Pecel Seasoning Can Last For Months, Pay Attention To How To Store It!

Illustration of pecel seasoning (Unsplash / Tania Melnyczuk)

JAKARTA - Maudy Ayunda returned to America with a lunch of pecel spices. Can the pecel seasoning be stored for months? Certainly can. If you don't add water or let it dry, it will last a long time.

This peanut sauce not only complements a number of pecel vegetables, but also gives a more tasty taste to a plate of warm rice accompanied by chicken satay, serundeng meat or fried tempeh.

Meanwhile, the manufacturing process and ingredients make the pecel seasoning not only available right away. This means that it can be stored for days, even months to a year.

For food stock needs for a week, only need to be stored in an airtight jar. To store for months to a year, store in a jar and refrigerate. Avoid storing it in the freezer, instead of being durable, storing it in the coldest part of the refrigerator actually makes it unusable.

The main ingredient for pecel is peanuts. Other mixtures are brown sugar, kencur, garlic, red chilies, cayenne pepper, tamarind, a little sugar, lime leaves, and salt.

Before being pulverized, peanuts need to be processed separately. In order to be durable and not rancid, peanuts are fried in an earthen pan. Peel off the husk to make it lighter in color and easy to smooth.

The peanut sauce spices also need to be roasted first. The goal is the same, so as not to go rancid or change the taste of the chili sauce when stored for a long time.

After the spices are roasted, grind together and add brown sugar, white sugar and salt to taste. Mix with half-finely ground peanuts, make the pecel seasoning.

Pecel seasoning can last longer due to the mixture of spices in it. Like brown sugar and salt which is a natural preservative. Remember the sea fish that is preserved or salted so that it will last a long time?

High concentrations of sugar and salt can make food last longer. Scientifically, sugar and salt can absorb fluids produced by microorganisms. This allows microorganisms to die without destroying the quality of the food. Furthermore, certain levels of sugar and salt can also stop the growth of bad microbes.

This method of preserving food with sugar and salt has actually been done a long time ago. An example is the making of candied fruit during the harvest season. For food stability, crops are preserved with natural ingredients, namely sugar and salt.

Apart from sugar and salt, quality cooking oil can also preserve food. Especially pure cooking oil made from the best ingredients.

So planning to save the pecel seasoning for a variety of menus tomorrow or the next month? Simply store it neatly in an airtight jar and put it in the refrigerator.