling, only acids that preserve the product are secreted by special lactic acid bacteria that feed on sugar.

• Preservation with sugar. Sugar, like salt during pickling, creates an environment unfavorable for the development of microorganisms. An example of such preservation is various types of jam.

• Smoking It is the direct destruction of bacteria by smoke. And gives the product an appetizing aroma .

• Sterilization. Destruction of microorganisms in products by heating. To destroy not only bacteria, but also spores - a more durable life form of microbes - products are subjected to heat treatment several times.

• Sealing. Usually, it is used after heating. This method excludes the entry of bacteria from the air into the cans and the reproduction of those microbes that need oxygen.

Dishes for conservation

For canning at home, you may need almost everything in the kitchen. From the necessary list, you can highlight: a bucket, enameled bowls and pans of different volumes, a large pan for sterilization or pasteurization, a frying pan or a saucepan, a colander, a sieve, sharp knives, vegetable peelers, a wooden pestle, spoons, measuring tools, grater, meat grinder or blender, garlic press.

Of course, glass jars are necessary. They can be from the smallest with a twist to large, for example, 10 liters - depending on what and in what quantity you are going to close. For each jar, you will need a lid, usually metal, but it can also be glass or polyethylene.

A rolling machine or a key will be needed for hermetic sealing. Now there is a large selection of such machines - fully automatic, semi-automatic, manual.

It is also a good idea to stock up on a good piece of gauze - we will need it for filtering and for sterilization. If you are going to ferment or salt products , you need to prepare barrels or tubs.

Preparations for conservation, which should be taken care of in advance

For successful canning, you need to prepare some necessary preservatives in advance. Salt is one of the main components. It is preferable to take coarse, iodized salt is categorically not suitable for preservation , but sea salt is perfect.

Another product that is used for almost every type of preservation is sugar. If you want to prepare a sweet preserve , it is better to choose granulated sugar, exclusively white, for jams, jams and jams, you can use gelling sugar.

If you plan to marinate, then, of course, the main component is table vinegar. The concentration of vinegar used depends on the recipe and can be 5%, 6%, 8%, 9%. When using acetic acid (70%, 80%), it is important to observe the proportion and in no case exceed the recommended dosage. You can use different types of fruit vinegar, wine. Citric acid can replace vinegar. It is good to use it when preparing sweet preserves .

Another important component is a standard set of spices. Every housewife should always have a bay leaf, black peppercorns or ground pepper, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, vanillin in stock. For a more refined taste, you can buy star anise, cardamom, nutmeg, anise. Spicy herbs are suitable both in pure and dried form.

Processing of products in the process of preservation

Regardless of which type of preservation you chose, the products must be prepared before harvesting. First of all, wash thoroughly. Remove bones, stems, and leaves from the fruits. Remove affected areas. If necessary, chop, disassemble into inflorescences. Whole fruits must be dried. Some fruits and vegetables should be blanched, for example, peppers, plums, pears, apples. The skin is removed from some vegetables. For some types of snacks, depending on the recipe, some products are brought to readiness or to a semi-ready state.