Principles and Methods of Fruits and Vegetables

Preservation: Preservation means just protecting the foods against spoilage, but scientifically it may

be defined as a science that deals with the process of prevention of decay or spoilage of the food

are called preservation. In other words, preservation is just controlling the physical, chemical or

microbial changes in the food.

A. Kinds of Changes In Preservation

- During food processing and preservation, various physical changes (e.g., melting,
crystallization, glass transition) occur in food products, affecting their quality.

- Dry food products are commonly in an amorphous state. Therefore, glass

transition occurs during their dehydration-rehydration processing. To control
their texture and physical stability, it is important to elucidate the effects of
water contents on the glass transition temperature of dry food products.
Frozen foods consist of ice crystals and freeze-concentrated matrix. The
formation of ice crystal and the dynamics of ice crystal evolution affect food
quality. Therefore control of ice crystals is important for high-quality frozen
food. Moreover, because freeze-concentrated matrix consists of solute that
are plasticized by the unfrozen water and is in an amorphous state, it can
undergo glass transition by freeze concentration. The physical state of freeze-
concentrated matrix also strongly affects the stability of food quality during
frozen storage.

B. Principles of Preservation

There are several principles of food preservation that are used to achieve the objectives
mentioned above. These include:

1. Temperature control
Temperature control is an essential principle of food preservation. Low temperatures can slow
down or stop the growth of microorganisms, which is why refrigeration and freezing are common
preservation methods.
2. Moisture control
Moisture control is another crucial principle of food preservation. Reducing the moisture content
of food can prevent the growth of microorganisms. Drying and dehydration are methods of
preserving food by removing moisture.

3. pH control
Microorganisms require a specific pH level to grow. By controlling the pH level of food, the
growth of microorganisms can be slowed down or stopped. Acidification is a method of
preserving food by lowering its pH level.

4. Chemical preservation
Chemical preservation involves the use of chemical compounds to preserve food. Common
chemical preservatives include salt, sugar, and vinegar. Chemical preservatives can prevent the
growth of microorganisms and extend the shelf life of food.

C. Prevention/Delay the Shelf Decomposition

- By destruction or in activation of enzyme by blanching.
- By prevention or delay of purely chemical reaction, prevention of oxidation by means of an
antioxidant.
-
D. Method of Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables
- Freezing. This is the most common process in fruit preservation. The idea of
freezing any fruit you want is to have it available all year round. Just place pieces
of fresh fruits on a baking tray and put them in the freezer.

- Food 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.

E. Kinds of Application Heat.

-Three basic heat treatments are used in food preservation:

- Pasteurization,- in which foods are treated at about 62°C for 30 minutes or 72°C for 15
to 17 s
 - Hot filling,- in which liquid foods and juices are boiled before being placed into
containers;

-Steam treatment- under pressure, such as used in the canning method.

F. Kinds of Binding the Moisture

- Bound moisture- is liquid in a solid, which exerts a vapor pressure that is less than the
pure liquid would do at the same temperature. Bound moisture can only be removed
under particular conditions of humidity and temperature in the external surroundings.

- Water bound -to ingredients in the food (proteins, salt, sugars),

- Free or unbound water -that is available for microbial growth. Water activity
describes water available for microbial growth and ranges from 0 (bone dry) to 1.0 (pure
water).

G. Use of Chemical Preservatives

- to help prevent or slow spoilage due to bacteria, molds, fungi or yeast, as well as to slow or
prevent changes in the food's color, flavor or texture, delay rancidity, and maintain
freshness.
- Preservatives are added to food to fight spoilage caused by bacteria, molds, fungus, and
yeast. Preservatives can keep food fresher for longer periods of time, extending its shelf life.
Food preservatives also are used to slow or prevent changes in color, flavor or texture and
delay rancidity.

- Sulfur dioxide and sulfites are perhaps the most important inorganic chemical preservatives.
Sulfites are more effective against molds than against yeasts and are widely used in the
preservation of fruits and vegetables.

- Organic chemical preservatives

Sodium benzoate and other benzoates are among the principal chemical
preservatives. The use of benzoates in certain products in prescribed quantity
(usually not exceeding 0.1 percent) is permitted in most countries, some of which
require a declaration of its use on the label of the food container. Since free
benzoic acid actually is the active agent, benzoates must be used in an acid
medium in order to be effective. The ability of cranberries to resist
rapid deterioration is attributed to their high benzoic acid content. Benzoic acid is
more effective against yeasts than against molds and bacteria.

- Inorganic chemical preservatives

Sulfur dioxide and sulfites are perhaps the most important inorganic chemical
preservatives. Sulfites are more effective against molds than against yeasts and
are widely used in the preservation of fruits and vegetables. Sulfur compounds are
extensively used in wine making and, as in most other instances when
this preservative is used, much care has to be exercised to keep the concentrations
low in order to avoid undesirable effects on flavour.

