gj's corner

Drying is one of the oldest method of food preservation, involves putting the food out in the sun to dry, thus wringing out moisture in order to delay or in some cases, prevent bacterial growth. Refrigeration also works by slowing down fungal and bacterial growth by subjecting the food to very low temperatures where such bacteria will not develop. Salting works by drawing out the moisture from the meat through osmosis. Salting is also commonly known as curing, though it may also involve other reagents other than salt, such as sugar, or even a combination of salt and sugar. Pickling is also used to preserve food, but instead of inhibiting bacterial growth, fermentation actually encourages it. Certain microorganisms are actually beneficial to keeping the food edible and the pickled food are immersed in a liquid solution that inhibits bad bacteria from growing while encouraging helpful bacteria.

Comments (0) Aug 30 2011

Homemade food is better for many different reasons; it tastes better, it is more nutritious, and you control the ingredients that are used. There is nothing like down home southern cooking to spark up that nightly meal. Precooked, prepackaged and processed foods seem to have taken over from America’s home cooking. There are a lot of heat and eat dinners on the market, many of which are extremely unhealthy and can lead to medical issues in the future. If you read the labels, this will give you a good idea of what the meal contains. Prepared frozen dinners tend to be the worst of the bunch and their sodium content is often perilously high. These prepared frozen dinners also contain many ingredients you do not understand.

Comments (0) Aug 22 2011