WEEK 8 - FOOD PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES

Assalamualaikum.

Now we're in week 8. That's mean this is my last blog for this month. For next week, in week 9, we're already in November 2015. Wow! Time fly so fast. Huh!

Okay, for this week we never had class for Food Industry subject. Perhaps Dr Fareed is busy. For me it's okay. Although he is busy and our class were cancelled, he never forgets to give us an assignment to discuss in a group. At least, we had something to search for our information and knowledge in this subject. The topic given is several techniques in food preservation which is drying, fermentation, canning, heat vs cold preservation, chemical preservation, food irradiation and microwave heat. Our group had chose a topic about drying.

Drying is a method of food preservation in which food is dried (dehydrated or desiccated). Drying inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and mold through the removal of water.  There are several types of drying process such as dehydrators, oven drying, sun drying, air drying and microwave drying. Here, I will share briefly types of drying process:

DEHYDRATORS

          
Food Dehydrator



- Vertical and Horizontal Flow of Dehydrator -

§  Produce the best quality product as compared to other methods of drying

§  Most food dehydrators have an electric element for heat and a fan and vents for air circulation.

§  Efficient dehydrators are designed to dry foods uniformly and to retain food quality

OVEN DRYING

§  Takes two to three times longer to dry food in an oven than in a dehydrator; the oven is not as efficient and uses a great deal more energy than a dehydrator.

§  Drying in an oven is slower than in a dehydrator because ovens do not have built-in fans for the air movement.

§  To use your oven, check the oven dial to see if it has a reading as low as 140 degrees F. If the thermostat does not go this low, your food will cook instead of dry.

§  Leave the oven door propped open 2 to 4 inches and place a fan near the outside of the oven door to improve air circulation.

§  An oven thermometer placed near the food gives an accurate reading of the drying temperature.

SUN DRYING

§  Sun-drying requires constant exposure to direct sunlight during the day and a relative humidity of less than 20%. These conditions are found only in areas like the Sacramento Valley of California or in Arizona.

§  Foods dried in the sun can take 3-4 days to dry; if the humidity is high, as is generally the case in Minnesota, the food will mold before it dries.

§  Sun-drying is not recommended in Minnesota due to our high humidity and cool night temperatures.

AIR DRYING

§  Air drying differs from sun drying, since it takes place indoors in a well ventilated attic, room, or screened-in porch.

§  Herbs, hot peppers, and mushrooms are the most common air-dried items.

§  Herbs and peppers are not pretreated, but simply strung on a string or tied in bundles and suspended until dry.

§  Enclose them in paper bags to protect them from dust or other pollutants.

MICROWAVE DRYING

§  Is a quick way to dry small quantities of herbs and some leaf vegetables, but it is not successful for most other foods.

§  Food which has been microwave dried often tastes overcooked rather than dried.

§  To dry small quantities of herbs.

§  Place no more than 4 or 5 herb branches between two paper towels and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.

§  Remove the herbs, when cool, check to see if they are dry and brittle. If not, repeat drying for 30-second intervals until dry.

Okay, done for this week! Alhamdulillah =D

Be nice. Be good. Nothing to lose.

Allah shall give the best. To you, me, us.

Hold on. Keep prying. When the time comes,

MIRACLE HAPPENS