Drying • Salting • Smoking • Pickling • Alcohol • Oils • Bottling • Sugar • Freezing
Well-known New Zealand chef Chris Fortune describes these methods and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each. Organised by season, the book provides over 100 diverse recipes for preserving. He also includes serving tips and extra mouth-watering ways to use these delicious home-made products.
PRESERVING – HONESTLY
Drying - Lets think, Pasta, noodles, lentils, tomatoes, mushrooms, chilies, herbs, pepper and so forth…. the list is endless. If you look in your pantry you will find countless items that have been preserved in this way. The chemistry is simple, remove the moisture and you create an atmosphere where potentially harmful organisms can no longer live. Drying is the cheapest, simplest and oldest form of preserving in culinary history and is used extensively for many crops and grains around the world. Whether you are using natural heat, wind or dehydrators the notion of drying freshly harvested crops from the back garden or farmers markets has become a way of re-connecting ourselves with our seasonal produce. Either by itself or as part of another preserving method it provides you with the satisfaction and comfort that food gathered whistle in its abundance will be available to enjoy at any time of the year
Salting – The humble salt which graces our tables, for we seldom give it the consideration that it deserves. Sodium chloride has shaped civilizations, changed the history of mankind and has been the back bone of world trade for thousands of years. Little did Gandhi know that his peaceful salt-march in the 1930’s would overthrow the British rule of India and allow salt to be available in most dinning rooms in the world today. With the invention of refrigeration, salt has taken the back seat as a preserving method and is now viewed as primarily a seasoning alongside its cousin, pepper. Salt works well as a preserving agent but its second function of concentrating the flavour of food by the simple method of removing tasteless water is what makes it a popular choice in many cuisines today
Smoking - A number of steps are required to achieve a good preserve by the way of smoking and drying and salting are two that start that process. Hot or cold smoking will add flavor and antioxidants that increase the life span of the food product. Hot smoke cooks as well as imparts flavour (think chicken) whistle cold smoking doesn’t heat the product, just adds flavour and improves it shelf life (think bacon). Commonly smoking is associated with Smoked Salmon and fillet of beef and higher value products, although it has become popular to smoke vegetables such as garlic and mushrooms. With many types of smoking materials available from oak chips, manuka branches to tealeaves, smoking has come of age and can be associated with many styles of cuisine
Pickling – Little did you know that the pickled green substance in today’s Big Macs and Whooper Burgers dates back some 4 millennium when pickled cucumbers or gherkins were considered for there healing effect and as an important beauty aid. While being considered a necessity for preserving before refrigeration or freezing pickling has now become an acquired taste. Whistle Chinese pickle garlic, diakon and cucumbers, Europeans favor walnuts, eggs, lemons and olives. Pickling works because bacteria and microbes can’t survive in acid and any region that produces wine or spirits will have its traditional pickled specialties. Acetic acid in vinegar prevents the growth of bacteria hence a long shelf life is achieved
Oils - In-vogue are the splashes of green and red oils that adorn our dinner plates at our favorite restaurants. Herbs and spices immersed in light oils and vinegars have been used for centuries as a method of preserving the seasonal crops so that they can be used later in the year, without destroying the flavours of subtle ingredients. Whistle preserving is achieved by submersion and the lack of oxygen; it also allows us to create eye pleasing jars and bottles of brightly colored essences. Immersing in Oil does not impart harsh flavors like pickling does, instead you