Oxidizing agents such as nitrates and nitrites are commonly used in the curing of
meats.

H. What do micro-organism do to fruits and vegetables?

- Vegetables, fruits being produce of plants get contaminated through different sources by a
variety of microorganisms which may play significant role in their spoilage.
- fresh vegetables contain microorganisms coming from soil, water, air, and other environmental
sources, and can include some plant pathogens. Most of them have high pH (between 5.5 and
6.4) except for the tomatoes; therefore, they are not only spoiled by yeasts and molds but also
by bacteria.
- Pickles can be spoiled by yeasts and halophilic bacteria, especially if the acidity is
not sufficient.
- The major source of organisms in frozen vegetables is contaminated equipment
since the blanching step destroys most contaminating microorganisms.

I. Preparation Methods used for the various Preservation Method.

- Freezing

This, I guess, is the easiest, quickest and commonest way. However, freezing and
thawing can change the texture of some fruits and vegetables. Also, note that
freezing only keeps bacteria dormant until you defrost .
Drying

It is quite common with pepper.

This method to preserve fruits and vegetables require that you remove the water
content. This makes it difficult for bacteria to survive on the fruit or vegetables.

Drying fruits and vegetables can change the texture and taste. You can use a
dehydrator to dry your fruits and vegetables. You can dry them down to about 5%
water content. If they feel sticky or spongy then the drying is not complete.

After drying successfully you can keep them under room temperature. You can also
use an oven. They may not give the same results though.

Salting

Salt is hypertonic. In simple terms, it means organisms easily get dehydrated in

salt. So, bacteria are not able to survive in such a condition. After salting, you can
store food under room temperature for long periods.

When salting vegetables, submerge them in a pan of water. Add salt until it reaches
the saturation point. At saturation point, you will notice the salt is settling on the
surface of the vegetable. Refrigerate the vegetables with water for a week. Then,
drain the salt solution and cover the vegetables with more salt. Store in a cool dry
place to dry.

Fermenting

In fermentation, you convert carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids.

With this process, you need to add your salt and whey or culture to water. This
creates the brine solution for the fermentation of the fruit or vegetables.
Cut your fruits or vegetables evenly into chunks or slices. Put the food into an
airtight container and pour the brine on top. Make sure all the food remains
submerged in the brine until end of fermentation. Fruits take about 48hours to
ferment. Vegetables take a little longer due to their low sugar content.

Canning

Not exactly putting food in cans. In this case, you use bottles and mason jars. It
requires that you seal the fruit or vegetables in sterile and airtight containers. You
can do this by using heat to sterilize and seal the container.

With this method, you need the equipment, pressure canner. Then, your canning
jars, seals, rings, lids, a funnel and a pot for blanching.

In the process, you kill the bacteria inside the jar with heat. Then you apply steam
pressure to keep the container airtight. This creates a sterile vacuum for the fruit or
vegetables. They can stay fresh for several months.

Pickling

Pickling is simply immersing food in a container with brine or vinegar to increase

the shelf like.

Bacteria are not able to survive in such condition and so the food is safe and good
to eat after a long period.

Pickling is a simple method to preserve fruits and vegetables. However, it changes

the flavour or most fruits and vegetables.

To do this, create a solution of white vinegar, salt and sugar. Bring to boil in a pan.
Place the fruits and vegetables in the jar and pour the solutions on top until they are
submerged. Seal the jar airtight and store.
Oil Packing

This uses vegetable oils and makes it difficult for bacterial growth. However, it
greatly affects flavour. It is good for preserving herbs, tomatoes, onions, eggplants
and olives. Oil packing with vinegar creates a no-air (anaerobic) and acidic condition
that does not promote bacterial growth.

J. Preserving by Heating for fruits and vegetables.

- Heat processing is a form of preserving foods by putting hot, warm or cold

foods into a container and heating until any bacteria that might be within the
food or container is killed and a vacuum is achieved. It is a very useful
technique for the kitchen gardener, no glut of produce needs ever go to waste
and can be stored for times when there are less fruit and vegetables available
fresh from the garden or market.

HEAT PROCESSING

- The simplest way to achieve this on a domestic scale is to use glass jars, with lids
and heat the jars and their contents in boiling water, the ‘hot bath method’.

-High temperatures used for preservation are usually: (1) Pasteurization temperature –
below 100oC (2) Heating at about 100oC and (3) Sterilization temperature above 100oC.
Pasteurization is a heat treatment that kills part but not all the microorganisms present and
the temperature applied is below 100oC.

