The Ultimate Guide for Canning and Preserving for Beginners:

You’re All in One Guide to Canning and Preserving for beginners

Introduction

- First of all, I would like to congratulate you on purchase of this eBook. Our goal will be on teaching you canning and persevering methods. Those who've been wanting to learn about preserving their food items, this book is prefect for you! The instructions are easy to follow, clear and comprehensive. Those who already practise the art of preserving food can very well pick up some useful tips and facts, so that their processes can be refined.

This eBook is the guide to canning and preservation techniques that can be followed by beginners and professionals alike, to keep their tasty dishes safe and fit for consumption. So, if your cousin got you the lush green vegetables from his farm, don't worry. We'll show you how to keep them fresh till the Sunday brunch.

Table of Context

Introduction

Chapter 1 - A brief introduction to canning and preserving food

Chapter 2 - Why should you preserve food?

Chapter 3 - Drying food

Chapter 4– Freezing

Chapter 5 - Use of strong concentrations to preserve food

Chapter 6– Fermenting

Chapter 7– Pickling

Chapter 8 - The Recipes

Conclusion

No Part of this book may be reproduced or copied without permission from the author.

Chapter 1 - A brief introduction to canning and preserving food

In the modern world, human beings face an adverse challenge in form of diseases which we need to guard ourselves from. Keeping in mind the possibility of contracting even the most generic of infections, we choose to get ourselves vaccinated on a regular basis. Vaccination employs a very simple concept - introduction of harmless antigenic cells into the human body, which trigger an immune response. Laying it down in simple language, a vaccination causes production of antibodies in human body, which simulate the same response that the human immune system would trigger in case of attack by a harmful pathogen.

In case of food preservation though, we have a variety of techniques. Some of them might resemble the little adventure as showcased in case of vaccinations, while others would be quite simple.

To start, we retrace our steps back to the time when the first civilization came into existence. The earliest men were nomadic at best. They lived in caves, hadn't made acquaintance with fire yet, and thus had little or no knowledge about the deteriorating property of their food, or how to protect it. To them, the dead dear was edible until it started to smell very bad.

The need for preservation of food was realized by our ancestors when the seasons changed, replaced either by hot winds, when water and meat became sparse, or in extreme colds, when animals would bury themselves in their abodes, to keep from the freezing cold temperatures. Having to go without food for days at time made the earliest men realize the importance of saving up for future. Plus, there was no regular supply of meat as well. Agriculture wasn't exactly mainstream back then. So, humans developed the ancient art of preservation of food.

The earliest men devised a variety of techniques to harness the Mother Nature in order to preserve their food, when they realized its true power. The preservation techniques varied with civilization and culture, as people in different parts of the world had different tools of nature at their disposal. Those in cold regions used the freezing property of ice to de-accelerate the deterioration process significantly, while those in regions that received a fair amount of heat through sun and hot winds dried the meat, to avoid the invasion of micro-organisms whose activity are fostered by moisture.

Freezing - The ancestors of the modern day Eskimos primarily hunted for food, as the coldest of regions seldom allowed any vegetation to grow. Since one might not find meat for a number of days, as its availability wasn't exactly guaranteed in those cold climates, they decided to eat only as much as they needed, and preserved the rest. To do this, they often packed the food in ice, submerged it in ice cold streams, or stored it in cold caves and cellars.

Drying - Areas that received the scorching heat suffered from problems such as scarcity of food, which was often intensified by droughts, famines and low vegetation growth. However, the boon of such heat was in the fact that by exposing the food to high temperatures, the moisture was eliminated from flesh and grains, thereby thwarting the action of micro-organisms. At times, the food stocks were kept inside settlements with a fire, to simulate the said effect.

Fermenting - Alcohol is hugely popular today at casual exchanges between friends, and its origins are closely tied to the accidental discovery of the phenomenon called fermentation. Someone left a few grains of barley in rain by mistake, and Voila! Alcohol was discovered, and the rest as they say, is history. Fermentation proved to be a revolutionary technique in food preservation, as valuable drinks such as beer and wine could then be synthesized from simple grains such as barley and wheat.

Pickling - A significant part of the world population fancies the tangy taste of pickled foods, with pickled cucumber now a staple part of salads and sub-sandwiches in many parts of the world. One of the finest examples of pickling comes from India, where large volumes of pickle is consumed in both households and eateries. It is considered a viable alternative to vegetable curries, and is served with chapatis(flatbread) or paranthas. The funda is quite simple - dip pieces of vegetables and fruits, such as mango, lemon, jackfruit, etcetera in a concentrated brine solution, with a tinge of spices. The solution is tailored so as to impart a tangy and appealing flavour to these mundane items, and makes for an entire line of valuable food items, that go well with a variety of cuisines.

Enough digression. In historical times, people savoured the taste of pickles so much, that trade relations boomed due to demands of imported food materials that could be pickled and made into mouth-watering dishes. Be it fish or vegetables, they pickled a large quantity to create reserves for seasons to follow.

This enabled kings and nobles to enjoy delicacies that were not available round the year, and for travellers and sailors to take food on their expeditions, which could help them survive the harsh seas and foreign lands with utmost ease.

Canning - The modern art of preservation has been around for quite some time now. Canning involves the isolation of food items in containers. The heating action destroys the microorganisms, while deactivating enzymes. It creates a protective vacuum, which keeps the food intact, and safe from external agents. The act of sealing the food items prevents exposure to air, which is the travelling medium for most of the not-so-food-friendly micro-organisms. Food then remains fit for consumption for a longer period of time, and can easily be exported, even to other continents.

There is much more to the need for preservation than just the innate human desire to get the taste of their favourite dishes in any part of the year. Truth be told, there is a crisis of food in many parts of the world. Hunger and under-nourishment wreck havoc in lives of those who don't have regular access to good food. In such times, each grain is priceless, and can't be allowed to go waste. An untold portion of the global annual produce is plundered by the act of deterioration. Anything considered edible in nature, when removed from its original and intended source, starts getting attacked by malevolent micro-organisms, which ultimately spoils it, rendering it useless, sometimes, even harmful for consumption.

