Questions tagged [food-preservation]
Questions about LONG-TERM food storage such as canning, pickling, freezing, and drying.
461 questions
3
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Food safety of sauerkraut whose brine evaporated below surface?
We started a batch of sauerkraut about a month ago. We used the outer leaves of the cabbage to cover the shredded cabbage below. The cabbage was brined with adequate salt (about 2 tsp per pound). The ...
- 3,362
3
votes
1
answer
11k
views
What is the best way to preserve oyster stew?
Now that the holidays are over, my local grocery store has a glut of pints of pre-shucked oysters they need to unload. I can't pass that up, so I thought I would make a whole mess of oyster stew or ...
- 261
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How to preserve homemade chocolates?
I make my own homemade chocolates, fillings are also prepared by me.
The question is how to preserve the chocolates for a long period of time?
As in keeping it in a refrigerator is it the right way ...
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
375
views
How does irradiated beef spoil?
So I usually buy irradiated beef. From what I understand, the beef is packaged, sealed, and the absolutely blasted with radiation. I'm a nuclear engineer for a living, so I know that most things ...
- 249
3
votes
1
answer
801
views
What are 'quick cook' beans?
I've been looking at recipes to prepare in bulk and store in mason jars for a few weeks. A company called Honeyville Farms sells a bunch of freeze dried stuff for this purpose, as well as 'quick cook' ...
- 291
3
votes
1
answer
7k
views
How long does lotus root stay fresh?
I've got some lotus root that I had in the fridge about a week before I opened it. I left the lotus root in the water in which it was packaged and I'm wondering how long it stays fresh. It still ...
3
votes
2
answers
811
views
Does food get spoilt if it catches moisture?
Sometimes, if you leave something like chips out in the open, it catches moisture from the air and is not as crisp after that.
Is the food good to consume even after that?
- 131
3
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Can I use Star San "no rinse" for sanitizing canning tools and utensils?
I've been brewing beer (totally amateur) for a few years as a hobby. I now want to get into canning my own garden-grown veggies.
I've bought several books and watched several videos (like this one ...
- 297
3
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How does the industry conserve their smoothies
I was wondering how companies like Innocent (smoothies) or basically any juice manufacturer keep their liquids fresh so long while my smoothies are bad after a couple of days in the fridge (the water ...
- 131
3
votes
3
answers
16k
views
What are the signs that indicate that raw honey has spoilt?
If the raw honey goes bad, how would I know?
What should I keep on looking for? Floating fungus?
- 7,325
3
votes
1
answer
4k
views
How long do refrigerator pickles keep?
I pickled zucchini slices last summer with plenty of vinegar, sugar and spices and still have some jars in my refrigerator. They look fine but I wonder about bacteria etc. Thanks
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
545
views
While making pepper oil with dry crushed red pepper, do I need to sterilize the jars to store for up to 6 months?
I am planning to make a large quantity of oil cooked with dry crushed red pepper. I fry the oil on low heat with the dry crushed red pepper for awhile and then remove it.
I plan to distribute it to ...
- 133
3
votes
2
answers
432
views
What is an economic way to store/buy ingredients for salad?
Given that many ingredients in salad will go bad after several days, how can one store leftover salad so it is not wasted? Many vegetables, such as beans, lose their freshness after opening the can/...
- 1,521
3
votes
1
answer
174
views
Potable water chemical preservation
I intend on making caffeinated water for personal consumption, in batches large enough that it will take several months to consume them, using containers which are not hermetically sealed, and for ...
- 81
3
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How can I preserve Jamun (Indian blackberry) without sugar?
I want to save jamun fruit for a diabetic person so I can't add sugar. Is there any means to store it for 6 months or so by adding salt/lemon or any other thing except sugar?
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
241
views
Water + Sugar Solution Preserves Bread?
I've heard that by coating bread with a solution of water and sugar can preserve it from mold. Is this true? If not, then my Science Fair Project will be a bust.
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
3k
views
How much citric acid should I use to preserve mayonnaise on a cups/ml ratio?
I was thinking of making mayo for sandwiches to get me through the winter and was wondering if I could make fairly large batches that would keep for a long period of time with the aid food grade ...