-Sterilization

A controlled heating process used to completely eliminate all living micro-oraganism,

including thermostats spores in milk or other food

- Pasteurization
 Is a process of heat processing liquids or a food to kill pathogenic bacteria to make the food
safe to eat.

K. Three Types of Heating

Three basic heat treatments are used in food preservation:

- Pasteurization, in which foods are treated at about 62°C for 30 minutes or 72°C for 15 to 17
s;
- Hot filling, in which liquid foods and juices are boiled before being placed into containers;
- Steam treatment under pressure, such as used in the canning method.

L. Storage and Consumption of fruits and vegetables.

- Store prepackaged (cut, sliced, peeled, etc.) fruits and vegetables in refrigerator drawers
immediately after purchase. It is important to store fruits and vegetables separately because
some fruits give off a gas called ethylene glycol which quickens ripening and may cause
spoilage in some vegetables.

Temperature
Each product handled has its own particular temperature requirements. The time
until cooling, temperature stability and its duration need to be considered.
By lowering produce temperature as soon as possible after harvest — generally
within four hours — the following effects are achieved:

 Respiration rate is decreased.

 Water loss is reduced.
 Ethylene production is suppressed.
 Sensitivity to ethylene is reduced.
 Microbial development is slowed.

Most leafy vegetables and ‘temperate’ fruit — including pome and citrus fruits —
are not chill-sensitive and can be stored between 0°C and 2°C for long periods
without significant loss of visual quality. Tropical and subtropical fruit and some root
vegetables are chill-sensitive and may be damaged at low temperatures. They are
generally stored at 13°C or above, although some may be stored safely as low as
5°C if cooled soon after harvest. Temperature must also be stable as changes may
affect respiration and marketable quality.
Relative humidity
Maintaining high humidity around harvested produce reduces water loss, which
would result in decreased returns through poor quality (for example, wilting,
shrivelling) and loss of saleable weight.
High humidity should be used with low temperature storage because humidity and
warmth combined favor the growth of fungi and bacteria. Although the relative
humidity of air increases when it is cooled, it is still necessary to check the relative
humidity in a cool room is satisfactory.

M. Preservatives Used for Fruits and Vegetables.

- Sodium benzoate- is a common preservative in acid or acidified foods such as fruit juices,
syrups, jams and jellies, sauerkraut, pickles, preserves, fruit cocktails, etc. Yeasts are
inhibited by benzoate to a greater extent than are molds and bacteria.

- Vinegar is one of the oldest and safest methods used to preserve foods. It's great for
pickling and canning fruits and vegetables, but it also works as a natural preservative in
baked goods, condiments, and even salad dressings.

Sulfur dioxide and sulfites are perhaps the most important inorganic chemical preservatives.
Sulfites are more effective against molds than against yeasts and are widely used in the
preservation of fruits and vegetables.

Preservatives Used for Fruits

- Ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C, is used to preserve the color of a fruit drink by increasing the
vitamin C content, which interacts with the unwanted oxygen and improves coloration.

- Carrageenan, which is derived from seaweed, is a preservative that is used as a stabilizing

agent for fruit jelly.

- Citric Acid found as a naturally occurring ingredient in fruit, citric acid, or sodium citrate, is
a preservative used in fruit drinks.
 - EDTA, a preserving agent, is used in processed fruits to reduce the amount of metal
contamination from food-manufacturing machines.

- Benzoic Acid used to preserve fruit juice, sodium benzoate, or benzoic acid, has been
used for the last 100 years to prevent microorganisms from growing in acidic fruits.

Sorbic acid, or potassium sorbate, is used to prevent mold from forming in dry fruits and
jelly.

N. Food Processing Method

- Food processing is any technique used to turn different foods into food products. This
method can involve various processes in food industries development including washing,
chopping, pasteurizing, freezing, fermenting, packaging, cooking and many more.

There are certain criteria that have to be compiled for the appropriate processing of
food, right from the possibility of a pest or bacteria to invade and multiply on foods
to the biological activity of foods. The following methods are applied for the proper
processing of food:

- Peeling off the outer layers of the raw materials.

- Chopping or slicing
- Mincing
- Liquefaction
- Fermentation
- Emulsification
- Cooking
- Mixing
- Gasification such as the addition of a gas in bread or soft drinks.
- Proofing
- Spray drying
- Pasteurization
- Packaging
O. Materials Used for Preserving Fruits and Vegetables

- Citric acid is used to preserve the color of fresh cut fruit or as a pretreatment for
frozen and dried fruit. It can be used either alone or mixed with other substances,
such as ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, N-acetylcysteine, glutathione, and EDTA.
- Common practice to bottle vegetables and herbs and spices in either oil, vinegar or a
mixture of both. This is done both commercially and domestically and, if there is no further
treatment, products should be refrigerated at or below 5 °C.