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Before the invention of refrigeration, humans had to rely on a variety of methods to preserve their hard-earned food and prevent spoilage. These techniques have benefited many cultures throughout history and are still used in many places across the world today, both as a part of traditional cuisine and as a means to preserve mass-produced foods. Here's a quick look at some of the most common food preservation methods used before the advent of modern electricity-based cold storage.
One of the oldest methods of food preservation is drying, which involves removing moisture from food to prevent the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms. Drying can be done naturally, using the sun and wind, or artificially, using heat and air circulation. Dried foods are lightweight, easy to store, and have a long shelf life. Several cultures continue to use this method for preserving foods today, oftentimes in tandem with other methods such as salting or smoking.
The Indian subcontinent has no shortage of dried foods, from salted dried fish that is served as an accompaniment to rice in coastal regions to dried vegetables such as the bitter gourd or okra that may be deep fried and consumed in a manner similar to poppadom. Dried foods like jerky and fruit leather have gained immense popularity over the last decade as calorie-dense portable snacks that are ideal for both snacking and as survival food. The F&B industry has capitalized on this trend as well; several high-end eateries have been known to use methods such as drying and smoking to preserve game and seafood for seasons to come and also as a means to add flavor. Dry-aging meats for the sole purpose of flavor enhancement is commonplace in the industry. Meats such as beef and tuna are dry aged for anywhere from two weeks to four months in order to concentrate flavor and enhance texture, making for rich, tender cuts of meat that far surpass fresh cuts in every aspect.
Fermentation is another common method of food preservation that has been used for thousands of years. It involves the use of bacteria and yeast to convert sugars and carbohydrates in food into alcohol or acid. This process helps to preserve the food and also creates new flavors and textures. Lacto-fermentation is arguably the most widely used form of fermentation in the world, second only to brewing. Any pickle or preserve that is made by fermenting with salt is lacto-fermented, including the likes of centuries-old foods like kimchi and sauerkraut. Several modern restaurants have turned to lacto-fermentation as an easy means to add flavor to ingredients while preserving them for the next season, extending the technique to everything from fruit to raw spices.
Canning is a method of preserving food that involves heating the food to a high temperature and sealing it in an airtight container. The heat destroys any microorganisms that may be present, and the sealed container prevents new ones from entering. Canning is still used as a means of preservation even after the advent of refrigeration. Given the process' convenience in terms of range, anything from vegetables to meats can be canned and remain shelf stable for years owing to the added step of sterilization. Several foods are still popularly available in canned or tinned form today, such as anchovies, pineapple, and tomatoes.
Salting and brining are methods of preserving food that involve the use of salt to draw out moisture and inhibit the growth of bacteria. Salting involves sprinkling salt directly on the food, while brining involves soaking the food in a saltwater solution. Both methods can be used to preserve a variety of foods, including meats and vegetables. Brining remains the method of choice to pickle foods on an industrial scale, beating out methods such as lacto-fermentation in terms of cost and time.
Preserving foods in oils for short periods of time is also a popular practice that has translated well into modern times. The most popular use case for the method is to preserve or enrich dried foods such as sundried tomatoes or garlic. Herbs are also popularly infused into oils in order to provide a more fresh flavor as opposed to freeze-dried iterations of the same. Several foods may also be cooked and preserved in oil via confit, such as sardines and tuna, and even vegetables such as garlic and tomatoes. Most oil-suspended foods that are sold commercially today are done so in combination with canning so as to mitigate the risk of microbial growth in the fat-rich medium.
