What Is This Module About?

One of the skills that can come in handy during difficult economic times is food
preservation. Most of the vegetables, fruits, fish and meat that we buy spoil easily.
However, thanks to scientific knowledge, we can preserve food and prevent it from
being wasted.
This module will show you how science can be used to preserve meat, fruits,
vegetables and fish. In particular, you will learn how to make tocino and longganisa.
These skills will be covered in three lessons, namely:
Lesson 1 — Meat Preservation
Lesson 2 — You Can Make Tocino and Longganisa
Lesson 3 — Preserving Fruits, Vegetables and Fish

What Will You Learn From This Module?

After studying this module, you should be able to:

♦ discuss and explain the scientific methods for preserving meat, fruits,
vegetables and fish;
♦ describe and follow the instructions for preserving meat; and
♦ apply knowledge of food preservation to solve the problem of food spoilage.

1
 Let’s See What You Already Know

Before you start, try to answer the following questions. They will help you find
out what you already know about the topics to be covered in the module.
The following statements are about food preservation. Put a T next to the
statements that are true, and an F next to the statements that are false.
Examples:
(T) 1. Meat used for making tocino is sliced thinly.
(F) 2. Pork is the only meat that can be preserved.
The first statement is true so a T is written beside it. The second statement is
false and is marked F.
Now, answer the following:
( ) 1. Meat is preserved to prevent it from spoiling.
( ) 2. The drying method uses sunlight and artificial light.
( ) 3. Many fruits may be made into jams, jellies, candies, juices and
pickles.
( ) 4. The addition of salt in meat and other food products does not destroy
microorganisms that spoil food.
( ) 5. Vinegar is used in making tocino to help prevent the growth of
microorganisms.
( ) 6. Longganisa is an example of preserved meat.
( ) 7. Pork belly is the preferred pork cut for longganisa.
( ) 8. The pickling method is usually used in preserving green vegetables
and fruits.
( ) 9. Daing and tinapa are examples of foods preserved by drying.
( ) 10. Jelly is a vegetable product prepared by extracting the juice from
boiled vegetables.
Well, how was it? Do you think you fared well? Compare your answers with those
in the Answer Key on page 46.

2
 If all your answers are correct, very good! This shows that you already know
much about the topic. You may still study the module to review what you already
know. Who knows, you might learn a few more new things as well!
If you got a low score, don’t feel bad. This only means this module is for you.
It will help you understand important concepts that you can apply in your daily life.
If you study this module carefully, you will learn the answers to all the items in the
test and a lot more. Are you ready?
You may go now to the next page to begin Lesson 1.

3
 LESSON 1

Meat Preservation

Did you know that there are ways to prevent the spoilage and wastage of food that
cannot be eaten at once? For thousands of years, people from all around the world
have sought ways to preserve food. They have used scientific knowledge, materials
and technology to find ways and means of delaying the spoilage of food by
microorganisms.
After studying this lesson, you should be able to:
♦ explain the importance of food preservation;
♦ discuss how the growth of microorganisms spoils food; and
♦ describe the advantages of the scientific method of food preservation.

Let’s Study and Analyze

Aling Tinay is an ideal housewife. One day, in her desire to help her husband earn
a living, she decided to buy a fattened pig. She knew that she could earn more by
having the animal butchered herself. However, Aling Tinay failed to sell all the meat.
She became worried because she knew that meat spoils easily and they did not have a
refrigerator. She also did not know how to preserve meat.
1. Why was Aling Tinay worried about the unsold meat?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

2. Have you ever bought meat which became spoiled or rotten? Why did it rot?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

3. How does rotten meat look and smell?

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

4
 4. How might refrigerating meat prevent it from spoiling?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 46–47.

Let’s Read

Cathy is a young housewife who knew little about preserving meat. One day, her older
sister Rose came to visit her at home.

I’m so glad to see you,

Ate Rose.

I’m glad to see you too,

Cathy. Is it okay if I stay here
for dinner?

Of course. I’ll prepare

something for us to eat.
I think I still have some
meat left in the
refrigerator.

Can I help
you with
that?

5
 Yes,please.

Oh Cathy, when did you

buy this meat?

Just two days

ago. Why? What’s
wrong?

Your meat
seems rotten.

But I stored it in the

freezer. How could
that happen?
Did you set your
freezer to 0°C or
lower?

Cathy and Rose checked the temperature of

the freezer, and found out that it was set to
4°C.

6
I didn’t think that it would
spoil because it was in the
refrigerator.Ididn’treally
want it to become frozen,
because it takes so much Cathy, you have to
time defrosting it. remember that meat
will spoil due to
microorganisms such as
bacteria, molds and
yeast if it’s not stored
or preserved properly.

What are
bacteria, molds
and yeast?
These are harmful
microorganisms that are
capable of spoiling meat.
It is important that you
know how meat looks and
smells when it becomes
rotten or spoiled.

So, what does rotten The color or smell of rotten meat

meat usually look and varies depending on the type of
smell like? organism involved. If it appears
dry and fuzzy, molds are present.
They’re commonly white, green or
black. Spoilage caused by
bacteria appears as various
colored spots, usually red, yellow
and blue. Greenish-blue to
brownish-black spots found on
stored beef are also caused by
bacteria. Rotten meat has a foul
smell like that of ammonia.

How does ammonia

smell like?

It smells
peppery.

7
 Ate Rose, what do you
think would have That would have
happened if we ate this been disastrous.
rotten meat? We might have
suffered from
nausea and
vomiting,
diarrhea, skin
allergies, or even
food poisoning.

I’m really glad you

came to visit me. I’m glad I was able to
I’ve learned so help. Why don’t we go to
much already. the market and buy some
meat? When we get back,
let’s cook a delicious
dinner. I’m getting
hungry.

The two sisters left the house to go to the nearest market.

How can we stop

leftover meat from
spoiling?

This time we will add some salt and

vinegar to some of the meat and
place the rest in the freezer.

8
 Let’s Try This

Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. What did Ate Rose notice about the meat?
a. It looked good.
b. It seemed rotten.
c. It smelled sweet.
d. It was cold.
2. Why did the meat spoil?
a. Cathy forgot to store it in the refrigerator.
b. Ate Rose dropped it on the floor while preparing to cook it.
c. Cathy stored it in the freezer but did not set the temperature at 0°C or
lower.
d. The meat has been stored in the freezer for several months.
3. Ate Rose mentioned another way to preserve meat. What is it?
a. Adding some spices or seasonings like salt and vinegar.
b. Placing the meat in a sealed container.
c. Cooking the meat before storing it in the refrigerator.
d. Storing the meat in a dry and dark place.
4. According to Ate Rose, what might be the result of eating rotten meat?
a. diarrhea
b. nausea and vomiting
c. food poisoning
d. all of the above
5. What are the harmful microorganisms capable of spoiling meat?
a. bacteria, molds, yeast
b. molds, insects, viruses
c. bacteria, viruses, insects
d. molds, viruses, insects
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 47.

