To ensure product quality and minimize raw ingredient waste, it’s vital for food business operators to understand the principles of ingredient preservation. Let’s explore the world of food preservation, which not only extends ingredient freshness but also contributes to cost-efficiency.
Wanna know more? Let’s go through each way you can preserve your success!
But first, what is food preservation exactly? It is a range of methods done to extend the life and freshness of food. Preserving also protects the flavours and nutrients, making it the perfect way to reduce waste and use ingredients to its full potential! Here are 6 techniques to prolong shelf life and preserve food quality:
Salt has proven itself to be incredibly useful in preservation for ages! Also known as sodium chloride, has this amazing ability to draw out moisture and slows down bacterial, yeast, and mold growth. Salting can be done in 2 simple ways, which are dry curing and wet curing.
Make your life sweeter with sugar! Just like salt, sugar knows how to draw out water really well. If you’re looking for ways to preserve your fruits, sugar is the best answer. You can make delicious jams and jellies with it, making this an excellent expansion of your offering to customers. You can also coat fruits with melted sugar for a sweet surprise! And yes, you can add sugar to your vegetable pickles for a sweeter kick and more preservation benefits.
If you’re looking for ways to preserve your herbs, we recommend drying them! Fundamentally, it’s a dehydration process that gives a brand-new flavour to the ingredients when they are still fresh. You can just hang your herbs in a non-humid and bug-free space and let it dry. You can also try putting them on a baking sheet and let it go through the oven for a while. That way, moisture contained within the ingredient will evaporate thanks to heat exposure.
Canning requires you to store your ingredients in air-tight containers. It’s also suitable for jams and jellies where fruits that have gone through sugaring are stored in there. This will be a great technique for those planning to sell home-made nut butters too! However, the types of jars that you use should be specifically made for canning and not old used jars. But once you are sure that the jars are heated and sterilized, you are good to go!
Let’s unlock the secrets to longer shelf life with the twin powers of refrigeration and freezing! Thanks to modern technology, we can simply put our ingredients in our freezer and they can last up to months. Do take note that your freezer should be in the range of -18°C and -22°C. It is also recommended to store your food in air-tight containers or freezer bags to avoid unwanted freezer burn. Preservation has never been easier than this! Be sure to always label your frozen ingredients so your team can identify them easily too!
Lastly, we have vacuum packing. This process requires a specific machine to suck up all the air within the bag you store your food in. We recommend doing this for meats you wish to preserve. The lack of oxygen in the bag will slow down microbial life and the oxidation process, keeping it fresh and edible for a longer period. This process keeps all the flavour, colour, and texture of the meat delicious and desirable.
There are so many ways you can preserve your ingredients and food! By doing these steps, you can ensure the freshness of your food and you might also find a new delicious taste created by the preservation process. If you want to see more, follow Ajinomoto Food Biz Partner. By joining us as a member, you will get access to exclusive deals, insights and tips for your startup business!
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