Unit 10 Food Preservation.

I. Warm up discussion:
1) How do we preserve food?

2) Why do we need to preserve food?

3) What easy of preservation do you know?

4) What products do you preserve in home conditions?

II. Vocabulary
Preservation (n) – a method of pretreating the food in such a way that it can be
kept for a long time. (conservare)

Vinegar (n) an acidic liquid produced by fermenting malt or wine, used to

preserve food. (oţet)

Pouch(n) - a small bag or bag like formation (pungă, sac )

Sulfating (n) – a pretreatment method in which food is soaked in a sodium

bisulfite or sodium metabisulfite solution prior to dehydration. (sulfit)

Sulfuring (n) – a pretreatment method in which food is exposed to fumes from

burning sulfur prior to dehydration. (sulfare)

Cannery (n) – a factory where food is put in tins (fabrisă de conserve)

Can (n) – a jar for packing or preserving fruit or vegetables. ( cutie de consevă)

Fungus (n) – (pl. fungi) simple, non – flowering plants that cannot make their
own food (ciuperci)

Pressure processing – a method of processing canned food in which containers

are heated in a pressure canner to kill harmful microorganisms. ( proces sub
presiune).

Actions designed by special verbs:

To dry – to reduce the moisture level ( a usca)

To seal – to close something tightly or put a substance in something to stop air
entering or escaping ( a sigila)

To heat – to become or make something hot or warm. ( a înferbânta )

To freeze – to keep food at a very low temperature in order to preserve it (a

îngheţa)

To pickle - to preserve vegatables in vinegar(a mura)

To smoke – to preserve food with smoke from wood fires to give it a special taste
(a afuma)

To can – to put or preserve in a can ( a conserva)

To blench – to become white or pale (a opări)

To soak –to place or lie in liquid so as to become thoroughly wet. ( a umezi )

The ways of preservation

1) Dehydration – removing all the water from the product.

2) Canning – putting food in a closed metal container without air.

3) Pickling – using vinegar to preserve onions and other vegetables.

4) Bottling – preserving the liquid in bottles.

5) Freezing – placing food in an insulated container and blasting it in at high speed

with air cooled below 30 C.

6) Salting – covering food with salt.

Lesson 1. Food Preservation

Food contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins which are vital to life. It
should be fresh when we eat, otherwise it can make us ill. There are two main
agents that turn food bad: fungi and bacteria. These are microorganisms which
cannot make their own food and which live and grow on our food. For example,
yeast and moulds often spoil fresh food but also act as catalysts in the process of
fermentation. The methods used to preserve food are intended to make conditions
dry and very cold, unsuitable for the growth and multiplication of microorganisms.
One of the tasks of food technologists today is to find ways of preserving without
losing the vital substances.

A method of food preservation that has been used for thousands of years is
dehydration. Dehydration refers to any process that drives water out of food
samples. It is also called drying.

There are three basic reasons for drying food:

First, drying preserves the food so it can be kept longer without fear of spoilage.
Dried apples slices have longer shelf life than fresh apples.

Second, drying decreases the weight and bulk of food, which makes it easy to
transport. It costs less to ship a package of dried apricots than it does to ship the
same number of fresh apricots.

Third, food is dried for convenience. Instant coffee and the potato flakes used to
make instant mashed potatoes take less time to prepare than regular coffee or fresh
potatoes.

Preparation for dehydration

When drying food, it is important to use unblemished fruits and vegetables that are
not overripe.

Otherwise, one piece of spoiled food can negatively affect an entire tray of drying
food. Most food is sliced into thin pieces to accelerate the drying process. This
means moisture can escape more rapidly from a slice than it could from a larger
piece. Before food can actually be dried, it should be pretreated. Such pretreated
reduces fat-soluble vitamin loss, flavor loss, enzymatic browning, and deterioration
during storage. Vegetables deteriorate more rapidly than fruit during storage
because enzymes present in them continue to function. There is less enzyme action
in fruit because of its higher sugar content and acidity. Some fruits do not need to
be pretreated – grapes, figs, and plums.
The enzymes can cause fairly rapid browning as oxygen in the air reacts with
compounds in the fruit. One way to prevent browning in fruit and light-colored
vegetables is sulfating This involves soaking food in a solution of water and
sodium metabisulfite or sodium bisulfite. Mixing either of these compounds with
water releases sulfur dioxide gas. The gas penetrates the surface of the food ,
slowing oxidation and enzymatic browning.

The method used by commercial fruit dryers to prevent browning is sulfuring. The
process involves placing the food on large trays that stacked together and covered.
Fumes from burning sulfur, which contain sulfur dioxide gas, circulate around the
food. The sulfuring process usually takes from 1-4 hours. Sulfuring is the best
commercial pretreatment method because the food maintains the original shape
and colour and remains pliable.

IV Questionnaire

1) What does food contain?

2) What kind of agents turn food bad?

3) What do fungi and yeast have in common?

4) What is the purpose of food preservation?

5) What is the task of the technologists today?

6) What is dehydration?

7) What are the reasons for drying food?

8) Why is it so important to use unblemished fruits and vegetables when drying

food?

9) What is the difference between sulfuring and sulfating?

10) Why is sulfuring considered the ‘best commercial pretreatment method’?

 Post – reading activities

1) Match the parts:

1. A method of pretreating the food in such a way that it can be kept for a long
time - ..............................................................................................................

2. An acidic liquid produced by fermenting malt or wine , used to preserve

food ………………………………………………………………………….

3. A small bag or bag like formation - …………………………………………

4. A pretreatment method in which food is soaked in a sodium bisulfite or

sodium metabisulfite solution prior to dehydration - ………………………..