9
 Let’s Learn

There are many different ways of preserving meat, such as by freezing or by

adding some spices or seasonings like salt and vinegar. These methods prevent
bacteria, molds or yeast from spoiling the meat.
But why does unpreserved meat spoil? Let’s study the reasons.
Without the scientific methods of food preservation, meat easily spoils because
it is high in moisture and rich in nutrients, minerals, and carbohydrates that
microorganisms feed on. Meat is composed of approximately 75 percent water and
20 percent protein. The remaining 5 percent are fats, carbohydrates and minerals, as
shown below.
Composition of Meat

Water 75%

Protein 20%

Fats, Carbohydrates and Minerals 5%

The process of food contamination begins

during the slaughtering of the animal from which the
meat is taken. At this point, the contents of the meat
are exposed to changing temperatures, possible
juice loss and bacterial contamination.
When meat is handled and packaged, this again
introduces possible contamination. Thus, scientific
methods such as refrigeration and drying are used to preserve the meat. It needs to be
preserved so that the multiplication of microorganisms is prevented.
So, if I go to a market to buy meat, I will
make sure that the quality of the meat I will buy is
good. I will know this by looking at the meat and
smelling it. Then, I will ask myself, “Does the
meat look dark? Does it smell bad?”

10
 We must remember that the meat we buy from the market is probably
contaminated, so we must preserve it to avoid further contamination and eventual
spoilage.

Let’s Review

Answer the following questions:

1. Why do you think meat spoils easily?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

2. Why do you think there is a need for food preservation?

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

3. How can you prevent food from spoiling?

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

4. Why is food preservation valuable in your everyday life?

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 47–48.

11
 Let’s Learn

Preserved Food
Some types of food, like meat, have to be preserved in order to:
♦ prevent them from rotting or spoiling; and
♦ prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms.
Meat spoilage is caused by
microorganisms. Knowing this, scientists have
developed appropriate methods for dealing with
harmful microorganisms. These methods have
been adopted by people who have to deal with
the problem of the food spoilage in their
everyday lives. Food preservation not only
solves this problem, it also helps people save money, time and effort.
Some examples of meat preservation methods are shown below. They are called
scientific because these methods have been tested and found to be effective.
Methods of Food Preservation

Drying Smoking Salting

Curing Refrigeration/Freezing Canning

When we preserve meat using any of the methods mentioned above, we prevent it
from spoiling. In addition to this, preserved meat is also:
♦ tasty and delicious;
♦ easy to prepare and cook;

12
 ♦ easy and convenient to stock at home; and
♦ definitely hygienic, especially when properly prepared in your own home.
The level of contamination of meat preserved at home is lower than that of meat
preserved in the public market because public markets are more open and exposed to
germs. The quality of the meat depends not only on its source, but also on the
cleanliness of the people who handle it and of the area in which it is handled and
stored, and on the efficiency of cleaning and sterilizing procedures.

Let’s Try This

Which of the methods of food preservation have you tried doing yourself? Give
a brief explanation of how you did it on the lines below.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Let’s now compare them with the methods discussed below.

Let’s Learn

Drying – This method reduces the

moisture of meat by as much as 15
percent. There are two ways of doing
this, namely, by using sunlight and
artificial light. In the first method, the
meat is simply exposed to direct
sunlight. In the second method, the
meat is placed in a container with 85
percent humidity and the temperature is
maintained at the range of 43°– 49°C.
This permits gradual drying, allowing
sufficient control to avoid overheating
that might result in discoloration. Although the use of artificial light is more
expensive, this method assures a high quality product that can be sold for a higher
price. The meat is prepared and processed using proper precautions and adequate
sanitation to protect it from infection by dust, insects and other animals.
13
 Smoking – Fish and meat are smoked using
burning wood, wood shavings or guava leaves.
Pyroligneous acid, which comes from the burning
wood or leaves, penetrates the meat. This preserves
the meat and enhances its taste. This method is used
for making ham and bacon. A pickling solution (a
mixture of salt, sugar and citric acid or vinegar) is
used to further improve the taste.
Salting – Salt is used in meat packing, sausage
making, fish curing and in other food processing
methods. The addition of salt when preserving meat
not only dries the meat but also destroys the
microorganisms that are capable of spoiling it.
However, the correct amount of salt has to be
applied so that the preserved product will remain
edible and tasty.
Curing – This is primarily used to provide
flavor and to allow the retention of meat color
during cooking. Meat may be preserved with a
curing salt. The ingredients used in curing are salt
(2 tablespoons), sugar (2 tablespoons) and saltpeter
(1 teaspoon). Other ingredients, such as spices,
vinegar or wine, may also be used. Vinegar prevents
the multiplication of harmful microorganisms.
Essential oils from spices add flavor. Curing may be combined with smoking. Smoke
acts as a drying agent and coats the meat surface with pyroligneous acid, including
some amount of formaldehyde, which acts as a disinfectant and preservative.
Refrigeration/Freezing – This method has
been proven highly effective because of its inhibiting
effect on microorganisms. This is the most widely
used method of preserving fresh meat. Meat can be
stored in the freezer for several months at a
temperature of 0°C or below. It is even better if the
temperature is lowered to maybe negative 20
degrees Celsius (–20°C) to prevent the
multiplication of harmful microorganisms.
Canning – This method is used for longer
storage periods that demand more complete
protection against harmful microorganisms.
Prepared raw food is placed in a sealed container at
a temperature of 212°F or 100°C for a specified
period of time, after which it is cooled.

14
 All these methods of food preservation form part of what we call biotechnology.
Biotechnology means the application of advances made in biology to industry,
agriculture, medicine, manufacturing and waste management.
One application of biotechnology is food preservation.
Examples are:
♦ the use of bacteria for the manufacture of alcohol,
yogurt and insulin;

♦ the use of microorganisms in the production of beer,

wine, vinegar, vitamins and protein;

♦ the selective breeding of animals and plants to

improve production and to bring about desired traits;

♦ the manipulation of genetic material to develop pest-

resistant crops, medicines, vaccines and cures for
genetic diseases; and

♦ the use of biological methods to control insects and

pests.

Biotechnology is essential to humans, animals and plants. Therefore, all of the

examples above can be applied in our daily lives.

