6 Useful Kitchen Ingredients To Preserve Food

Illustration of kitchen ingredients to preserve food naturally (iStockphoto)

YOGYAKARTA – Instead of using synthetic food preservatives, it turns out that kitchen ingredients can be used to make food last longer. This means that you can maintain better health when preparing food at home. In addition, food can also be eaten in the next few days without adding to household waste due to leftover food. So what ingredients can you use in food preservation? Here's the list!

1. Garlic

Garlic has anti-viral properties that help fight bacteria. Both in the body and for food. How to preserve it, by adding a clove of garlic or minced garlic into soups, sauces, or other dishes.

2. Sea salt

As we know, salted fish for example is a food ingredient that is preserved with sea salt. Several experiences reported by Food NDTv, Tuesday, July 19, also prove that Himalayan sea salt is also the best natural preservative. Vegetables can also be preserved with sea salt. In Indonesia, it is known as asinan, while in Korea we know kimchi which uses kimchi sauce and salt for fermentation. To preserve with sea salt, you just need to sprinkle it. In fact, meat can also be preserved with salt, you know.

Illustration of kitchen ingredients to preserve food naturally (iStockphoto)

3. Cayenne pepper

Spicy foods are known to fight bacteria that attack food and keep it fresh longer. You can add cayenne pepper or chili powder in desserts.

4. Lemons

Lemons are a great source of citric acid which is a good food preservative. The skin and flesh of the fruit, can be a solution to prevent food from spoiling quickly. The trick, squeeze in a cold plate and marinate your food ingredients or eat immediately after the food is heated.

5. Vinegar

Vinegar is made from fermenting a solution of sugar and water. This ingredient can also act as a natural preservative. Because the acetic acid content in vinegar requires microbes and inhibits food spoilage. This can be seen in fresh pickles that can be preserved in the next few days. In fact, this ingredient also helps improve the taste.

6. Sugar

Like salt, sugar also helps get rid of water and microorganisms in foodstuffs. Sugar, like salt, will osmosis or dehydrate stored foodstuffs. Water absorption due to sugar and salt, can make food can be stored properly for a longer time.

Several methods for preserving food naturally, can be dried, frozen, and marinated with natural preservatives above.