Food Preservation

• Enzymes - biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms
• Nonperishable - food that can be stored for a long time without losing its nutritional value
• Perishable - Goods that are subject to deterioration or spoilage.
• Food Preservation is the process of preparing food for future consumption by preventing spoilage.
• Food Spoilage is the reduction of the flavor, aroma, appearance, and texture of food.
• All foods in their natural state are subject to spoilage or deterioration.
• Nonperishable foods - can be kept for an unlimited period of time. Some examples include rice, dried beans, and Mongo.
• Semi-perishable foods - foods that can be kept for a limited period of time.
• Perishable foods - food that are easily subject to spoilage.
• Selection of Fresh Meats

  1. Choose fresh meats by color, odor, and touch tests.
  2. Fresh pork has a flesh color that varies from light to grayish pink according to the ages of the animal.
  3. It practically has no odor. Fresh beef or carabeef has a flesh color that is odorless and has pink to light-colored flesh
  4. Frozen poultry should be in the frozen state with the package intact.
• Choose fresh meats by color, odor, and touch tests.
• Fresh pork has a flesh color that varies from light to grayish pink according to the ages of the animal.
• Frozen poultry should be in the frozen state with the package intact.
• It practically has no odor. Fresh beef or carabeef has a flesh color that is odorless and has pink to light-colored flesh
• Selection of Fresh fish

  1. Choose fresh fish by color, odor, and touch tests.
  2. The color of the skin is vivid, not opaque
  3. The scales adhere well.
  4. There is little slime of the skin, and the body is stiff. If placed in water, the fish stinks.
  5. The flesh is firm and elastic and has an odor of freshness which is seaweedy rather than fishy (malansa).
• Choose fresh fish by color, odor, and touch tests.
• The color of the skin of Fresh fish should be vivid, not opaque.
• The scales of Fresh fish should adhere well.
• If fresh fish is placed in water, the fish stinks.
• Fresh fish should have little slime in the skin.
• The odor of Fresh fish should be seaweed-like rather than fishy (malansa).
• The flesh of Fresh fish should be firm and elastic.
• Fresh crustaceans


  • Eyes should be full, bright, and bulging
  • Shrimps have intact heads which have uniform color
  • Shrimps should not be melanotic or black or blackening
  • Shrimps have a seaweedy odor if not odorless
  • Fresh bivalves open up when placed in water for a while
  • Fresh green alimango and blue alimasag (crabs of good quality) are heavy for their size and are odorless or have a seaweedy odor
• Being very perishable, fish and crustaceans are best quickly frozen, if not, cooked at once
• Crustaceans are best frozen without their shells
• Crustaceans' flesh should be properly packaged
• Fresh green alimango and blue alimasag (crabs of good quality) are heavy for their size and are odorless or have a seaweedy odor
• Fresh bivalves open up when placed in water for a while
• Shrimps have a seaweedy odor if not odorless
• Shrimps should not be melanotic or black or blackening
• Shrimps have intact heads which have uniform color
• Select Mature, ripe, and firm fruits

  • Unripe fruits are low in quality, acidic, and lack flavor and aroma
• Fruits


  • Should not be bruised or blemished as a result of improper handling from harvest to preparation time
• Ripening of mature but not eating ripe fruits

  1. Ripen at ordinary room temperature (30°C/86°F)

  2. Cover with damp cloth or crumpled newspaper

  3. Room temperature favors the action of enzymes responsible for ripening changes associated with color, flavor, and texture

  4. Damp newspaper prevents fruits from drying up
• Ripening is expected to take more than a day to attain optimum eating quality
• Selecting fresh Vegetables


  • Select leafy vegetables such as pechay (ordinary dark green and Baguio varieties), lettuce and leafy vegetables that are crisp, bright-colored, and free from decay, molds, and insect
• Wash and shake vegetables


  Remove dirt and excess water before storing
• Place rooted greens like leeks, chives, and leaf lettuce


  In a jar with water deep enough to seal the roots
• Selecting cabbage


  • Heavy in relation its size and with crisp, green leaves, and with undamaged stem
• Cover vegetables


  With damp cloth at room temperature but preferably store them in the refrigerator