15
 Let’s See What You Have Learned

To test how much you have learned in this lesson, complete the following
statements by writing the correct word in each blank.
1. Storing meat at a temperature of 0°C or below is called_______________.
2 __________________ is the method used for making ham.
3. The application of salt, sugar and saltpeter is a way of preserving meat. This
method is called __________________.
4. __________________ live in a moist environment and multiply rapidly in
meat.
5. Meat has a high moisture content. It is approximately______ percent water.
6. Food preservation is an example of the scientific field called ___________.
You can check your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 48.

Let’s Remember

♦ Meat has to be preserved in order to prevent food spoilage and the

multiplication of harmful microorganisms.
♦ Meat spoils easily because it is high in moisture, rich in nutrients, minerals
and carbohydrates that allow the growth of microorganisms.
♦ There are scientific methods used in preserving meat such as drying,
smoking, salting, curing, refrigeration or freezing, and canning.
♦ If meat is not preserved properly, it spoils due to the growth of harmful
microorganisms. Eating spoiled meat can lead to diarrhea, food poisoning
and other illnesses.
♦ Preserving meat is a simple form of biotechnology.

16
 LESSON 2

You Can Make Tocino and Longganisa

Tocino and longganisa are examples of meat preserves. In Lesson 1, you

learned that preserving meat helps prevent spoilage. Some of the methods of meat
preservation we discussed in the previous lesson can be used to make tocino and
longganisa. You will learn exactly how to do this in this lesson.
In making tocino and longganisa, you prevent the meat from spoiling, so it lasts
longer, becomes more tasty and delicious, and is always ready to cook.
Have you tried making tocino and longganisa? What were the ingredients you
used? How did you go about making them? Did your products turn out delicious?
After studying this lesson, you should be able to:
♦ follow the instructions for making tocino and longganisa; and
♦ use your knowledge of food preservation to make tocino and longganisa.

17
 Let’s Learn

Suppose you talked to your favorite butcher or meat shop owner. You asked him
what ingredients to buy and what equipment to use for making tocino and longganisa.
He probably mentioned some of the ingredients and equipment pictured below. Are
you familiar with any of them?

The ingredients that you will be needing are: soy sauce, salt, sugar, food coloring,
chili pepper, garlic, vinegar, ground pepper and salitre (saltpeter).
Meanwhile, the equipment needed are the following: a weighing scale, a mortar
and pestle, a mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a spatula, some thread (for
longganisa), a syringe, a funnel, a catch basin, a knife and a chopping board.
If you were able to name them all, then you are familiar with the ingredients and
equipment that you will need. Are you ready to make tocino and longganisa? Read on
to find out how.

18
 Let’s Try This

Do you know the things you should and should not do when making tocino and
longganisa?
If you do, write them below.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 48. If you were not
able to write anything, don’t worry. Just read on to learn what you need to know.

Let’s Read

How to Make Tocino

Suppose that one day at the market, your favorite meat shop owner was making
some tocino when you dropped by to buy something. You proceeded to observe how
she went about doing it. This was what you saw.

19
Ingredients:
1 kilo pork meat 4 tbsps. warm water
2 tbsps. brown sugar
2 tbsps. salt
1 tsp. saltpeter (salitre or potassium nitrate)
Procedure:
Step 1. Cut the meat into ¼-inch slices.

Step 2. Prepare a curing solution.

Mix 2 tbsp. salt, 2 tbsp. sugar and
1 tsp. saltpeter. Dissolve these in 4
stbsp. of warm water.

Step 3. Pour the curing solution over the

meat, making sure that it is evenly
applied to all slices.

Step 4. Place the meat inside a plastic

container and store it in the
refrigerator for 2 to 3 days before
cooking.

20
Step 5. Cook the meat until it is slightly
brown.

The preparation and cooking should take about 15–20 minutes.

Do you think you will be able to follow the steps in making tocino?

Let’s Review

Answer the following questions.

1. List down the ingredients needed for making tocino.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
2. Explain the method of making a curing solution.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 48–49.

21
 Let’s Learn

How to Make Longganisa

Let us say that while you were talking with
your favorite meat shop owner, you saw the lady
from the neighboring stall making longganisa
(Filipino-style sausage). You wanted to learn more
about what she was doing so you asked to be
introduced. You also asked for the recipe, and she
gave you this:
Ingredients:
1 kilo ground pork
2 tbsps. salt
2 tbsps. sugar
1 ½ tbsps. soy sauce
2 tbsps. vinegar
2 tbsps. wine
1 tsp. saltpeter (salitre or potassium nitrate)
1 tsp. ground pepper
2 tsps. chopped garlic
12 sausage casings (skinlike coverings for processed meat such as
longganisa; usually made of the cleaned intestines of cows, pigs or sheep)
Procedure:
Step 1. To prepare the curing solution,
combine 2 tbsps. salt, 2 tbsps.
sugar and 1 tsp. saltpeter.
Dissolve these in 4 tbsps. warm
water.

Step 2. Mix the curing solution with the

ground pork. Add the rest of the
ingredients and stuff the mixture
into the casings. Place them
inside the refrigerator and let
stand for 5 to 6 days.

22
 Step 3. To cook, place a small amount of water in a
frying pan. Add the longganisa and boil for
about 10 minutes. With a fork, pierce the
casings. The longganisa is ready when
juices flow out and turn to a dark caramel
color.
Happy with what you have learned, you went home
with the ingredients you purchased for making tocino and
longganisa.
You tried making your own tocino and longganisa immediately, because you
didn’t want to forget the new things you have just learned.
Well, how did your tocino and longganisa taste? Were they delicious? Now, here
are some tips to improve your products.
Tips on preparing tocino and longganisa:
♦ The most important ingredient in the curing solution is salt.
♦ Saltpeter (salitre) is the ingredient used to improve the color of a meat
product.
♦ Loin is the pork cut that yields juicy and delicious tocino and longganisa.
However, any pork cut may be used for making tocino.
♦ The meat used for making longganisa is a mixture of fat and lean meat.
♦ Make sure that the color of the meat is just right, that it has no smell, and
that the grains are tightly packed.
♦ The steps followed in making tocino are the same steps followed in making
ham or bacon, except that the manner of slicing the meat is different for
tocino.
♦ It is not recommended that you use pork belly because it is too fatty.
♦ You may use other spices or even vinegar to help prevent food spoilage. In
Lesson 1, you learned that vinegar prevents the multiplication of harmful
microorganisms and can be used as a curing method. Two tablespoons of
vinegar is an appropriate amount to add. The acid in vinegar and the natural
chemicals in spices help keep microorganisms from increasing.
♦ If you want to prepare twice as much tocino or longganisa, you just have to
double the recipe.