3
votes
1
answer
775
views
Inversion Canning
I tried canning spiced peach jam last night with a friend, and the recipe she found called for the inversion canning method to seal the jars. I should have researched on this last night, before we ...
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
120
views
How to preserve fermented bean sauce
How can I can and preserve my fermented bean sauce so it has a long shelf life preferably one year or longer. I ferment the beans in smoke and in low heat and then stir fry them in mustard oil, garlic,...
- 31
3
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How can I make sauerkraut to best preserve the probiotic elements?
I know that making Sauerkraut is basically putting layers of cabbage and salt in a jar and then filling with water. However, I have been told that doing this at home can allow generation of good ...
- 11k
3
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How much should I expect "quick pickling" to extend the shelf life of refrigerated cabbage & onions?
When "quick pickling" vegetables (submerging them in a salt + vinegar brine, but not properly canning them in fully airtight containers at high temperatures that would guarantee the product ...
- 1,911
3
votes
0
answers
327
views
How to dry/preserve whole oranges [closed]
I recently made an orange pomander ball and I want to dry it so that I can use it in the future but I live in a fairly foggy and dreary area so it would be hard to simply set it out. Does anyone have ...
- 285
3
votes
1
answer
412
views
Can I use "spent" lemons (juiced) to preserve?
I'm about to juice 5 or 6 lemons, I'll zest maybe 2 of them. (I'm making a lemon cheesecake). Lemon isn't something I care to use very often, but I'm intrigued by 'preserved lemons', something I've ...
- 58.7k
3
votes
1
answer
255
views
Why does chocolate spread shortly taste less good once opened?
Chocolate-hazelnut spreads are said to have a relatively long shelf life even after being opened, e.g. 12 months for regular jars on the official FAQ for Nutella.
However, I personally find that once ...
- 131
2
votes
7
answers
7k
views
Is there any way to kill bacteria in food without using heat?
The title says it all. Context: food preservation
- 47
2
votes
4
answers
481
views
Does celery powder have any non-preservative use?
Recently I've been seeing an increasing number of packages with labels such as "Contains no added nitrates or nitrites (except those naturally occurring in the celery juice powder)". Does celery ...
- 723
2
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Drying beef to preserve it without any equipment
I have high quality beef muscle meat, beef liver and beef heart. All completely grass fed from healthy animals with clean practices thus I am not that worried about botulism ("Botulism outbreaks occur ...
- 29
2
votes
3
answers
20k
views
Can I purify / kill germs in a water to make it drinkable by putting it in a freezer?
I've conducted a research on how can I purify the water to make it drinkable and the results are many, but most of them says that drinking a freeze water can cause cancer to us.
I am using a freezer ...
- 427
2
votes
2
answers
6k
views
How would I jar a sauce for keeping at room temperature without adding loads of vinegar or sugar?
I'd like to make and sell jars of my mum's satay sauce at our local food markets.
I'm trying to figure out the jarring process so it can be stored at room temperature and not make anyone sick or ...
- 244
2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Preserving whole potatoes
What is the best way to preserve potatoes for a long time with minimal loss of nutritional values?
I tried freezing, but the potatoes lost their taste and were unsuitable for cooking.
I tried ...
2
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How to remove salt from sun-dried tomatoes
I have a large packet of sun-dried tomatoes, the type that are preserved dry with salt rather than the type sold in jars covered with olive or sunflower oil. It's a large packet so I don't want to ...
- 133
2
votes
3
answers
437
views
When is the best time to freeze bread?
We have a small household and most baked goods are not finished before they go stale.
For bread and buns, when is the best time to freeze?
After knead?
Before first proof?
After proof?
After ...
- 193
2
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Can I prevent hot pepper sauce losing heat?
I regularly make a few different condiments with hot peppers:
Pico de Gallo (tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime, salt)
Pepper Sauce consisting of habanero, garlic, lime, culantro, salt
Variation ...
- 501
2
votes
4
answers
36k
views
Can you freeze egg noodle pasta?