Vegetables are often treated after being plucked from the fields, to lengthen their life span, ensuring they remain safe for consumption till it reaches the markets and households. Meat requires a different set of processes after being removed from body, since the rate at which it attracts micro-orgasms is exponentially high, compared to green products. Needless to say, preservation is the pre-cursor of cooking, and very important. A well preserved food item always translates to an even better dish, when infused with a little joy while cooking.

Chapter 2 - Why should you preserve food?

One of the most common questions that come into the minds of people is - Why should I bother about preserving food? I can just buy the raw materials while coming home from work whenever I need them. What is all the fuss about preserving food items? Why should I bear the extra cost?

Most of the answers are hidden in plain sight. We live in an ever-changing world. A world where things are easier said than done. It might appear very easy to pick up the groceries every day after work, but the liberty of doing so isn't really an option for most of us.

Here are some of the major reasons why you should preserve food, rather than buying out every time the need strikes:

1. Food lasts longer - Food items start to attract microbes as soon as they are removed from their origins, be it the crop, or the animal. Microbe action can trigger variety of effects in the food, ranging from it becoming useless for consumption to being harmful and toxic. By choosing to preserve them, we de-accelerate the deterioration process significantly, helping the food last longer. Plus, exposure to external agents such as light and moisture are avoided, which are generally considered to be detrimental to food items.

2. Back up food in case of emergency - The dynamic world that we live in presents a multitude of conditions, which can bring life to a stand-still. While some we have control over, others, not so much. Curfews, hike in prices of food items are the man-made problems, while natural calamities, harsh weather conditions, such as heavy snowfall, flood are the forces of nature we can't determine or influence. They have the potential to disrupt life in the most paralyzing fashion. At such times, the supply of food can be greatly affected. Preserving food well in advance guarantees that even if disaster strikes, we have one thing less to worry about, and can concentrate better on tackling the situation.

3. Save money - At times, we are all gripped by urges to consume some of the seasonal offerings, which might not be available at the time when this urge presents itself. Do we go out, locate it no matter what the odds, and buy it, even if it costs a leg? (Hey! Don't forget the rising fuel prices. Every once in a while, laziness makes us take the car to the neighbourhood supermarket.)

No, I suggest. The far easier and neater trick is to buy in bulk when the time is right - the availability is easy, the commodity is cheap. Bulk purchases are mostly a deal of advantage, and so the retailers offer sweet discounts. Another good thing from this deal is that you save your efforts, and a significant amount of money, because off-season commodities are hard to find, and often expensive, owing to their availability problem.

Also, you get the best whenever you shop of it during the season. Now that you have the raw materials, the only efforts you have to do is to preserve them. With a plethora of techniques available, you can make an assortment of arrangements to make the food last for a long time. So next time you have the urge to drink mango shake in winters, you won't have to settle for something seasonal with a sad face. Mango shake, on the rocks!

4. Homemade canned food and preservatives - One of the sad realities about preservation is the commercialization of it. When industries picked up the art of preserving food and made it a business, they were serious about making money out of it. The variety of food items that are made available to us in preserved state contain an even wider variety of food preservatives, some natural, other artificial. These artificial preservatives may keep your food healthy for a longer period of time, but the same might not be the case for you.

By choosing natural preservatives while doing the process at home, the integrity of the food is maintained, and the ill-effects of artificial materials can be avoided. Also, homemade canned food gives us the control over the entire process and the materials used, guaranteeing the precise results that we desire.

5. Convenient - "A hungry man can't see right or wrong. He just sees food.", said Pearl Buck. Let us be clear about one thing - you can't concentrate on the matter at hands, if hunger haunts you. One of the many advantages of canned food is its presence when it really matters. Next time you need a quickie or your cousins visit unannounced, you can always turn to your secret stash of canned tuna, fry it and indulge. It is always easier to access what is kept ready to be cooked at your home and turn it into the delicacy that is destined to save the day.

6. Environment friendly - One thing that goes completely unnoticed is that whatever we use or consume will in turn reach the environment in one form or the other. Even if you buy a packet of potato wafers, you've just introduced another piece of plastic into the cycle. That's the thing with industrially preserved food - they all employ artificial preservatives as they are inexpensive. Most of us are completely unaware of the effects that these artificial materials have on the environment.

Homemade preserved food is much more liberal in such regards. After all, How else can you turn the simpler or less favourite parts of a food item into something valuable like alcohol, jam or jelly? Preservation of food at home requires easy to obtain materials, which otherwise may not seem so useful to a common person.

Chapter 3 - Drying food

Sun is the key source of light for us. Believe it or not, the absence of sun would make Earth a much less life-friendly planet. Heat, light, winds, clouds, energy, etcetera. The Sun is responsible for their existence. Talking about heat, the oldest method known to humans for preservation of their food happens to have been derived from the sun. Honestly speaking, it's no coincidence.

The earliest men were keen observers of the miracles of nature. They interpreted changing seasons as changing moods of the Gods that lived in the sky, and believed in their benevolence. So, when it got too warm and food became scarce, they noticed that the food that they stored lasted for a longer period of time, than in other seasons. That was the earliest form of preservation through heating.

The basic science behind the preservation through heating is simple, yet ingenious. As discussed before, moisture is the fastest medium for the deterioration causing microbes to spread and get to their target. Imagine - more the moisture, more the rate at which microbes can attack and spoil the food. Thus, food items with high water content face greater risk of microbe attack viz. vegetables, fruits, and meat. The concept is much like rusting of iron.

So how exactly does heating help?

Food items contain a significant amount of moisture. If you want to thwart the process of microbe attack, you'll have to get rid of the medium in which they breed and survive. When preserving food through heating, food items are heated to such a point where the product becomes completely dry. Ever tried those easy to cook potato fries? Or those shrunken-looking fruits from the basket your cousins get for your mom? Most of these products have been prepared in the same exact manner. Dried till moisture-free, and then packed, after a little product specific trick, of course.