23
Tips on cooking tocino and longganisa:
♦ Wash the preserved product before cooking to remove the grease of the
saltpeter.
♦ If the preserved meat is frozen, the cooking time should be longer.
♦ Avoid burning the tocino or longganisa when cooking. The chemicals of the
saltpeter can be very unhealthy when burned.

Let’s Review

Answer the following questions. Write your answers in the blanks provided.
1. What method of food preservation is used in preparing tocino and
longganisa? Explain.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

2. How do the recipes for preparing tocino and longganisa help in preserving
the meat?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

3. What are the advantages of preserved meats such as tocino and longganisa?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 49.

24
 Let’s See What You Have Learned

A. Read the paragraph below, then fill in the blanks with the correct words or
phrases found in the box.
How to Make Tocino

color smell tocino

saltpeter salt ham
slicing any pork cut loin
sugar bacon vinegar

The most important ingredient in the curing mixture for meat

preservation is (1)______________. (2) ______________ is the ingredient
used to improve the color of a meat product. (3) ______________ is also
used to prevent the multiplication of microorganisms. (4) The pork cut that
yields juicy and delicious tocino is ______________. (5) However,
______________ may also be used as long as the (6) ______________ is
just right, the meat has no (7)______________, and the grains are tightly
packed. The steps followed in making tocino are the same steps followed in
making (8) ______________ or (9) ______________, except that the
manner of (10) ______________ the meat is different for tocino.
B. Which step should come first? Number the following steps in making
tocino, according to their proper order. (Write 1 for the first step, 2 for the
second, and so on.)
___ Prepare the curing solution. Dissolve salt, sugar and saltpeter in warm
water.
___ Cook until the meat is slightly golden. Serve.
___ Measure the correct amounts of each ingredient.
___ Cut the meat into ¼-inch-thick slices.
___ Place the meat inside a plastic container and store in the refrigerator
for 2 to 3 days before cooking.
___ Pour the curing solution over the meat, making sure it is evenly applied
to all slices.

25
 C. Try to complete this simple crossword puzzle. The clues to each word can
be found in the statements below. Fill in the missing letters to find out
what word you should place in the corresponding number of the puzzle.

Across
1. Longganisa is stuffed into a c_ _ _ _ _.
2. When cooking longganisa, first place a small amount of _ a _ _ _ in a
frying pan.
3. Meat used for making longganisa is a mixture of fat and _ _ a _ meat.
4. G _ _ _ _ _ pork is used for making longganisa.
Down
1. The first step in making longganisa is mixing all the ingredients in the _
u _ _ _ _ solution.

D. Explain the method of food preservation used in making tocino and

longganisa.
___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Have you finished answering all the items? If so, you can compare your answers
with those in the Answer Key on pages 49–50. If they are all correct, excellent! You
may continue with the next lesson.
If some of your answers are wrong, don’t feel bad. Just review this lesson. Then,
answer the test questions again.

26
Let’s Remember

♦ Tocino and longganisa are easy to prepare and cook.

♦ Remember the important tips in making tocino and longganisa such as the
recommended type of meat, the use of salt, the length of cooking time, etc.
♦ The method used in preparing tocino and longganisa is curing. The meat is
preserved with a curing mixture, made of salt, sugar and saltpeter. These
curing ingredients absorb moisture from the meat, thus preventing or
delaying microbial growth. Acid in vinegar and natural chemicals in spices
help keep microorganisms from increasing in number. Refrigeration of the
cured products will ensure that microorganisms won’t spoil the product.

27
 LESSON 3

Preserving Fruits, Vegetables and Fish

Food preservation is not only for meat. The different methods used for
preserving meat may also be used to preserve fresh fruits, vegetables and fish. Do you
know some examples of preserved fruits, vegetables and fish? Do you see them in
markets? Since there is a variety of them, you probably even have some of these
products at home. Most people prefer to store these products because they are
convenient and always ready for use.
After studying this lesson, you should be able to:
♦ explain how scientific methods are used in preserving fruits, vegetables and
fish; and
♦ describe the advantages of preserving fruits, vegetables and fish.

Let’s Read

Do you remember Cathy and Ate Rose? Let’s go back to their story. While they
were at the market, Ate Rose convinced Cathy to buy other types of food to store at
home, besides meat.

Since we are here in

the market, you might I’m afraid to buy too
as well buy other types much because I’m not
of food, Cathy. sure I’ll be able to use
them all in a short
period of time. I already
wasted money when the
meat I stored in the
refrigeratorspoiled. I’m
still learning to cook,
remember?

28
 Well, you can buy other types of
food that don’t need a lot of
cooking.

That’s probably what I need.

I think that’s a good idea.

Instead of fresh fish,
you can buy tinapa
and daing, dried and
preserved. They only
take a few minutes to
cook. Better yet, I’ll
just tell you how to
make daing. It’s
really good for
breakfast.

You may also buy

jelliesorjams
depending on what
My
kind of fruit you want.
husband
I think almost all fruit
and I like
flavorsareavailable.
grapes, so
let’sbuy
grapejelly.

Or if you like, you can also buy fresh fruits and

vegetables. Don’t worry about them spoiling. I’ll teach
you how to preserve them. They will last for months.

That’s great! I won’t have to worry

about eating them right away!
Usually, these fruits only last 3 to 5
days. Other vegetables only last a
week or two.

29
You’re right! I’ll teach
you how to make
achara and burong
mangga. I remember
you almost consumed That’s right!Now
all the ones I made I’m going to learn
when you were at my how to make them!
house last week.

You can actually

preserve any type of
fruit or vegetable
such as cucumber, You know what? I
carrots, apples, and think I’m going to
so forth. Almost all learn a lot today.
the ingredients and
procedures are the
same.

Let’s Talk About This

1. What are the examples of preserved fruits, vegetables and fish that Ate Rose
mentioned?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

2. Why do you think Ate Rose wants Cathy to learn how to make preserved
fruits, vegetables and fish?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

3. Have you or any of your family members tried preserving fruits, vegetables
or fish? How did you or they do it?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 50–51.

30
 Let’s Learn

Most green vegetables and fruits may be preserved

by pickling in either a brine (water and salt) or a
vinegar solution (sugar and vinegar). These methods do
not only make the preserved foods last longer but may
also make them more nutritious and better tasting.
Besides pickling, there are other ways of
preserving these types of food.
Refrigeration is a common method of preventing the spoilage of fruits and
vegetables and keeping them fresh. However, due to differences among some fruits
and vegetables, there is actually no definite rule to be followed in storing them in a
refrigerator. But here are some general guidelines that you can follow in storing
some fruits and vegetables in refrigerators.
1. Papayas that are firm and full can be stored in
the refrigerator at a temperature of 9 to 19
°C. Papaya can remain fresh for up to about a
week in a refrigerator.
2. Avocados may be stored at a temperature of 7
to 10 °C. They will last for about one week.
3. Cabbage can be stored at a temperature of
0°C. Storage can be maintained for about two
to three weeks.
4. Pechay, as well as mushroom can be stored at
a temperature of 0°C. However, storage life
is much shorter: 10 to 15 days for pechay, and
five days for mushroom.

