food preservation and processing
Food preservation is a key part of food processing. Preserving food is a form of processing it, and many other forms of food processing require the food to be preserved first. There are many different food preservation methods in use, some of which can be done at home and others that require the use of commercial food manufacturing equipment.
Methods of food preservation that anybody can do at home include:
- Baking food in an oven to dry it out
- Air-drying food
- Potting
- Blanching
- Jellying
- Freezing
- Fermentation
- Preserving in salt or sugar
- Pickling
- Preserving food in alcohol
- Preserving food in olive oil
- Canning
The goal of many of these food preservation methods is to completely block air from reaching the food and causing a chemical reaction that results in spoilage. This includes the moisture within the food evaporating and contact between food tissues and oxygen causing oxidation.