Q. What does it mean to preserve food
- To make food last longer
- To not waste food
- To stop growth of bacteria
- All of these
Answer: c)
Preserving of food is to stop growth of bacteria or to avoid decomposition.
Q. When food decomposes it
- means you can eat it
- means food can safely be eaten in a month’s time
- means food breaks down and rots
- means that nothing changes
Answer: c)
Decomposition is the process by which dead organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter such as carbon dioxide, water, simple sugars and mineral salts.
Q. What method of food preserving deprives microorganisms of moisture
- canning
- pickling
- drying
- freezing
Answer: c)
Dehydration, in food processing, means by which many types of food can be preserved for indefinite periods by extracting the moisture, thereby inhibiting the growth of microorganisms. Dehydration is one of the oldest methods of food preservation and was used by prehistoric peoples in sun-drying seeds. The North American Indians preserved meat by sun-drying slices, the Chinese dried eggs, and the Japanese dried fish and rice.
Hot-air dehydration was developed in France in 1795, enabling the commercial production of dehydrated food products, particularly spaghetti and other starch products. Modern dehydration techniques have been largely stimulated by the advantages dehydration gives in compactness; on the average, dehydrated food has about 1/15 the bulk of the original or reconstituted product.
Q. Which of the following is a benefit of food preservation
- Decrease food waste
- Increase shelf life
- Make seasonal food available year round
- All of them
Answer: d)
Advantages of food preservation:
- It decreases the food wastage.
- It increases the storage period of perishable food materials.
- It ensures the all year availability of seasonal food materials
Q. If you were making homemade pickles, what canning process should you use
- Boiling water bath
- Pressure canning
Answer: a)
There are two basic types of canners: Steam Pressure Canners and Boiling Water Bath Canners. The Steam Pressure Canner method is used for foods containing very little acid, such as vegetables, meats, and seafood. We use this method to destroy bacteria and their by- products including salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and the bacterium that causes botulism, all of which can thrive in low-acid foods. That’s why these foods require the Steam Pressure Canning method that reaches a high temperature of 240ºF.
The boiling water bath canner method is used for high-acid foods, including all fruits, tomatoes, sauerkraut and most foods to which vinegar has been added such as pickles and relishes.
