How do salt and sugar preserve food?

Preserving excess food is often considered to be a tricky task. However, in most households around the world, both salt and sugar are used preserving and canning of food stuffs. Salt and sugar preserve food in a very simple manner. Food gets spoilt when micro organisms that are present on the surface of the food start reproducing and release a number of harmful toxins. These toxins destroy the food and make it rotten, especially in humid and hot conditions; the food is spoilt faster than in colder conditions. Since micro organisms can reproduce in hot and humid conditions faster than in colder conditions.

How Long Can Food Be Preserved By Salt And Sugar?

Salt and sugar acts as excellent options to preserve food for a longer period of time. These are commonly available in any kitchen. Salt and sugar can help in preserving food for a long period of time and saves the food from rotting. If salt and sugar are added properly, it will prevent the food from decaying not for years but for decades at least in theory.
The process of preserving food with salt and sugar is quite simple. You just need to keep the food in a clean container, add sugar and salt, and then cover it up. Store it in a cool and dry place, as long as you want.

Depending on the food stuff, sugar and salt can be added. The salt and the sugar will completely absorb the internal fluids of the microorganism that are present on the surface of the food. They will prevent them from multiplying and releasing harmful toxins that cause the decay and rotting of food. This is a much better system of preserving food than another ancient method of preserving food, where it was left in the open to dry. The dried food would then be used when there would be scarcity of food during the winter months.

The process of preserving food using salt and sugar has been in use since time immemorial. However, with the development of science and technology, several modern techniques of food preservation have also been developed that don’t use salt or sugar as preservatives. However, the practice of using salt and sugar for preservation of food are still used in homes and in a number of indigenous and tribal communities.

The advantages of the Salt and Sugar Preservation Process

Though there are several new techniques developed for food preservation, salt and sugar preservation process is still practiced by many people. Salt and sugar preservation process also has a number of advantages as well.
One of the most important reasons is, salt and sugar preservation process is an eco-friendly procedure. For this reason, food doesn’t have to be refrigerated. In many ways, we can even cut down on the CFC gases (these gases harm the environment, as they deplete the ozone layer of the earth). Not only you would be able to check the emission of gases, but also you would be able to save electricity, which in turn will save natural resources.

Preserving food with salt and sugar is a natural process and doesn’t change the composition of the food.

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