These methods can be used when you have a refrigerator at home. But what if you
don’t have one? Fortunately, you can resort to other methods of preserving fruits and
vegetables.
Apart from pickling and refrigeration, another method is canning. You have
probably noticed that many companies can and bottle products such as fruits,
vegetables, fish and meat. Canning allows you to store foods for longer periods of
time.

31
 Let’s Review

1. What is the advantage of using the pickling method in preserving fruits and
vegetables?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

2. Do you think having a refrigerator is important in preserving fruits and

vegetables? Why or why not?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

3. Besides pickling and refrigeration, what other method is used to preserve

fruits, vegetables and fish? How does it preserve the food?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 51.

Let’s Read

Let’s go back to Cathy and Ate Rose to find out how the pickling process is done.
Ate Rose is going to teach Cathy how to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables. She will
also teach Cathy how to preserve fresh fish.

After they ate dinner…

Ate Rose, do you still

have the energy to
show me how to
preserve fruits and
vegetables?
Of course, just
give me five
minutes to rest
and digest my
food.

32
After 5 minutes…

Okay, now let’s go to

the kitchen. Since
most fresh fruits and
vegetables soften and
rot after 24 hours, you
Especially because
must think of a way of
they cost so much.
making them last
longer.

You’re right. Now, just like I

told you about preserving
meat, you can also use salt
and vinegar in preserving
fruits or vegetables. They
play an important role in I understand
preventing the growth of now. So, how do
harmful microorganisms. An you make achara?
example is in making achara
or pickled papaya.

You can make achara using these

vegetables: 3 cups grated green
papaya, 2 sweet red peppers, 1
carrot, 1 small cucumber and 1
red hot pepper. Write this down.
You might want to use this recipe
again in the future.

The first thing to do is to grate the flesh

of a green, unripe papaya. Soak it
overnight in a strong salt solution (brine),
which is one cup of salt dissolved in four
cups of water. Next, slice the cucumber
and carrots, unpeeled. The peel adds
color and crunch to your pickle. Just be
sure to wash your vegetables well before
slicing. Remove the cucumber seeds.
Soak the carrots and cucumber overnight
in the salt solution with a pinch of alum
vinegar for a crispier taste.

33
Boil a solution of 4 cups of vinegar and 1 cup of sugar.
Let it cool while you sterilize the glass jars. Sterilizing
the jars is important to make sure that the achara Can’t I just place the achara
containers are germ-free. Immerse the jars and lids in a in a bowl and store it in the
pot of water. Boil them for 20 minutes. Then remove refrigerator?
them with a clean tong. Place them upside down on a
clean surface. If they are not to be used immediately,
screw the lids on the jars when they’re not too hot to
hold. You don’t want germs to contaminate your jars.
Remember the vegetables you soaked overnight? You have
to drain off the liquid. Pack the vegetables in the
sterilized jars. Use a clean spoon or tong. Pour your
cooled vinegar solution in the packed jars until it covers
all the vegetables. Then seal the jars tightly.

The preserved fruits have

to be sealed in a jar for Ate Rose, why
protection against harmful don’t you tell me
microorganisms. This way, how to make
thefruitwilllastlonger. burong mangga?
And yes, you can store it I’ll just do it some
intherefrigerator. other time. I don’t
want to take so
much of your time.

That’s all right. Making

burong mangga is much easier
to do and it has fewer As easy as that, huh? But,
ingredients. First, you have what do you mean by
to prepare the brine. Use the “fermentation”?
same amount you used for the
grated papaya (1 cup salt and
4 cups water). Boil it to kill
the microorganisms. Cool the
brine. Place it in a sterilized
jar. Next, peel and slice the
green mango, but not too
thinly. Place it in the brine.
Leave it for two days to allow
fermentation.

34
Fermentation is the process by which foods containing carbohydrates are changed by
microorganisms that are present in the raw food. The food changes in color, odor and
flavor due to the action of “good” microorganisms. The end product is supposed to be
safe and delicious to eat. That is what happens in burong mangga.

Why do we want fermentation

to occur when preserving
fruits or vegetables?

Fermentation prevents the I see. So instead of fresh fruits

growth of harmful lasting for only a few days, they
microorganisms. We want the can actually last for months
“good” bacteria present in the when fermented.
vegetables to ferment the food.
The salt solution helps
fermentation in two ways. First,
it limits the action of harmful
microorganisms. Second, it
draws out water from the fresh
mango, keeping
microorganisms away from the
food.

Now, why don’t I also teach

you how to make daing?

Wow! That’s one

of my
husband’s
favorites! He’ll
be happy to
know that I
could make
daing by
myself.

35
Making daing takes about
two days. You might want
to do this some other time. Thank you,
But I’ll tell you how to do Ate Rose.
it. You are really
teaching me
a lot about
preserving
food today.

Make sure that the fish you use is

fresh. You may use any type of
fish. The most common is Thanks for reminding me. I
galunggong. Clean the fish, won’t forget. I’ll probably try
marinate it with salt, then place it making daing this weekend.
in a net. Hang this under the sun
for 1 to 2 days. This method is
called salting and drying. If you
don’t have a net, just use anything
that has holes on it, as long as it
allows air to pass through. This
will prevent the fish from being
moist. Remember, microorganisms
grow in moisture.

I think that you’ve learned Thanks again, Ate Rose.

enough for today. It’s getting Bye!
late, so I better go home. Just
call me if you have more
questions.

36
 Let’s Remember

A lot of useful information has been given in the dialogue between Cathy and her
Ate Rose. Below are some of the most important points.
♦ Pickling is a form of food preservation often used for vegetables. It
involves the use of vinegar as acid, and sugar for absorbing water from the
food being preserved. These two ingredients, when combined, help prevent
the growth of harmful microorganisms.
♦ Fermenting is a form of food preservation which allows “good”
microorganisms to transform the food. The end product has a different
color, blend and flavor, but it is safe and delicious to eat.
♦ Refrigeration delays the growth of harmful microorganisms, since most
microorganisms grow best at room temperature.
♦ Canning is another food preservation technique. It is used when foods have
to be kept for longer periods of time.
♦ Drying and salting are two of the most popular food preservation techniques.
Both methods involve reducing the moisture content in the food. Microbial
growth is delayed in low-moisture conditions.
♦ Some examples of preserved fruits and vegetables are achara and burong
mangga. Daing is an example of preserved fish.