Today, the techniques for preservation by heating have come a long way. From heating the food in a storage by fire and hanging in scorching warm sunlight to using dehydrators for eliminating the moisture, the evolution has been gradual, yet revolutionary.

Some of the things that you need to take care of when you employ the heat to your advantage are -

1. Selection - The secret to a perfectly preserved food item through heating is the selection of only the best pieces available. Always prefer fruits or vegetables that are fresher, and have their structural integrity intact viz. absence of molds, cuts or bruises. They can often act as medium through which the microbes can find their way into the food item, and spoil it.

2. Preparation - The thumb rule is to prepare your food in the condition in which you want it to be served. The food items should be washed properly, to remove any dirt from their surface, and checked for bruises, and if found, the piece should be removed from the item. Once found fit for the process, the item should be cut into several pieces of even thickness(generally, 1/8th of an inch) and size. Cutting into irregular pieces will hinder uniform heating, and the results would not be exactly as you'd like.

You can always prepare them using spices and 'secret recipes' viz. neat little tricks, keeping in mind your expectation from the dried product. Fruits with high sugar concentration make into excellent confections after being heated. Similarly, you can coat the pieces with oils and pastes to give them the taste you desire.

Now that you are aware of the things to keep in mind while preparing the food items for heating, here are the various methods which you can employ in order to do it.

1. Solar - The most conventional method of them all. This method requires a fairly hot temperature (above 38 °C), with low humidity. Though it is the cheapest of them all, it is suitable at only certain places, where the above mentioned conditions can be fulfilled. It is the oldest method, yet still in use, due to the immense potential it has. There is no harmful effect on nature, since solar energy is used, which hardly has any polluting effects.

The method itself is quite simple - expose the food items to bright sunlight, while keeping a cheese cloth on, to protect from insects. The process takes days to complete, and hence requires monitoring. Food items should be taken indoors during the night time, as the entire process can go to waste due to dew formation at night. Also, insects can reach the food if kept in accessible areas. By keeping it on a table, with the table legs immersed in buckets of water, the batch remains protected.

2. Oven - This method requires a significant amount of electricity, but is also the fastest. The food items are heated in oven for hours until dried, often at temperature higher than 60°C, with the oven door left open, and in an environment where regular supply of air can drive the moisture away from inside and around the oven. Rotation of food trays facilitates even distribution of heat throughout the surface of the food items, giving the best results. This method allows a limited quantity of the food items to be processed, but the results are worth it.

3. Dehydrators - The last method is to dehydrate the food items by using a dehydrator. As the name clearly suggests, a dehydrator rids the food of the internal moisture by heating batches of it. It uses less amounts of electricity, and the results, therefore, arrive a little late, but allowing more food per batch in comparison to ovens.

A variety of dehydrators are available in the market today, with the most basic ones allowing less quantities of food to be processed at a time, with a little niggle of uneven heating, and much more advanced ones, providing a greater degree of control of the entire process, and thus, better results.

No matter which matter you choose, care must be taken during the actual process, as it can make or break the entire deal. Oh well, at least your teeth, as different food items require different degree of heating, according to their moisture content. Too much drying can rob the product of its intended taste, texture and consistency, while less than required drying will leave you with an undesirable kind of mess. So, the recommended strategy is to experiment with simpler items at first, and move on to try a variety of other 'specimens'. A well heated preserved product, after all, makes up for an exotic delicacy in off season, or serves as a special gift for friends and relatives.

Our story begins in 1795, when the French Military was looking for new and better methods to preserve food that was to be provided to their army. In the pursuit of a scientific miracle, they announced a prize of 12,000 Francs. The opportunity was seized by Nicolas Appert, and by 1806, the revolution in the preservation of food had been confirmed. Nicolas Appert received the promised reward, and the world received the method which is still widely used for preservation of food all around the world.

Canning employs a very simple idea - Pack the sterilized food in a container and close it, and heat it. Any microbes present are exterminated by sterilization, and heating drives out the air from the container, thereby making it completely free of any medium in which the microbes can thrive.

Canning industry has been on rise ever since its advent, as the demand for food increased more and more, and so, people started choosing canned food over picking up fresh food from market and cooking it, owing to the simplicity. Also, it made up for a good source of much needed nutrition on expeditions, hikes and outings, as one has to simply carry the light cans around, open and consume.

The process of canning requires a certain protocol to be followed:

1. Selection - The food items that you want to can, should be clean and fresh, be it vegetables, fruits or meat. The reason behind it is that, since the item that is canned can be consumed over a very long period of time, the best results are often derived from pieces which are considerably fresher, as most of the nutrients are intact. Also, picking up bulks of the material to be packed can serve as an inexpensive option in the long run. With a little foresight and planning, one can harvest the best deals while canning, to save money, and ‘can’ only the best of all the options available.

A variety of vegetables can be canned, to prepare for the coming seasons, such as asparagus, tomatoes, corn, beans, carrots, spinach, beets, etcetera.

2. Equipment -

The equipment that you'll need for the best result depends primarily on what you are looking to preserve.

For food items with high acid content, we recommend water bath method. For those with low acid content, the pressure canning is the way to go.

The common equipment - cans, a can lifter, and choice of preservatives and spices.

For the water bath method, we require a vessel large enough in which the boiling process is to be done. For the pressure canning method, a pressure canner is required, which can be easily obtained from markets.

Process:

Now, the actual process is where the divergence occurs -

1. Water bath method - Prepare the contents in the way you choose, using whatever ingredients and spices, according to the taste you wish your food should have when the can is opened. Fill the contents into the jar, wipe the rims clean, and screw the lids on.

Next comes the boiling part. The cans should be submerged in water, and boiled. After removing from the water, they should be kept to cool down. Within some time, vacuum forms inside the can, and the process is completed.

2. Pressure canning - When looking to can a variety of food items, this method can speed up the process.

Start by putting 2-3 inches of hot water in the can. Using the jar lifter, place the filled jars on the rack. Take care that the lid is fastened securely, so that no pressure escapes, and the process is as efficient as possible. Keep the petcock open.