5. A pretreatment method in which food is exposed to fumes from burning

sulfur prior to dehydration - …………………………………………………

6. A factory where food is put in tins - ………………………………………

7. A jar for packing or preserving fruit or vegetables – ……………………….

8. Simple, non – flowering plants that cannot make their own food - …………

9. A method of processing canned food in which containers are heated in a

pressure canner to kill harmful microorganisms. ……………………………

Sulfating, Sulfuring, Can, Vinegar, Pressure processing, Preservation, Pouch,

Cannery, Fungus.

2) Find in the text:

The synonyms of totally, to dry, to spoil, to slow down, period, can, to pouch.

The antonyms of fresh, good, seldom, healthy, wet, warm, suitable, small, old.

3) Transform the actions into nouns:

To dry –

To seal –
To heat –

To freeze –

To pickle -

To smoke –

To can –

To blench –

To soak –

3) Ask questions to every word from the sentence:

a) Vegetables deteriorate more rapidly than fruit during storage. (6 questions)

b) Dried apples slices have longer shelf life than fresh apples. (6 questions)

c) One piece of spoiled food can negatively affect an entire tray of drying food. (8
questions)

4) Translate the text into your native language:

A method of food preservation that has been used for thousands of years is
dehydration. Dehydration refers to any process that drives water out of food
samples. It is also called drying. There are three basic reasons for drying food.
First, drying preserves the food so it can be kept longer without fear of spoilage.
Dried apples slices have longer shelf life than fresh apples. Second, drying
decreases the weight and bulk of food, which makes it easy to transport. It costs
less to ship a package of dried apricots than it does to ship the same number of
fresh apricots. Third, food is dried for convenience. Instant coffee and the potato
flakes used to make instant mashed potatoes take less time to prepare than regular
coffee or fresh potatoes.

Evaluation
1) Translate the sentences:

a) Fructele şi legumele se păstrează mai bine la rece.

b) Produsele îngheţate se păstrează în cogelator.

c) Oamenii sterilizează mîncarea pentru a o păstra pe o period de timp mai

îndelungată.

d) Cutiile de conserve sunt folosite pentru a proteja produsele de contaminare cu

bacteria.

e) Laptele nu poate fi păstrat dacă n-a fost sterilizat.

f) Pentru a conserva ouă se foloseşte oţetul.

g) Fructele se prelucrează cu sulfit înainte de a fi uscate.

h) Produsele alimentare conţin grăsimi, vitamine, minerale, proteine.

2) Analyze and write what products are preserved by dehydration in our

country.

Lesson 2. Canning

Canning is one of the primary ways of preserving food today. During canning,
food is processed and sterilized by being heated to a temperature that kills most
bacteria present. Because canned food is in a sealed container, it cannot be
contaminated and therefore spoil. This means that canned food has a long shelf
life.

A variety of foods can be canned at home. The equipment used in home canning is
very important. Containers, usually, glass, jars, lids, ring bands, and a canner are
used to create the correct environment. Wide-mouth jars are the most popular
shape because they are so easy to fill. A canning jar is sealed with a flat metal lid
that has a thin rim of sealing compound on the underside.

Water – bath processing involves heating the containers of food in boiling water in
a canning kettle. The kettle needs to be deep enough so that the containers are
covered and there is 5-10 cm of space above the containers to allow the water to
boil freely. Water-bath processing can be used safely only with high-acid foods,
such as fruit, tomatoes, and pickles.

Aseptic canning – a method in which food is first sterilized by heat and then placed
in sterilized container. The main advantage is of this process is speed. The food
can be sterilized in seconds and then placed in the container with a minimal loss of
flavor or nutritional value. This is sharp contrast to the traditional method of
canning.

For example, milk canned by the traditional method is heated so long that the
sugars in the milk react, causing a change in color and flavor. In contrast,
aseptically canned milk has a flavor and nutritional value more similar to fresh
milk. The only disadvantage of the aseptic method is that total control of the
sanitary conditions must be maintained during processing.

Pouch canning – a method of preserving food that is gaining in popularity. This

process is like retort canning except that flexible packages are used instead of cans
or jars. Such containers usually weigh less and take up less space than rigid
containers. Consumers appreciate pouches because they are so easy to open and
then throw away.

II. Questionnaire

1) What happens to food while canning?

2) What are the advantages of canning?

3) What is water – processing?

4) In what cases water-processing works?

5) What is aseptic canning?

6) What are the advantages of aseptic canning?

7) What is pouch canning?

8) Why is pouch canning gaining in popularity?

2) Give examples of products that are canned in our country

3) Describe the way your parents can food in home conditions.

4) Translate the sentences:

A variety of foods can be canned at home. The equipment used in home canning is
very important. Containers, usually, glass, jars, lids, ring bands, and a canner are
used to create the correct environment. Wide-mouth jars are the most popular
shape because they are so easy to fill. A canning jar is sealed with a flat metal lid
that has a thin rim of sealing compound on the underside.

Water – bath processing involves heating the containers of food in boiling water in
a canning kettle. The kettle needs to be deep enough so that the containers are
covered and there is 5-10 cm of space above the containers to allow the water to
boil freely. Water-bath processing can be used safely only with high-acid foods,
such as fruit, tomatoes, and pickles.

5) Give the summary of the text

Evaluation

1) Translate in English:

a) Metoda de conservare aseptic Bag in Box se numeşte după tipul ambalajului.

b) Pricipiul metodei aseptice de conservare costă în sterilizarea separată a

produsului

c) Conservarea în borcane este pe larg folosită în ţara noastră.

d) Cînd conservăm în condiţii casnice trebuie să fim precauţi.

c) Cîteodată conservele se alterează din cauza microorganismelor .

d) Sterilizarea este o metodă folosită în industria laptelui.

e) În ţara noastră există multe fabric de conserve.

2) Write an essay on the topic: To can or not to can?”