Sunday, December 2, 2018

Preservation Methods For Shelf Stable Meals Minnesota

By Rebecca Jackson


The use of shelf table foods is common in many places. They are common in preserving food rations and military food supplies. Most people prefer using these foods since they are ready-made and do not require a lot of preparation. You can adopt different preservation methods, especially for commercial usage. Below are thoughts on how to preserve shelf stable meals Minnesota.

Canning. Canning involves preserving food in a sealed an airtight container. It can provide a shelf life for about three to five years. Free-dried canned products can last for more than thirty years. There are two methods that one can use in canning. It includes the boiling water bath method and the pressure canning process. The boiling water process is safe for fruits, pickles, jams, and other preserves. Pressure canning is safe for poultry, vegetables, meats, and seafood.

Aseptic processing. This technique is common with milk products, yogurts, and fruit juices. It allows sterilization outside the container using an ultra-high temperature system. Besides that, one can use a direct heat transfer process achieved using steam infusion and steam injection. Standard methods used to sterilize the containers include heat, chemical sterilization, radiation, and hot water.

Use of retortable pouches. Retortable pouches is a new preservation method that is quickly replacing the canning process. It can handle most foods that rely on pasteurization. The food is preheated at a high temperature for a few minutes before packaging. The pouches have a design that keeps off air from the outside which can spoil the food. Foods that relies on this process include those used in space exploration, field camping, and military services.

Acidification process. This process is a combination of heating and the use of acid. Its primary targets are sour foods especially fruits with higher PH. They include purees, pasteurized products, and juices. The heating process can go to about ninety-one degrees and the acidity level lowered to approximately 4.6 Ph. The use of acid in this process reduces the temperature required during the heating process.

Lowering the water content. Water available in foods supports the growth of yeast and mold. However, reducing the water activity to approximately 0.65 according to the standard water unit in foods. The process relies on dehydration, the addition of salts and sugars. For that reason, products such as beef jerky, jams and raising can last for a long time.

Freeze drying. This is a conventional method used to preserve meals used by backpackers, space explorers, and the military. The procedure starts with quickly freezing the food and turning it to water using a vacuum process. It maintains the quality and shape of the product. It can include biomedical procedures, biological which provides for bacteria use and yeast and food processing.

These processes have a couple of disadvantages despite their suitability. To start with, they have extra preservatives that might be unhealthy to their users. They are also low in nutrients, especially when made in very high or low temperature that destroys different nutrients. Besides that, their serving can be smaller than the required amount for multiple meals.




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