The heat setting should be at high mode, with an exhaust time of around 8-10 minutes.

Close the petcock. It will result in the canner getting pressurized in about 5 minutes.

When the pressure dial shows appropriate pressure corresponding to the altitude, heat setting should be regulated in order to keep a steady pressure.

The weight on the canner will rock during the process, signifying that the process is going as it should, with pressure being exerted on the cans.

On completion of heating, heat should be turned off, and the canner should be allowed to de-pressurize at its own rate.

The pressure dial should be observed, and when it reaches zero, the petcock should be opened after a few minutes. While opening the cover, tilting to side will help the steam in escaping away from the user.

After some time, the jars can be removed from the canner, and placed on dry towels/newspapers to cool. Keep them undisturbed for some hours.

Safety measures –

Quick and large pressure variations can result in unnecessary liquid losses. Regulate the pressure judiciously.

Canner shouldn't be made to cool down by pouring water on it.

Ensure that the cans have been sealed properly. Cans that haven't been sealed completely can develop spores of Clostridium Botulinum, which produces a deadly toxin. The spores are highly resistant to heat, and therefore are difficult to exterminate. The toxin produced is potent enough to cause paralysis, even death, if consumed.

When the process is completed, the cans should be tested to see if the seal has formed, by trying to lift the lid by the fingertips. If the lid doesn't come off, the seal is set. Once confirmed, the cans should then be labelled, and stored in a cool and dry place. Behold, as the fruits of your labour are ready. Whenever the appetite sets in, the canned product will provide an amazing escape from the regular course. The canned products can last for prolonged periods of time in the state, and on being opened, should be refrigerated until consumed completely.

Chapter 4 – Freezing

The early men did it. The Russians did it. And today, 90% of the population in developed and developing nations does it. Preservation of food through freezing is one of the most preferred methods today, due to freezer availability in the households.

The earliest accounts of freezing originate from places where the climate used to be bitter cold. The food was scarce, as animals would seek refuge in warm places, and vegetation could barely survive. Whatever was available, had to be used for days to come. So, the early men preserved what they could by storing it in cold places. The practice came from the observation that food that was cooled took more time to spoil. In 1885, a trade relation developed between Russia and England, in which chicken and geese, packed in insulated cases were sent from Russia to London. This paved way for a boom in the freezing industry, thereby opening doors to innovation in the field.

The science is quite simple - freeze the food items to low temperatures. This causes the residual moisture inside the food to turn into ice, disabling the activities of the bacteria that can possibly cause deterioration.

A variety of products are available today in supermarkets, such as soy milk, cheese, peas, etcetera, which are frozen first, and can then be kept that way for a significantly longer period of time than what is otherwise possible.

- What foods can be frozen?

A common question which most people ask is - what all can we freeze? The answer - almost everything. From vegetables and fruits to meat, one can freeze almost all the food items. The necessary steps should be taken depending on what you are looking to freeze, for obtaining best results.

Shelf life –

Frozen food is known for its prolonged shelf life i.e. period for which the product remains fit for consumption. Since freezing de-accelerates the activity of microbes by a great extent, the food remains safe for a long period of time. However, the quality of food certainly degrades with time, and it is therefore advised that food items must be consumed as soon as possible, if frozen at home, the quantity should be judiciously managed. You wouldn't want to freeze a large quantity of food item you don't eat much, because with time, it loses the nutrients and taste which makes it desirable in the first place.

The process –

The process of freezing is easy. All you've to do is to make the food item into the form that it is to be preserved in, and keep it in the freezer. However, a simple step before doing that, in case of vegetables, will give far better results. Here comes blanching. Now you'd ask, what is blanching?

In spite of being frozen, there exists another reason for the vegetables to lose their charm. The enzymes inside the vegetables continue to be active, and with time, they cause a different kind of deterioration. Which is the reason frozen food, when taken out, have a different texture and colour, than what they were frozen with.

This is where blanching comes in. The method involves evaporating most of the moisture in the vegetables, by boiling or steaming it to the extent that it isn't cooked, yet. By blanching, the enzymes are deactivated, and the long drawn process of deterioration in spite of being frozen is avoided.

The entire process can be completed in the following manner:

1. Blanch the food product to be frozen by boiling/steaming it. This must be done keeping in mind that the vegetables don't have to be cooked.

2. After blanching, immediately plunge the food into ice cold water/ice, to avoid it getting cooked due to the residual heat. The food is cooled down in this manner.

3. Next, drain the food items well, followed by squeezing out as much water as possible, for best results.

4. Store the food items in the container that you want them to be frozen in, label them according to the date, and put them into the freezer. Labeling helps in the long run, as you'll have the exact idea of how old a particular batch is, and therefore in which order to consume the products.

What you need to take care of:

The safety risks involved in freezing food is in the fact that freezing is not a fool-proof method of preserving food. As the science explains, the microbes are deactivated due to cold temperatures. So, if the freezing effect is removed, the food will start to reach a higher temperature, and whatever microbes may have survived will get activated once again, and this is the only reason why methods involving heat are preferred to freezing, as the chances of microbes surviving heat is much less in comparison to cold.

The benefits of freezing food for preservation is primarily in the fact that the process is very easy, inexpensive, doesn't consume much time, and requires minimum equipments. Also, with something as integral as a fridge/freezer in our lives, it doesn't take any extra efforts to keep the preservation process on for as long as desirable.

Such preserved food can be easily used, requiring nothing more than just unfreezing to make it fit for consumption again. So next time you fancy those lush green veggies at the store or the fruits from the country-side, take them home without any hesitation. A little preparation and they'll be all set to steal the show, regardless of the season. Trust me, the mango pulp at my home makes up for great mango shake even in monsoons.

Chapter 5 - Use of strong concentrations to preserve food

Till now, we've looked into the various phenomenon of nature which help us in preserving food items. However, it is necessary to realize that sometimes, it is the additives that we use which make the necessary environment required for preservation of food. The nature and concentration of these additives grant the preserving properties, which are employed for keep a variety of food items edible for prolonged durations.

