PROCESSING/PRESERVING SELECTED FOOD ITEMS

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

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

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 saucepan (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.

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.

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

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.

Suggested 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: Picked Singkamas (Atsarang Singkamas)

Ingredients:

1 kilo singkamas

¼ kilo native onions

1 piece ginger

3 pieces red bell pepper

1 piece green bell pepper

salt, vinegar, sugar

3 pieces carrot

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.
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

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

______ 7. sugar and water solution g. blend

______ 8. cut into thin strips h. shred

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

k. stir