37
 Let’s Review

Let’s review how much you have learned about the methods of food preservation
from the dialogue of Cathy and Ate Rose. Try to answer the following questions.
Encircle the letter of the best answer.
1. The method used in making achara is _________________.
a. pickling
b. freezing
c. boiling
d. drying
2. The use of salt and vinegar in preserving fresh fruits and vegetables helps
_________________.
a. improve the color
b. slow down the growth of harmful microorganisms
c. slow down the fermentation process
d. improve the taste
3. Ate Rose mentioned fermentation. What does this mean?
a. The conversion of carbohydrates into acid
b. The process of drying fruit and vegetables in order to preserve them
c. A food preservation technique which involves the use of a net
d. The process of canning fruits, vegetables and fish
4. What is the purpose of sealing preserved fruits or vegetables in a sterilized
jar?
a. to protect them against harmful microorganisms
b. to improve the taste
c. to improve the color
d. to keep the preserved product moist
5. Fermented and pickled food products can be expected to last for
_________________.
a. only a few days
b. several months
c. 24 hours
d. one month

38
 6. Which method is used in making daing?
a. drying
b. pickling
c. curing
d. refrigeration
7. Why is it necessary for fish to be placed in a net when drying?
a. fish will dry faster
b. fish will not stay moist
c. fish will be cooked
d. fish will become moist
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 51–52.

Let’s Learn

Our country has an abundant variety of fruits. Give three kinds of fruits that are
now in season:___________________________________________________
How long do you think fruits will stay fresh after they have been picked or
harvested? The storage life of fresh fruits is short—5 days to 2 weeks at most. Fruits
in season are in abundant supply. Have you seen what happens to an oversupply of
fresh fruits in the market? Naturally, they spoil or rot. It would be a waste not to
preserve them for future use. Have you seen any “preserved” fruit in the market or
grocery?
If you answered yes, can you name three of these “preserved” products that you
have seen?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Among the very popular “fruit preserve”
products are jams and jellies.
Jelly is a fruit product prepared by extracting
the juice from fruits, boiling this with sugar and
cooking the mixture to attain a gelatin-like product.
Jelly may be made only from fruits rich in pectin
and acid. Pectin is also called “vegetable jelly.”
You can test if pectin is present in your fruit.

39
 Get a tablespoon of juice from any fruit. Add a tablespoon of ethyl alcohol (not
the one from rubbing alcohol.) If the mixture “gels,” it means your fruit is rich in
pectin. You can make good jelly with that fruit.
Jam is similar to jelly, but in jam, the whole fruit
is used including the pulp, rather than the fruit juice
only.
Making candy out of fruits is done when the
syrup penetrates slowly through the fruit. The sugar
concentration in the fruit has to be high enough to
prevent spoilage. This is usually done through
repeated boiling and storage in syrups. The syrup is made of sugar and water. The
fruit is soaked in syrup for a week, heating the syrup for 5 minutes every day. When
the syrup is thick, the syrup-soaked fruit is drained and dried under the sun. After that,
it is wrapped in cellophane.

Let’s See What You Have Learned

Read each statement carefully. Encircle the letter of the best answer for each
statement.
1. Achara ingredients include ________________.
a. sweet papaya
b. red pepper
c. small potato
d. none of the above
2. The most important ingredient in pickling vegetables is ______________.
a. brine solution
b. vinegar solution
c. vegetables
d. all of the above
3. The most important step in sterilizing jars to be used in food preservation is
boiling them for at least ______________.
a. 10 minutes
b. 20 minutes
c. 30 minutes
d. none of the above
4. A brine solution is made from _________________.
a. vinegar and sugar
b. a pickling solution
c. a salt solution
d. all of the above

40
 5. In fermenting burong mangga, you use a _________________.
a. salt solution
b. pickling solution
c. vinegar solution
d. all of the above
6. After fermentation, food changes in color, odor and flavor due to the action
of ______________________.
a. salt
b. sterilization
c. harmful microorganisms
d. “good” microorganisms
7. Daing is preserved fish made by lessening the amount of ____________
present in the fish.
a. air
b. water
c. nutrients
d. all of the above
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 52.

Let’s Remember

♦ To avoid the spoilage of excess fruits and vegetables or to prolong their use,
certain preservation methods like pickling may be used.
♦ Examples of preserved fruits and vegetables include achara, burong
mangga, vegetable pickles, jams, jellies, candiesand more.
♦ Fresh fish is preserved through drying and salting, such as in making daing
and tinapa.
♦ Jelly is made by extracting the juice from fruits by boiling it with sugar and
then cooking them. Jam is similar to jelly, but instead of just the juice, the
whole fruit is used.
Well, this is almost the end of the module. Congratulations for reaching this far.
You have been a patient and diligent learner. Did you like the module? Did you learn
something useful from it? A summary of its main points is given on the next page to
help you remember them better.

41
 Let’s Sum Up

In this module you learned about different methods of preserving food. The key
points of the module are as follows:
♦ Foods that are not properly stored or preserved will spoil easily.
Microorganisms such as bacteria, molds and yeast are common causes of
spoilage.
♦ Spoiled food changes in color, odor and flavor. The changes are often
unpleasant and the food is harmful if eaten by humans.
♦ Meat is one food which easily spoils. It contains nutrients and moisture,
which invite microbial growth. Contaminated meat has a strong odor (like
ammonia) and looks dark or greenish.
♦ Scientific methods are important in food preservation. This assures that
harmful microorganisms will be killed or at least prevented from spoiling
the food.
♦ Meat can be preserved by freezing it at a temperature of 0°C or lower.
Other methods of meat preservation are: drying, smoking, salting, curing
and canning. Preserved meat not only lasts longer; its flavor, color and
texture may also improve when cooked.
♦ Biotechnology is the application of modern scientific knowledge in the
fields of agriculture, industry, medicine and food manufacturing. Food
preservation is improved by modern biotechnology.
♦ Salt, vinegar, spices and saltpeter (potassium nitrate or salitre) are important
ingredients in curing meat. The addition of these curing ingredients prevents
or delays harmful microorganisms from growing in the meat.
♦ Fish can be preserved through the following methods: freezing, canning,
salting (daing), drying (tuyo), smoking (tinapa), and the addition of vinegar
and spices.
♦ Vegetables and fruits can be preserved by pickling and fermentation
techniques. Aside from these, fruits can also be preserved by the addition of
sugar. Popular examples of fruit preserves are jams, jellies and candies.