Role of various substances and their concentrations –

In the recipes section viz. chapter 9, you'll notice that mediums such as oil, sugar syrup, and etcetera are used for preservation of food. Ever wondered if the science of the process alone is responsible for the magic, or is there something more than what meets the eyes?

There is another science that resides behind the nature of the additives. Be it oil, sugar syrup, or brine, the mantra is simple - a concentrated medium that is not so microbe-friendly. The nature of the medium doesn't allow microbes to thrive. The acidity of the medium kills the microbes, and thwarts further attacks. Which is why most of the processes done involve dipping the food items into the mediums, with further boiling or storage.

Food items that suit preservation –

Truth be told, it is not the selection of food that goes with the medium, but the other way round. The taste and form that you expect from a preserved dish mostly determines the kind of additives and its concentration to be used.

For making pickles, we use a concentrated brine, or oil, in accordance to the taste that we wish to get. For candies, sugar syrup is the choice.

The Process –

The process with almost all additives is vaguely the same. Since they act as the medium for the food items to be processed, they are to be kept in concentrations that best suit the desired results.

For example:

We boil the sugar syrup with the food items dipped in it, so as to impart the sweetness to the product.

We can vary the amount of chilli in a medium of oil, so as to make the pickle very spicy, moderately spicy, or having just a little tinge of spice.

Brine:

Mix 1/4th of a cup of salt in about 1 liter of water.

For sweet brine, add 1/4th of a cup into the above concentration.

Boil and stir constantly till the salt and sugar dissolve.

Sugar syrup:

According to concentration required, the ratio of water to sugar must vary.

1 cup water + 1 cup sugar = highly concentrated. Used as base for cold drinks.

2 cup water + 1 cup sugar = medium concentration. Give sweet taste to beverages.

3 cups water + 1 cup sugar = diluted, concentration wise. Used to impart the sweet taste to the crust of cakes and pastries.

The mixture must then be boiling, with constant stirring, so as to dissolve the sugar. Note - the more time you heat the mixture, the thick will it be in consistency.

Shelf life –

The shelf life of the food items preserved using such concentrates depends mainly upon the storage conditions. If airtight containers are used, and kept in cool and dark places, the product lasts on an average of 2-3 months, at the least.

Further, the containers must be cleaned properly to remove dirt and impurities which can cause a stealth factor for microbes to creep in.

Safety Risks –

The primary issues concerning safety is in regards to the storage of the food items. If kept securely, the product lasts for a long time. Also, it stops the attack of microbes that can cause botulism, which slowly poisons the food, making it harmful, if consumed. Always, care must be take to keep checking the contents of the preserved items, to ensure no bacterial growth has started. In case of pickles, the containers must be tossed once in every week, to ensure that the food items remain nourished by the medium and the additives, and protected from possible microbes.

Chapter 6 – Fermenting

We humans have always been fascinated with the way nature runs things around us. There are things we don't understand, yet their presence makes life easier for us in ways most of us don't realize. During the course of this book, we've been preserving food by various methods, the trick always having been to keep the microbes away from the food. But if you were told, that microbes also happen to function in ways that make them a lucrative option for preserving food?

The process is called fermentation, and it's been around for thousands of years, dating back to 3150 BC in Babylon. The phenomenon was discovered almost by accident, something that went on to be established into the science we refer to as zymology today.

The process of fermentation is employed to preserve food, and at the same time, paving way for something much more delicious to be developed. Fermentation is known to be used for making heavily consumed items, such as bread, batter for idlis and dosas, dairy products such as soy milk, etcetera. Even the commonly consumed beverage beer is a product of fermentation.

The trick behind fermentation –

The science behind fermenting is simple - allow controlled deterioration of food items by "useful" bacteria, so as to create a different kind of products from the existing ones. The process is anaerobic in nature viz. carried on in a medium devoid of air, plus a little acidic in nature. Both factors combine to create one of the most unsuitable ecosystems for the microbes that make the food items spoilt beyond the level of safe usage.

What all can you preserve?

Tea, coffee, chocolate, sourdough, cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, curd are few of the many products of fermentation. The process itself imparts unique properties to them, such as the flavor, the texture, the effects on consumption, etcetera.

The process –

The process of fermentation is one of the easiest kinds of preservation. The only equipments you require are jars, salt, water, and of course, the food item to be preserved.

1. Wash the food item very well. The idea is to not allow even a bit of impurity to make its way into the jar.

2. Shred/cut the food item into a fine textured product.

3. The shredded product is packed into the jar, in such a way that after every layer of a certain thickness, salt must be introduced, followed by the next layer. This makes up for an even distribution.

4. Using force, the product should be packed very firmly into the container, the idea being that minimum amount of space is to be left unused inside the jar. Also, this releases the juice from the product.

5. When the product is packed into the jar well, some boiling water should be poured inside the jar.

6. The jar should now be sealed in such a way that most of the air should remain out of the jar. Whatever air the "good" bacteria require will be available, while ensuring that the environment is not suitable for "bad" bacteria.

7. The batch should then be stored properly, for months to come. The time that the anaerobic bacteria is allowed to work upon the product will yield results, in that time.

Shelf life –

The food that is preserved through the process of fermentation goes on in a good state for a prolonged period of time. The environment inside the container keeps the food safe from attack by microbes that can make the whole batch go to waste. Mostly, 6-7 months old deli pickle or sauerkraut are very suitable for consumption, as the age is ripe enough for the food to have attained the best properties of fermented food.

Benefits –

The benefits of consuming fermented food are beyond counting for good reason. The act of fermentation causes the food product to be processed by some of the nature's most primitive organism - bacteria.

The longest organ in the human body is the intestine, which is home to plethora of bacteria, both good and bad, that keep its functioning balanced in nature. The reason why people fall sick on eating stuff is the imbalance in these bacteria.

The consumption of fermented food proves to be a boon for the intestines as they are rich with good bacteria. The kind that promotes digestion inside the body, detoxify the harmful toxins that accumulate inside the body over time, and strengthen the immune system.

