Preservation of food is what everyone does almost on a daily basis. Once you decide to keep those extra fruits in the freezer, sundries your fishes or even fry your fishes; you have preserved those items. Moreover, modern technology has affected the way these preservation techniques are being carried out.
For instance, if you check on https://allgreatappliances.com/category/vacuum-sealers-reviews/; you will find out new food vacuums that can be used to preserve our food items. These food vacuums are capable of preserving food by slowing down the growth and activities of microorganisms as they prevent atmospheric oxygen from coming into them.
However, I am not going to focus my attention on food vacuums; it is a discussion for another day. Here, I am going to be looking at the different traditional methods of food preservation. These methods have been in existence for many years and some of them remain indispensable to man.
Let examine each of these traditional ways by which our food items can be preserved.
- Drying
This is the commonest traditional method of preserving a wide variety of food items, ranging from meat, fish, spices like pepper, to tubers. It is also the predominant of drying yam peels to make yam flour as well as cocoa in most West African countries especially among the Yorubas in Nigeria. The drying can be done using heat from sunlight known as radiating or spreading the food items in the open air. Modern inventions have also made it possible to dry food substances with the aid of ovens called kilns and freeze-drying.
- Salting
This method involves the application of salt on food substances to reduce the moisture content and to prevent the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. This is often done before the food items commonly meat and fish are suns dried because the relative humidity is considerably low and sun intensity is high.
- Smoking
As the name implies, smoking is the use of heat from a fire to preserve our food. This is done to reduce the moisture content and to kill microorganisms within the food items since they cannot withstand high temperature. Fish, meat, and grains are commonly smoked food substances. When grains are smoked, it helps reduce insect infestation and keeps away rodents and other pests.
- Frying
Food items like fish and meat are usually placed in hot oil to remove the moisture content in them and to preserve them. Sometimes, salt is applied to the food items before they are fried to prevent the growth of microorganisms since frying might not be sufficient to halt their activities.
Some food items are also bottled up to preserve them especially those in the liquid or molten state such as honey. One way or the other, people have ensured that their food is kept for further uses to reduce scarcity and prevent the occurrence of famine in the long run.
We must continue to grow in our ways of preserving food to be able to meet up with the world population demand. Hence, the efforts of modern innovations should be commended for a job well done.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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