Freezing, Pickling, and Preserving – How to Make Fresh Food Last
Discover > Texas Home Cooking > Freezing, Pickling, and Preserving – How to Make Fresh Food Last
Today we want to talk to you about the traditional food preservation techniques: freezing, pickling, and preserving. The video below is all about how to make fresh food last and prevent food spoilage.
In Texas, we are so blessed to have an almost year-round growing season, which makes this segment all the more important. Having and preserving the best seasonal produce is key to creating some amazing preserved food or frozen food.
Throughout this video, we will explain the process for each of the three traditional food preservation methods and discuss the differences between them. We’ll also talk about why it is so important to make fresh food last longer.
Importance of Preserving Food
Let us actually start by covering why prolonging the shelf-life of your fresh food is vital in this day and age. Global warming is a serious concern. The earth is in trouble, in large part due to the industrial food corporations and their harmful practices. Doing your part in the fight against climate change can and should take many forms. One vital act that should be followed by everybody, is the minimizing of waste. This means eliminating food waste entirely whenever possible. Freezing, pickling, and preserving are great food preservation technique to avoid food waste.
Preparing your home cooked meals (how long do cooked meals last?)in large batches is as eco-friendly you can be. Preparing meals in bulk is an efficient use of natural resources, but it isn’t enough to just cook the meal, eat it, and throw out what’s left afterward.
You need to complete the equation by saving the leftovers to enjoy again another time. Sticking your leftovers in the fridge is a good first step, but when you want your fresh food to last even longer, freezing, pickling, and preserving are your best options.
Refrigerating food slows down the bacterial action that causes food spoilage. Freezing food, on the other hand, completely stops this bacterial action in its tracks, so that food could in theory, last forever. The colder a food is, the longer it will last. Freezing stops bacterial action, but it does not stop enzyme action unless further steps are taken, such as blanching vegetables before freezing them. But what about freezer burn?
Should I Be Concerned About Freezer Burn?
Freezer burn is the only real concern when freezing food. Freezer burn, unfortunately, cannot be reversed once it has taken hold. Freezer burn doesn’t have any adverse health effects. It won’t make you sick, but it will impact the taste and texture. Freezer burn will usually only latch onto certain parts of frozen food and not the whole item, so if absolutely necessary, in extreme cases, the freezer-burned patches can be cut off before cooking and the rest of the food item can still be used and enjoyed.
But can freezer burn be prevented? The answer is thankfully: yes. Freezer burn is caused by exposure to air after the initial freezing. Opening and closing your freezer allows air at the food if it is not stored properly. A couple of generations ago, people used to store their summer produce for the winter, and not touch it again until the weather warmed up, even if it meant burying their food in the cold ground.
When storing food in a freezer, the best way to avoid freezer burn is to wrap the food in plastic-wrap, wax paper, or aluminum foil, and then place it inside of a bag or Tupperware container. Be sure to eliminate all air bubbles. It is a good idea to rotate the food in your freezer when adding to it, so that the oldest food is kept up front and eaten first.
Pickling vs Fermenting
Pickling and fermenting foods are both forms of food preservation. There is a lot of overlap between the two methods. The difference is simple is not all that important when it comes to health and environmental impact. Chemical pickling involves storing food in a brine or acid. Fermenting involves bacteria that converts the natural sugars and carbohydrates found in food into acid, carbon-dioxide, and alcohol. It is possible for both pickling and fermenting to play out simultaneously, and this is the case for many foods. Fermenting can carry a number of health benefits while providing a distinct flavor.
The Basics of Pickling Food
Basic chemical pickling requires Salt, vinegar, and your choice of spices. Bring this mixture to a boil, then pour over the food you intend to pickle. Store this mixture in a mason jar and it is good to go. This pickled food will typically last about 5-6 months.
The National’s executive chef Paul Corsentino writes about a number of tips for when you are pickling. He recommends springing for expensive vinegar, as it really does make a difference. Be careful to avoid any bubbles in your pickling mixture. Bubbles will halt the pickling process and cause the growth of bad bacteria.
Chef Corsentino also suggests experimenting with different combinations of spices. This can keep your food tasting new and exciting while sticking with the same base ingredient. He also cautions against overheating the pickling mixture. This is a common mistake and easy to do. It is better to underheat the mixture, than to overheat it. One important thing to note is that you don’t necessarily have to use your freshest fruits and vegetables when pickling. Food that is past its natural prime can be revitalized through the pickling process.
These traditional food preservation methods used to be standard practice not too long ago. Chances are, your great-grandparents employed canning, pickling, and freezing often with their foodstuffs. Just because food is more plentiful now than at any other time, doesn’t mean we should let food go to waste, or take any less care in preserving it.
For more information on pickling and preserving food, we have a whole library of information on pickled goods and picking here at our TexasRealFood Promptuary.
If you learned something or found something useful, then do us a favor and like this video on Youtube. We would love to hear your opinions, so head on down to the comment section and join the conversation.
P.S. For the best source of seasonal produce, be sure to visit a local farmers market near you! Not only will you be getting the freshest local produce, you'll also be supporting your local farmers as well!
Sources:
Eat like your grandparents
New York Post
Perks of Home Cooked Food
Food Science: Freezer Burn
Food Republic