This is the very reason why a host of probiotic drinks have surfaced in markets in the past couple of years. They contain millions of good bacteria that impart all these benefits to human body, in just a small dosage.

Keeping the health benefits of consuming fermented food aside, let us consider the more obvious facts. The process of initiating the process of fermentation is like a walk in the park, requiring almost no previous expertise, special equipment, and not even much time. These all factors make it preferable over its counterparts, such as canning, which require canner, extra safety precautions, electricity, and a free schedule to be done properly. Also, the complications, such as improperly sealed cans and checking the seals don't need to be followed here.

Safety Risks –

The safety risk in consumption of fermented food is roughly the same as that of frozen food. Care must be taken that no air should be allowed to slip into the container, because any opportunity for botulism causing bacteria to flourish will make the entire batch useless.

Also, when the jar is opened, you'll get the idea of the success or failure of the batch by the look and smell of the product. If the product gives off an unpleasant smell, trash it.

Chapter 7 – Pickling

Like a host of many other things that changed the world in unfathomable ways, India has to itself the credit for discovering another of nature's wonderful creations - Pickle. The early records indicate the advent of pickling in India over 4000 years ago with cucumbers, which were prepared for consumption by anaerobic fermentation in a medium of brine.

Though the science wasn't completely understood, the benefits were too good not to be reaped. Going by the name "Achar", pickles in India provided the chance to savour a variety of tastes, regardless of the seasons. These were used extensively in royal courts and on expeditions, be it majestic kings, or simple sailors.

What is pickling?

The science behind pickling is as simple as tasty they are. Pickling involves controlled fermentation of food items in medium that are acidic enough to not let the bad bacteria thrive, while promoting the growth of "good" bacteria. Meet our new friends - Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and Lactobacillus plantarum. Both of these are responsible for producing different kinds of taste in pickle. But c'mon! It's pickle. More the variety, better the meal.

Equipment’s & Ingredients –

Pickling is one of the easiest preservation process, requiring nothing more than the food items to be pickled, your choice of spices, brine/vinegar, and of course, vessels in which the fruits of labour shall be born.

Selection of food –

Virtually anything that you can possibly imagine yourself savouring with a tangy taste, can be pickled. Be it vegetables, fruits, or meat. The preferred food items for pickling most belong to the summers. However, if you fancy pickling something from another time of the year, feel free to experiment.

The process –

The process of pickling is easy enough to be tried at home, season after season.

1. Sterilize the vessels in which you are to pickle your favourite food items. The aim is to rid it of any possible dirt or impurity that can cause a hitch in the grand scheme.

2. Cut the food item into pieces, to guarantee the best possible results. The taste will be imparted to each and every piece uniformly. However, If you prefer to keep it whole, be it that way. Most people prefer to pickle whole cucumbers intact.

In case of vegetables such as beets, sprout, carrots, ginger, blanching is recommended to help the food items retain much of its colour, and be nice in looks. Remember, they'll matter if you invite your boss or girlfriend over for dinner.

For cucumbers, tomatoes, or turnips, don't bother with blanching. They are good looking in the first place.

Let us go over the blanching for once. The principle is to eliminate the enzymes inside the vegetables that can cause deterioration in quality over time. Boil the vegetables in water, keeping in mind that they are not to be cooked. Therefore, the boiling duration is the key. After boiling, immediately cool down the vegetables using ice or cold water, to prevent further cooking due to residual heat.

3. The next step is to give them the spices that they are to adopt the taste of during the meditation period. Remember, whatever companions you'll give them, they'll mirror them when they emerge self-aware from meditation. Ahem, fermentation, I mean.

Feel free to experiment with different kinds of spices and additives. They'll complement the tangy taste when the pickled product will be consumed.

4. This is the step where the worldly desire for taste will decide your choice of brine. Pickles are made in 2 variants - sweet, and sour. Sweet lemon pickle is consumed by a large number of people in the Indian sub-continent.

Brine(6 cups) -

Boil a mixture of 3 cups of water, 3 cups distilled white vinegar, sea salt and sugar(concentration mentioned below) in a large saucepan. Boil while stirring till the salt and sugar are dissolved, followed by further boiling for around 2 minutes.

For sweet brine, 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoons of sea salt, and 1 and a half cups of sugar.

For sour brine, 2 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon of sea salt, 2 tablespoon of sugar.

5. Fill the prepared brine into the vessels to about 1/2th of the top of the rim. Securely screw the lid, and refrigerate for around 24 hours, or store in cool conditions. 

Shelf Life -

The length for which your pickled food will survive depends on the way you keep it. After the pickling process is completed, you can consume the pickle as and when you feel like. If kept properly, viz. allowing no possible contamination by keeping the vessel closed securely, your tangy snacks can last anything from 1-2 months. It's all a matter of how you consume, and store it. Keep it in cold, and you'll be good to go.

Safety –

The thing to understand is that pickling, like every other preservation technique, isn't fool-proof. If storage conditions are compromised, and significant exposure to air happens, your produce will develop the bad bacteria before you know it. Also, a dark place is recommended, as light is a known catalyst of the "breaking bad" process. Therefore, keeping it safe from such factors will ensure a decent shelf-life.

Pickles are a beautiful gift of nature to us human beings. Pickled food will never go out of trend owing to the simplicity and genius of the process. Easy and inexpensive to make, perfect for as and when the urge surfaces, and most definitely the best option for a quickie. If something can help you in savouring your favourite seasonal stuff effortlessly, it's spelled like this : P-I-C-K-L-I-N-G.

Chapter 8 - The Recipes

The secret for materializing a good recipe into a great delicacy has always the same. Selection of the best ingredients (only the best vegetables, with no possible bruises), a little patience while cooking, keen observation and trusting your gut instinct.

Last, but not the least, to be jovial at heart and peaceful at mind while you are cooking. These emotion, admit it or now, go directly into the essence of your dish, and make up for something that is much better cooked. With a little feel good factor, an edible dish comes out as a coveted and desirable dish.