I recently made fresh egg noodle pasta. I made too much! Can I freeze it? I have tried freezing other kinds of pasta but am skeptical of freezing egg noodle pasta. What should I do?
- 21
2
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Shelf-life of pressure-canned soups - is it still good?
I am just trying to get a rough idea of how long a pressure canned soup can last. We made turkey soup with thanksgiving leftovers, which we canned. I have it dated from 10-28-2012, so it's a little ...
- 3,362
2
votes
2
answers
527
views
Is my fresh Rosemary still good?
I love using fresh herbs in my recipes, but unfortunately they usually go past their prime before I have a chance to finish them.
It’s easy to spot this because they go limp and lose their “crispness”....
- 1,069
2
votes
2
answers
829
views
Where can I purchase calcium disodium edta preservative?
I'm trying to make homemade mayonnaise with a longer shelf life. I see all the commercial brands list calcium disodium edta as a preservative so I was wondering where I could find this ingredient.
I ...
- 21
2
votes
2
answers
3k
views
When conserving food in jar, why is the jar turned on its head when cooling?
I am talking about the process, where you cook food, for example, a vegetable and conserve it in a jar. The jar can then be stored in a non-refrigerated area.
Many recipes include adding salt, ...
- 1,509
2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Why is store bought frozen food worse than homemade?
I made multiple dishes following recipes and froze them, and they tasted a lot better than store-bought equivalents.
Why does it happen? Isn't current technology capable of doing the same procedures ...
- 259
2
votes
3
answers
615
views
Can I prepare wasabi powder in advance?
I've got this little 30 gram container of "wasabi" powder. I'm on a little kick of trying to perfect my sushi rolling technique, so I'm likely to use it up within a month or so. It's just the typical ...
- 58.7k
2
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Is it safe to eat marinated beef that has been frozen for three days?
What if I marinated beef with oyster sauce, salt, sugar, soy sauce, garlic and onion but put into freezer for 3 days. Is it still good to eat?
- 21
2
votes
1
answer
153
views
Is there any way to increase the shelf life of mixed egg
I poured the leftover mixed egg white and yolk into a container and I didn't refrigerate it. When I opened after a day there is a bad smell come from the container. Is there any method to preserve the ...
- 23
2
votes
2
answers
80
views
Best before date of cooked dairy
I am planning on making a cooked white chocolate sauce, sealing it in a bottle while hot, and selling it in my shop.
It contains dairy, and so I am wanting to work out the best before date.
My ...
- 21
2
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Frozen Asparagus after thawed became extremely soggy and wet, any way to salvage?
So I bought a bunch of asparagus from Costco and because I didn't want to use them immediately, I froze them. This week I decided to take them out to thaw in the fridge so I let it sit overnight.
...
- 975
2
votes
2
answers
170
views
What should I look for when choosing tomatoes for pasta sauces?
What factors should I take into account when selecting tomatoes for sauces?
Background: I'm growing my own tomatoes, and I need to start germinating soon. Taste and production are my 2 first ...
- 1,805
2
votes
2
answers
9k
views
Why does soda bread preserve less well than sourdough or yeast based bread?
Most soda bread recipes I've come across (for example, this one) say something along the lines of "best eaten the day it's prepared", "will keep for a day" or similar. This is not the case for most ...
- 1,092
2
votes
3
answers
83
views
Storing Self-Made Cookies/Brittles/etc longer: ingredients and techniques
I like to make a large amount of pan sheet cookies or brownie brittles as something to crumble over my breakfast yogurt. Something in the style of variations on the following recipe: https://www....
2
votes
1
answer
292
views
Besides soy, can other types of beans be fermented?
Besides soy beans, can other types of beans be fermented?
- 1,102
2
votes
1
answer
158
views
Preserving small amounts of milk
My husband and I do not drink milk during the week, and rarely use it for cooking. However, on weekends when I am home I like to make coffee and have it with milk. The problem is it is very expensive ...
- 123
2
votes
7
answers
113k
views
How can I keep fruit salad fresh longer
I eat every morning fresh fruit, so every morning I peel and cut it.
What can I do to prepare a big bowl and the fruit will stay fresh for a few days and which fruits are best to keep.
- 21