42
 What Have You Learned?

You can find out how much you have learned from the module by taking this test.
A. Read each statement carefully. Encircle the letter of the best answer.
1. Common causes of food spoilage are _____________.
a. bacteria, molds, yeasts
b. molds, insects, viruses
c. bacteria, viruses, insects
d. molds, viruses, insects
2. The ideal freezing temperature is _____________.
a. 4°C or lower
b. 2°C or lower
c. 0°C or lower
d. all of the above
3. Spoiled meat is usually _____________.
a. odorless
b. reddish-pink in color
c. covered with greenish-blue to brownish-black spots
d. firm
4. The process of meat contamination starts during _____________.
a. slaughtering
b. slicing
c. selling
d. storing
5. Meat is an ideal place for microorganisms to grow because
_____________.
a. it is exposed to air
b. it has lots of nutrients and moisture content
c. it is clean
d. it is not cooked well
6. Exposing food to the sun is a form of food preservation called
_____________.
a. drying
b. heating
c. lighting
d. smoking

43
 7. Smoking helps preserve the food because of _____________.
a. pectin
b. natural smoke
c. alum
d. pyroligneous acid
8. It is one of the earliest ingredients used in food preservation. Almost
all foods can be preserved using _____________.
a. vinegar
b. spices
c. salt
d. sugar
9. _____________ absorbs water from food, thereby preventing harmful
microorganisms from growing.
a. Vinegar
b. Spices
c. Salt
d. All of the above
10. _____________ it is a preservative ingredient that delays microbial
growth due to its acid content.
a. Vinegar
b. Spices
c. Salt
d. Sugar
11. Which of the following ingredients is used to add flavor and aroma to
the food as well as natural chemicals that delay microbial growth?
a. vinegar
b. spices
c. salt
d. sugar
12. Which of the following is not a form of biotechnology?
a. the use of machines to make alcohol and yogurt
b. the selective breeding of animals
c. the use of natural pest control in agriculture
d. the use of microorganisms to produce vaccines

44
 13. The standard curing ingredients for meat are _____________.
a. salt, sugar and saltpeter
b. vetsin, salt and sugar
c. saltpeter, salitre and potassium nitrate
d. salt, pepper and vinegar
14. When pickling vegetables, the most important ingredient is
_____________.
a. the brine solution
b. the vinegar solution
c. alum
d. all of the above
15. Fermentation happens when microorganisms transform foods
containing _____________. The end product changes color, odor,
and flavor, but is safe and delicious to eat.
a. water
b. protein
c. carbohydrates
d. salt
16. “Vegetable jelly” or pectin is the main ingredient in _____________.
a. jams
b. jellies
c. candies
d. fruit preserves
B. Briefly explain in your own words the importance of food preservation and
how it may improve your quality of life (4 points).
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 52–54 .
How many items did you get right? If you got a score of:
16–20 Excellent! You have learned many new things from this module.
You may now move on to the next one.
11–15 Good! You only need to review to the items that you did not get
right.
6–10 Review the sections that you did not understand.
0–5 You have to carefully study the entire module again.

45
 Answer Key

A. Let’s See What You Already Know (page 2)

1. (T)
2. (T)
3. (T)
4. (F) Salt is widely used as a food preservative. It does not only dry the
food, but also destroys harmful microorganisms.
5. (T)
6. (T)
7. (F) Loin is the preferred pork cut for longganisa. Pork belly is not
recommended because it is too fatty.
8. (T)
9. (T)
10. (F) Jelly falls under the category of fruit preserves. It is prepared by
extracting the juice from boiled fruit.

B. Lesson 1
Let’s Study and Analyze (pages 4–5)
1. Aling Tinay was worried because she knew that meat spoils easily and
they did not own a refrigerator. She also did not know anything about
food preservation. So she was worried that the meat she wasn’t able to
sell might become spoiled, in which case she would lose a lot of
money.
2. Below are sample answers. You may have other answers.
Yes. The meat spoiled because I was not able to put it in the
refrigerator. After a few days, it began to smell bad.
No. I never had meat that spoiled. We always consume all the food we
cook right away.
3. It generally appears dry, with molds that are commonly white, green or
black in color. Food spoilage caused by bacteria appears red, yellow,
and blue. Greenish-blue to brownish-black spots are found on stored
beef. Spoiled meat smells like ammonia (peppery odor). If any fly
lands on the meat, it becomes infested with maggots, making it smell
even worse.

46
4. Refrigeration is the most widely used method of meat preservation.
Since meat is high in moisture, which microorganisms thrive in, it has
to be stored at 0 °C or lower to prevent the growth of microorganisms
and food spoilage. Meat kept in a freezer can remain edible for several
months. However, if the meat is just kept in the refrigerator (not in the
freezer), it will last longer than when it is out in the open, but it will
eventually begin to spoil.
Let’s Try This (page 9)
1. (b) Ate Rose noticed that the meat Cathy stored in the refrigerator
seemed rotten. Choices (a), (c) and (d) are the opposite of what Ate
Rose noticed about the meat.
2. (c) Cathy stored the meat in the freezer at a temperature of 4°C. To
avoid spoilage, meat has to be stored at a temperature of 0°C or below.
Choices (a), (b) and (d) are all incorrect if one reads the story again.
3. (a) Besides freezing, meat can also be preserved by adding salt and
vinegar to it. They help slow down the growth of microorganisms.
Choices (b) and (d) do not protect the meat from microbial growth.
Choice (c) still uses the refrigerator for food preservation.
4. (d) Eating rotten meat may cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and even
food poisoning.
5. (a) Bacteria, molds and yeast are harmful microorganisms that are
capable of spoiling meat. Choices (b), (c) and (d) all include insects
and viruses. Insects are not microorganisms, although they may also
help spoil the meat. Viruses are microorganisms but they infect only
living cells.
Let’s Review (page 11)
1. Because it is high in moisture and rich in nutrients and minerals, and
usually has some carbohydrates, it attracts and invites the growth of
harmful microorganisms. These harmful microorganisms include
bacteria, molds and yeast, which are all capable of spoiling meat.
2. To prevent food spoilage by preventing the growth of harmful
microorganisms.
3. There are many ways to prevent food from spoiling. It has to be stored
below 0°C or preserved properly.