1. Tomato ketchup -

One of the most preferred condiment to snacks and dishes in most part of the word is ketchup. Today, there is a wide variety going around in the market, namely chilli, hot and sour, continental, etcetera. However, lets prepare the oldest and still the most widely used one.

Ingredients - tomatoes, salt, sugar, sodium benzoate, acetic acid, garlic.

Process -

1. Select a batch of good tomatoes. Rinse them properly, and clean to remove any dust or dirt.

2. Cut tomatoes into fine pieces, and cook in a pressure cooker, with a little garlic and sugar added to it.

3. Cool the tomatoes. Add them to a mixer, with few pieces of clove, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. Convert into a homogenous paste.

4. Sieve the paste properly, so that it releases most of the moisture.

5. Add a little salt and sugar to the paste, and heat it to make a concentrated mixture.

6. Then the mixture must be cooled properly, after addition of half a teaspoon each of sodium benzoate and acetic acid.

7. The sauce must be stored into bottles, and consumed.

8. Store in dark and cool place.

2. Jam –

Early morning bread appears very bland without a cup of tea or coffee, and a good jam. From school-goers to office-workers, we all love jam, be it mango, or strawberry. Some even before to just indulge in the flavour of mixed fruits. What's your pick?

Ingredients - Fruits of your choice, sugar, sodium benzoate, acetic acid, pinch of salt.

Process -

1. Rinse the fruits properly to remove any dirt.

2. Cut the fruits into fine pieces.

3. Heat them while occasional stirring. The desired product must be a gooey form of the substance. Alternatively, the fruits can be pressure cooked.

4. Make into a paste by running through the mixer.

5. Make a mixture of the paste, sugar, salt. Optionally, essence can be added for a tinge of the desired taste.

6. Heat the mixture properly, so that the mixture becomes uniform.

7. Cool the mixture. Add half a teaspoon each of sodium benzoate and acetic acid.

8. Fill into airtight bottles or jars, and store in cool and dark places.

3. Murabba –

One of the many types of hunger that haunts all of us once in a while is that for a sweet. Chocolates aside, sometimes, all it takes is something unconventional, and something never tried before. Indian gooseberry comes as one such sweet for you.

Ingredients - Indian Gooseberry, water, sugar.

Process -

Since the gooseberry is alkaline in nature, it must first be treated for the alkalinity.

1. Take a clean and sterilized needle, and punch holes into the gooseberries. Immerse in calcium water for 3-4 days.

2. Wash the gooseberries properly, so as to remove any dirt that may've been left.

3. Boil a mixture of water and sugar to make concentrated sugar syrup.

4. Add a pinch of salt to the sugar syrup and mix evenly.

5. Dip the gooseberries in the sugar syrup, and boil it properly. The amla will absorb the syrup.

6. Take out the gooseberries from the sugar syrup, and allow to cool.

7. Store in jars at a cool and dark place.

4. Mango pulp –

I love Mango! To devour the rich pulpy sweetness of the king of fruits is one of the best sensations that revisits me, every summer. However, being the seasonal fruit that mango is, sometimes the hunger surfaces even during the rainy seasons. Then, we must turn to our reserves of mango pulps, and keep the guilt trip going.

Ingredients - Ripe and fleshy mangos, tupperware/airtight containers.

Process -

1. Wash the mangos properly to remove any dirt from the surface.

2. Dry the mangos properly, and then extract the fleshy pulp.

3. Store the pulp in airtight containers/tupperware, and slip it inside the freezer.

4. When the pulp is to be consumed, take out from the freezer, and allow to retain its original form by heat from the surroundings.

5. This pulp can now be used for preparing mango shakes, fruit custard, fruit cream, etcetera.

5. Mixed Pickle -             

We've all tasted cucumber pickles at least once. It's nice and all. But haven't you wondered if there were others of the kind? One of the most intriguing and tasty pickles is up for you to prepare. The ingredients will grace your kitchen in the winters, but the pickle will last you through the summers.

Ingredients - Cauliflower, carrot, peas, spices (sandal powder, methi powder, fennel, red chilli powder), salt, mustard oil, lemons.

Process -

1. Wash the vegetables properly to remove any dirt. Cut into small pieces.

2. Spread the pieces on a tray, and keep in sunlight to remove moisture.

3. Mix the vegetables, and transfer the vegetables into a container, layer by layer, while adding the spices(methi powder, fennel, red chilli powder, sandal powder and salt) after each layer.

4. Pour oil into the container, and the juice of 2-3 lemons. The quantity of oil purely depends upon the duration in which you want the pickle ready.

For consumption within a week, the oil content must be less.

For a pickle that would be consumed in the coming months, keep the oil content to moderate.

5. Securely screw the lid. Airtight containers will be preferred.

6. Toss to ensure even mixing of the spices, oil and vegetables.

7. If the pickle is to be consumed within a week, keep in sunlight.

If the intention is to store now and use in the coming months, store in a dark and cool place, and toss once in every week.

6. Candy –

Gooseberry candy serves as one of the best mouth freshener provided so generously by nature. Also, it can be used to ease digestion on a regular basis. Plus, the taste makes it very suitable to pop while walking around.

Ingredients - Indian Gooseberry, sugar, black salt, table salt, carom.

Process -

1. Wash the gooseberries properly so as to remove any dirt.

2. Dry properly, and shred into fine pieces.

3. Extract juice from the shredded pieces.

4. Spread the shredded pieces on a plate.

5. Shower sugar crystals, black salt, table salt, and carom over the pieces, and keep in sunlight for 2-3 days.

6. Store in a container, at a dark and cool place.

7. Crispy Chilli –

Many people dig the taste of fresh green chillies, but then, it's not available 24/7. Sometimes, you can get a different, yet surprisingly familiar taste, by preserving a handful of green chillies.

Ingredients - Green chillies, buttermilk, table salt, container.

