Food and nutrition.pdf

Food Preservation 269through the use of smoke, typically in a smokehouse. The combination ofheat to dry the food without cooking it, and the addition of the aromatic(phenolic)hydrocarbons from the smoke preserves the food.SugarSugar is used to preserve fruits, either in syrup with fruit such asapples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums or in crystallized form where thepreserved material is cooked in sugar to the point of crystallisation andthe resultant product is then stored dry. This method is used for the skinsof citrus fruit (candied peel), angelica and ginger. A modification of thisprocess produces glace fruit such as ,glace cherries where the fruit ispreserved in sugar but is then extracted from the syrup and sold, thepreservation being maintained by the sugar content of the fruit and thesuperficial coating of syrup. The use of sugar is often combined withalcohol for preservation of luxury products such as fruit in brandy or otherspirits. These should not be confused with fruit flavored spirits such ascherry brandy or Sloe gin.PicklingPickling is a method of preserving food in an edible anti-microbialliquid. Pickling can be broadly categorized as chemical pickling (forexample, brining) and fermentation pickling (for example, makingsauerkraut).In chemical pickling, the food is placed in an edible liquid that inhibitsor kills bacteria and other micro-organisms. Typical pickling agentsinclude brine (high in salt), vinegar, alcohol, and vegetable oil, especiallyolive oil but also many other oils. Many chemical pickling processes alsoinvolve heating or boiling so that the food being preserved becomessaturated with the pickling agent. Common chemically pickled foodsinclude cucumbers, peppers, corned beef, herring, and eggs, as well mixed_vegetables such as piccalilli, chow-chow, giardiniera, and achar.In fermentation pickling, the food itself produces the preservationagent, typically by a process that produces lactic acid. Fermented pickl~sinclude sauerkraut, nukazuke, kimchi, surstromming, and curtido. Somechemically pickled cucumbers are also fermented.In commercial pickles, a preservative like sodium benzoate or EDTAmay also be added to enhance shelf life.LyeSodium hydroxide (lye) makes food too alkaline for bacterial growth.Lye will saponify fats in the food, which will change its flavour and texture.Lutefisk uses lye in its preparation, as do some olive recipes. Modern