Some Popular Food Storage Techniques
The perishable and the semi perishable foods are the ones easily prone to spoilage. Some methods of food storage that are adopted for storing such foods are jellying, jugging, potting etc. In jellying, the food is stored in the form of jelly. Here it is cooked with a material which solidifies and forms a gel. Some materials that are used for this process are agar, arrowroot flour, gelatine, maize etc. Some food like the eels and elvers naturally form a gel when cooked. Potting which is an old method followed by the British is to preserve the meat inside a pot and sealing it with some fats. Jugging is another process where the meat after cutting to pieces is put in a sealed jug containing brine or gravy and is stewed. Another method of food storage known as irradiation involves subjecting the food to ionizing radiations. This kills the bacteria and molds and reduces the ripening thus preventing the fruit from spoiling. This method is also known as cold pasteurisation. Modified atmosphere is a method where the atmosphere surrounding the food is changed for its preservation. Grains are preserved by using dry ice, where the carbon dioxide will prevent mould growth.