Process -

1. Wash the chillies properly, in order to remove any dirt that may be clinging to the surface.

2. Cut an opening on the surface of the chillies, length-wise.

3. Mix some salt with some butter-milk.

4. Dip the chillies in the buttermilk, so that they absorb it.

5. Take out the chillies, and spread on plate.

6. Dry the chillies in warm sunlight properly.

7. Store them in airtight containers, at a dark and cool place.

8. When you wish to consume, deep fry the chillies, and enjoy a crispy snack.

8. Moong bari

Don't let anyone kid you into believing moong beans aren't tasty enough to make it to your supper. One of the finest transformations of moong is to the lumps, called bari, by many. Combined with a curry of vegetables, they add a crunchy punch to your meal.

Ingredients - Moong beans, water, asafoetida, red chilli powder, seasonal vegetables (optional).

Process -

1. Soak the moong beans in water to make them soft enough for use.

2. Wash the beans, and drain properly.

3. Make a fine paste using the mixer.

4. Make a mixture using the paste, pinch of asafoetida, red chilli powder, and seasonal vegetables (optional).

5. Make lumps (barely larger than peas) of the mixture and place on a plate. These lumps must now be dried in sunlight.

6. Store in airtight containers in dry conditions.

7. When you wish to consume, fry in a little oil.

8. These lumps can now be added to vegetable curry.

9. Potato wafer chips –

Admit it. We are getting more and more unfit with each day, as wafers and junk food wreck havoc with our digestive tracts, and our fat percentage(ouch!). However, if you'd rather be fat anyways, make your own brand of crunchy potato wafers. The taste, as you desire, and save up on getting fat. That'll probably compensate for the monthly gym subscription.

Ingredients - Potatoes, slicer, knife, alum, airtight containers.

Process -

1. Wash the potatoes well to remove any impurities from the surface.

2. Peel the covering off the potatoes.

3. Cut the potatoes into thin slices.

4. Add a pinch of alum to water, and boil the potato slices in it.

5. Rinse the slices.

6. Dry the slices properly in warm sunlight.

7. Store in airtight container in a cool and dry environment.

8. When you wish to consume, deep fry and enjoy.

10. Potato Poppadum –

Be it dinner, or be it snacks for friends, most things don't just cut it. Some things aren't tasty enough, others, plain hard to prepare. However, you can make something from potatoes that'll help you fill an hour or two of your Sunday free time, and make up for a delightfully tasty snack, or an addition to the main-course.

Ingredients - Potatoes, red chilli, coriander leaves, plastic sheets.

Process -

1. Boil the potatoes to make them soft.

2. Peel, and mash them to a uniform texture.

3. Add red chilli, salt, and coriander leaves to the mashed mixture.

4. Make lumps of moderate size.

5. Place the lumps between 2 plastic sheets, and keep to dry in warm sunlight.

6. When dried properly, store in an airtight container.

7. When you wish to consume, deep fry, and enjoy the crunchy taste.

11. Squash -

Summers prove hard for most of us. The heat, the sweat and the weakness is simply too much to battle in a day, combined with the schedule of daily lives. However, your favourite lemon/orange drinks can come to rescue, and can be prepared conveniently at home. They rejuvenate and freshen up like nothing else can.

Ingredients - Lemons/Oranges, sugar, bottles.

Process -

1. Wash the fruits properly to remove any dirt from the surface.

2. Extract the juice by using a juicer.

3. Sieve the juice, so as to remove the fibrous content and seeds.

4. Mix 1 part of juice with 1 part of sugar, and store in a bottle. Add half teaspoon of sodium benzoate.

5. Keep the bottle in sunlight so that the sugar slowly dissolves over time. We are not boiling the mixture because that would change the chemical  properties and taste of the product.

6. Store in airtight bottles at a cool and dark place.

7. When you wish to consume, shake the bottle properly.  Mix with water, and consume.

12. Aam Panna -

In the warm summers, the soaring temperatures and dehydration can disrupt the daily functions. Aam panna is the essence of raw mangoes which serves as one of the most refreshing drinks, with a host of digestive benefits.

Ingredients - Raw mangoes, sugar, cumin seeds, black salt, mint leaves.

Process -

1. Boil the raw mangoes properly, so that they become mushy.

2. Remove the peelings from the mangoes, and extract the pulp.

3. Add cumin seeds, black salt, table salt, mint leaves and sugar to the pulp, and process through a mixer.

4. The desired product is a mixture of the ingredients in a uniform texture.

5. Store the mixture in airtight containers and keep in refrigerator.

6. When you wish to consume, mix with chilled water, pop some ice, and enjoy the tangy taste of raw mango pulp, with a tinge of mint.

The drink is widely used in regions where temperatures soar high in summers. It helps in cases of heat strokes and eases digestion.

13.Sauerkraut –

One of the finest things to make with cabbage is sauerkraut. People love to have it with a round of beer and chicken(for obvious reasons). It can be easily stored for up to 2 months, and the taste is tangy enough to keep everyone on the table hooked, till the drinks,or appetite last. Whichever the later.

Ingredients - Cabbage, salt, fennel seeds.

Process -

1. Wash the cabbage properly to get rid of any dirt that may've followed you home from the market.

2. Shred the cabbage into very small bits. The goal is to make it into moderately thick threads.

3. Take the cabbage into a mixing bowl, spray salt and fennel seeds, plus a few spices(according to the taste you require), and start mixing the contents, so that the cabbage releases its juice due to the motor efforts exerted upon it.

4. Transfer the entire mixture into an airtight jar, and store in a cool and dry place.

5. Whenever you wish to consume, spray a little lemon juice up on the sauerkraut in a plate, and savour the sour and tangy of the one of the simplest spoils of nature. Literally.

Conclusion

Throughout this book, we've explained the various principles of preservation which make it a bit of an art, and bit of science, at the same time. Following the instructions is advised to get the best results. However, always trust your gut instincts while making a dish, and feel free to experiment. This way, every time you go for one of the techniques, the results will be different and awe-inspiring. One thing that one must always keep in mind while indulging in preparation, be it preservation, or be it cooking, is that a good mood will always help you in creating something that not only satiates hunger of the body, but also calms down the mind and eases the soul. If you enjoyed the book please remember to leave a review!

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