Gardening Articles

For many centuries preserving food by salting was an important method of storing food. Salting it is best known for preserving meat and fish but can be used on some vegetables also. But you must know that table salt is not suitable for preservation due to the extra chemicals it contains. For preserving food by salting you must use sea salt or rock salt that has no additives.

As a general rule of preservation food by salting you will need roughly 1 kg of salt per 3 kg of vegetables. Salting vegetables for preservation consists in layering them with salt in glass jars or earthenware pots, starting and ending with a layer of salt.

Keeping produce in a vacuum can prolong the storage time considerably. This is happening because most of the airborne contaminants such as fungal spores or bacteria will have been extracted along with the air and the exclusion of air eliminates food degradation by oxidation.

The vacuum-packing method has been used to store produce by the food processing industry for many years, but now is used in the home as well. You have two choices: you can use an inexpensive hand-operated vacuum pump to remove air from plastic bags after the produce has been bagged up, or you can buy a domestic vacuum food sealer which is an electronic counter-top device, using special bags, which pumps out the air and heat-seals the bag. This way you can store your crops for longer and more effectively in the freezer, in the fridge or at ambient temperatures.

There are also some containers with special valves on top, made of polycarbonate in the shape of jars and pots, useful to keep nuts or dried fruits or even biscuits and crisps. From this type of container air on be removed either by a hand-operated or by an electric pump.

Drying food is an effective method of storage, as it prevents the action of bacteria and fungi that need moisture to develop. Well-produce has a long storage life and often an intensified flavor. The choice of whether to dry, freeze or use some other techniques may depend on your intended future use for the produce.

For drying crops you need a warm, dry and airy place. An airing cupboard may do but it will take few days until the produce is dry. In a warm oven (45-55 Celsius degrees / 110-130 F) will only take few hours. Herbs can be hung in bunches or laid out on a baking sheet. Once dried, the produce must be stored in airtight jars. If you want to dry your produce using a specific technology, you can use solar dryers or food dehydrators or even home-made drying boxes.

Freezing is a method that has relatively recently revolutionized the storage of crops. It is a quick, easy and very effective method. As freezing dramatically slows down the action of enzymes which occurs from the moment the food is harvested, the food frozen shortly after picking will be among the healthiest of stored produce. Many crops can be stored in a deep-freezer for up to 12 months. Cook or eat food as soon as possible after it comes out of the freezer.

For good results you should freeze the food as quick as possible after harvesting. Freeze only the best, young and tender crops. Only store by freezing crops you enjoy eating, if you don’t like them fresh, be sure you won’t like them freeze either.