Methods of Food Preservation

Drying:

It is one of the oldest ways of food preservation. Vegetables and fruits are naturally dried by the sun and wind. They are laid in the sun for water to be removed from them. This removes micro-organisms from the food.

Smoking:

This is when food is exposed to smoke. This increases the life span or shelf life of the food. The heat and smoke evaporates the water in the food. This reduces the water content of the food making it difficult for micro-organisms to survive. Examples of such foods are meat and fish.

Salting:

This draws or absorbs moisture from the food. This stops the growth of micro-organisms in food. Examples are fish and meat.

Frying:

This is a method of food preservation by using oil to cook the food. The oil which enters the food evaporates water on the food. This kills micro-organisms in the food.

Canning:

The food to be preserved is heated to high temperatures to kill any micro-organisms in the food. The containers used in the preservations are also boiled to kill or weaken any remaining bacteria. The foods are then mixed with preservatives such as sugar or salt and sealed in the boiled containers.

Freezing:

The foods are kept in lower temperature condition such as refrigerators. The foods become low-temperature for the micro-organisms to survive.