Processing/Preserving Food Items

MODULE 9

Introduction

Simple and basic techniques in food processing can be done at home.

Complex processes would need the use of special tools and equipment. Food
processing companies are equipped with highly specialized tools and equipment
which would need technical expertise of trained workers. Nevertheless, the
procedure for processing food for preservation remains the same, whether done
manually or mechanically. Learning the basic techniques is made easier with the
use of standardized recipes in food preservation.

Food Preservation Terms

Following the procedure of standardized recipes is made easier and faster

if you learn and master the following terms in preservation:

Pare – cut off the skin with a knife

Peel – pull off the outer skin or rind
Chop – cut into small uneven pieces
Blend – mix two or more foods thoroughly
Blanch – pour or dip food in boiling water
Freeze – keep in the coldest part of the freezer
Shed – cut into thin strips
Boil – cook in liquid until bubbles appear
Simmer – cook just below boiling point
Grate – cut into fine pieces by rubbing against a grater
Caramelize – melt sugar in high temperature
Brine – salt and water solution
Syrup – sugar and water solution

Products such as jam, jelly, marmalade, and candy are appropriate for
fruits such as pineapple, santol, mango, guava, strawberry, and papaya. These
fruits can be preserved in sugar. Tamarind or Sampaloc, durian, kamias, and
melon can also be made into candies.

Jams

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 Jams are cooked mixture of fruits and sugar in a moderately thick
consistency. The high concentration of sugar used in jam making prevents the
growth of microorganism and allows the jams to be preserved for many months.

Suggested Recipe: Papaya Pineapple Jam

Ingredients Utensils/Tools

fully ripe papaya aluminum sauce pan (kawali)

pineapple kitchen knife
sugar chopping board
measuring cup
wooden spoon
jars

Procedure:

1.Select a ripe papaya. Remove the seeds and scoop out the pulp with a spoon.
Mash it with fork.
2. Peel the pineapple, remove the brown spots (eyes), and chop finely.
3. Mix equal parts of mashed papaya and chopped pineapple.
4. Add 1 ½ cups of sugar to every 2 cups of fruit mixture.
5. Boil briskly in a saucepan until thick. Stir constantly to avoid burning.
6. pour immediately into hot sterile jar and close tightly.
7. Cool and store.

Marmalades

Marmalade is made from citrus fruits. Bitter oranges make the best
marmalade. Other citrus fruits are best used in combination with sweet oranges.
Guava, santol, and pineapple may also be made into marmalade.

Procedure:

1. Prepare the fruits manually or by a processor. Chop the sliced peel of

fruits to a preferred thickness.
2. Put the cut fruits and peel in a pot and simmer gently for 1 to 1 ½ hours
Until the peel is soft.
3. Stir and add the sugar until dissolved. Rapidly boil for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Test for a set by putting a small amount on a cold saucer. Allow it to cool.
Push a finger gently through it. If the surface of the mixture wrinkles,
setting point is reached. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. Pour into sterilized bottle and seal tightly.

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Jellies

Jelly is the semi-solid spread made from sugar and fruits. The four
essential ingredients in jelly making are fruits, saucepan, pectin, acid, and sugar.
Pectin is a carbohydrate like substance found in some fruits that form a gel with
sugar and acid. Only fruits rich in pectin and acid are ideal for jelly making.
Guava, santol, tamarind, sour oranges, and tart apple are fruits rich in pectin.

Procedure:

1. Choose fruits with high pectin content.

2. Wash and chop the fruit. There is no need to peel or pare.
3. Cook fruits slowly in bowling water for 30 minutes to one hour or until soft.
4. Pour the content into a jelly bag or a fine cloth and leave it to drip into a bowl
until juice is strained off.
5. Measure the strained juice and add sugar as specified in the recipe below. Stir
sugar into juice until dissolved.
6. Boil and remove scum when setting point is reached. Pour in sterilized bottle
and seal tightly.
Suggested Recipe: Guava Jelly

Ingredients:

1 kilo ripe guavas

5 cups water
1 kilo sugar

Procedure:

1. Use mature but slightly under ripe guavas. Wash and remove blossom’s end.
2. Cut into small pieces, place on a pan, and add water. Boil gently for 10 to 15
minutes until soft. Remove from heat.
3. Transfer cooked fruit in jelly bag. Twist the end slightly to extract the juice but
not the pulp.
4. Add and dissolve 1 cup of juice with 1 cup of sugar and bring to boil.
5. Cook rapidly to a jellying point without stirring.

Candied Fruits

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 Candied fruits are prepared by gradually concentrating fruits in syrup by
repeated boiling until fruit is heavily cooked in syrup. Slightly immature fruit is the
best for candying. Ripe fresh fruits become too soft and cannot stand the
repeated boiling. The length of time of boiling depends on the texture of the fruits.
Remove fruit from final syrup. Drain and place in a wire screen and dry at room
temperature. Cool completely before wrapping

Recipe: Candied Tamarind

Ingredients:

ripe tamarind, 100 pieces

1 kilo of sugar
5 cups of water

Procedure:

1. Peel whole ripe tamarinds and arrange in a deep enamel basin.

2. Prepare syrup by boiling 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a sauce pot.
3. Pour syrup while hot to cover tamarind. Allow to soak for one day.
4. Drain off the syrup and cover with freshly prepared syrup using 2 cups of
sugar and 1 cup of water.
5. Soak for 2 to 3 days. Repeat changing the syrup until the tamarind become
sweet enough.
6. Carefully arrange a bamboo racks and dry under the sun. Cover this with a
wire screen food cover to keep off flies. Finish the drying in an oven at low
temperature.
7. Cool and wrap in cellophane.

Preservation of Vegetables by Pickling

Vegetables are best preserved by pickling. Pickling is preservation

process using a combination of salt, sugar, and vinegar. Fruits and vegetables
can become crisp, tangy, sweet, and sour with the process of picking.

Suggested Recipe: Pickled Singkamas (Atsarang Singkamas)

Ingredients:

1 kilo singkamas
¼ kilo native onions
1 piece ginger

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 3 pieces red bell pepper
1 piece green bell pepper
3 pieces carrot , salt, vinegar, sugar

Procedure:

1. Select fresh singkamas. Peel and slice into thin long strips.
2. Do the same with the carrots, bell peppers and ginger.
3. Peel onions and cut into halves.
4. Mixed vegetables with salt separately and squeeze out the liquid.
5. Prepare pickle solution by boiling 1 cup vinegar, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon
salt.
6. Mix vegetables and pack loosely in a clean, dry 12 oz. bottle.
7. Pour the hot pickle solution into filled jars. Seal at once.

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STUDENTS’ CORNER

Try This

Direction: Prepare a plan for food preservation based on your chosen food below.

Go over the process of preservation that you have learned. Decide on how you are

going to preserve your chosen food.

Fruits

1. pineapple jam

2. orange marmalade

Vegetables

1. picked singkamas

2. atsarang papaya

Do This

Identify the preservation process by matching column A with column B. Write the

letter of the correct answer on the line before each number.

A B

______ 1. melt sugar in high temperature a. boil

______ 2. Salt and water solution b. chop

______ 3. keep in the coldest part of the refrigerator c. freeze

______ 4. cut into small, uneven pieces d. brine

______ 5. cook in liquids until bubbles appear e. blanch

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______ 6. mix two or more food thoroughly f. caramelize

______ 7. sugar and water solution g. blend

______ 8. cut into thin strips h. shred

______ 9. pour or dip food in boiling water i. peel

______ 10. pull off the outer skin or rind j. syrup

k. stir