47
 4. Here is a sample answer. Your answer may be a little different.
Food preservation is important in my everyday life because my
health, family, and income depend on it. If I don’t know how to preserve
food properly, I will waste food and money. I might also end up eating
rotten or spoiled food without knowing it, and suffer from food
poisoning or diarrhea.
You can discuss your answers with your Instructional Manager or
Facilitator for additional feedback.
Let’s See What You Have Learned (page 16)
1. freezing
2. Smoking
3. curing
4. Harmful microorganisms
5. 75
6. biotechnology

C. Lesson 2
Let’s Try This (page 19)
1. Buy the correct ingredients (pork meat for tocino, ground pork for
longganisa, brown sugar, salt, saltpeter, vetsin, soy sauce, vinegar, wine,
ground pepper, garlic and sausage casings).
2. Measure and mix the correct amount of each ingredient.
3. Make sure the meat is stored and preserved properly before cooking.
4. Tocino has to be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days to allow the
curing ingredients to penetrate the meat thoroughly.
5. Longganisa has to be stored in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 days to allow
the curing process to penetrate the meat thoroughly.
6. Do not use pork belly in making longganisa because it is too fatty.
7. Do not use too much salt when preserving the meat because it will
become tough, dry and unsavory.
8. Do not set your freezer above 0°C — this will cause the meat to spoil.
Let’s Review (page 21)
1. The ingredients for tocino are: 1 kilo pork meat, 2 tbsps. brown sugar, 2
tbsps. salt and 1 tsp. saltpeter (salitre or potassium nitrate).

48
 2. The method is: mix 2 tbsps. salt, 2 tbsps. sugar and 1 tsp. saltpeter.
Dissolve these in 4 tbsps. warm water.
Let’s Review (page 24)
1. Refrigeration and curing methods are used in making tocino and
longganisa. Curing is used to provide flavor and color to the meat. The
ingredients used are 2 tbsps. salt, 2 tbsps. sugar and 1 tsp. saltpeter. The
curing solution is applied over the meat before it is stored in the
refrigerator. The prepared tocino is stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3
days and 5 to 6 days for longganisa to allow the curing ingredients to
penetrate through the meat.
2. The recipe for tocino and longganisa includes salt, vinegar, saltpeter,
sugar, etc. These ingredients are used for curing, which provides flavor
to the meat and ensures the retention of meat color during cooking.
Salt dries the meat and destroys microorganisms that are capable of
spoiling it. Vinegar also helps in slowing down the growth of harmful
microorganisms. Saltpeter improves the color of the meat. Sugar and
the rest of the ingredients help enhance the taste.
3. They are tasty and delicious, easy to prepare and cook, convenient to
stock at home, long lasting, and hygienic when prepared in your own
home. They are preserved to prevent the multiplication of harmful
microorganisms that spoil food.
Let’s See What You Have Learned (pages 25–26)
A. 1. salt
2. Saltpeter
3. Vinegar
4. loin
5. any pork cut
6. color
7. smell
8. ham
9. bacon
10. slicing
B. The correct sequence of steps for making tocino is as follows:
1. Cut the meat into ¼-inch-thick slices.
2. Measure the correct amounts of each ingredient.

49
 3. Prepare the curing solution. Dissolve salt, sugar and saltpeter in warm
water.
4. Pour the curing solution over the meat, making sure it is evenly applied
to all slices.
5. Place the meat inside a plastic container and store in the refrigerator
for 2 to 3 days before cooking.
6. Cook until the meat is slightly golden. Serve.
C. Answers to the puzzle.
1
C A S I N G

U
2 A
W T E R

I
3 A
L E N
4
G R O U N D

D. The preparation of tocino and longganisa involves curing to preserve the

meat. The curing solution, which is a mixture of salt, sugar and saltpeter, is
applied to the meat to provide flavor to the meat and to ensure the retention
of the meat color during cooking. The use of vinegar also helps prevent the
growth of microorganisms.

D. Lesson 3
Let’s Talk About This (page 30)
1. Tinapa, daing, jellies, jams, achara, burong mangga are the examples of
preserved fruits, vegetables and fish mentioned by Ate Rose.
2. Since most fruits, vegetables and fish spoil easily, preserving them
would make them last longer, be more nutritious and taste better. Also,
Cathy is still learning to cook and only has a little knowledge about
food preservation. Cathy is worried that the fruits and vegetables she’s
going to buy will spoil after a short period of time.
3. If you answered yes, here is a sample answer for you to compare with
yours: “My mother made cucumber pickles. She soaked the cucumbers
overnight in cold water. Then, she made a syrup from vinegar, sugar,
water, mustard seed and mixed spices. She boiled the syrup and added
the cucumbers, then boiled these again for another 3 minutes until the
cucumber lost their green color. She packed the pickles into jars, added
salt and onion, covered the jar with boiling syrup and sealed them at
once.”
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 If you answered no, the reason might be something like this: “None of
us knows how to preserve fruits, vegetables or fish.” You also may have
other reasons for answering no.
You can discuss your answers with your Instructional Manager or
Facilitator for additional feedback.
Let’s Review (page 32)
1. The pickling method does not only make foods last longer but also
prevents spoilage and makes the food more nutritious and better tasting.
2. Here is a sample answer. Your answer may be a little different.
Refrigeration is important because it prevents spoilage and keeps
the fruits and vegetables fresh. However, if you don’t own a refrigerator
at home, you can resort to other methods of preserving fruits and
vegetables, such as pickling and canning.
3. Apart from pickling and refrigeration, another method is canning. This
method is used for longer storage periods that demand more complete
protection against spoilage.
Let’s Review (pages 38–39)
1. (a) The pickling method is usually used in preserving green vegetables
and fruits such as achara or papaya pickle. (b) is incorrect because
achara is not a frozen product. (c) and (d) are also incorrect.
2. (b) Salt and vinegar help slow down the growth of harmful
microorganisms. They are not used to improve the color (a), slow down
the fermentation process (c), or improve the taste (d). Taste is not a
good measure of whether a food is preserved or not.
3. (a) Fermentation is a chemical change in which the carbohydrate is
turned into acid. The color of the vegetable or fruit changes from bright
green to olive or yellow green. It also improves flavor, aroma and
quality. (b) is incorrect because fermentation is not a drying method.
(c) is incorrect because fermentation may not involve the use of a net.
(d) is incorrect because fermentation is not a process of canning.
4. (a) A preserved fruit or vegetable has to be sealed tightly in a jar to
protect against harmful microorganisms. The sterilized jar is not used
to improve the taste and color of the preserved product and does not
make it moist. Therefore, (b), (c) and (d) are all incorrect.
5. (b) Fresh fruits and vegetables usually soften after 24 hours and
eventually rot after 3 to 5 days or about a week. They are preserved
through fermentation and pickling to avoid spoilage and to make the
food last for several months.

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 6. (a) Fresh fish may be preserved by salting and drying. The fish is hung
in a net under the sun for 1 to 2 days. Drying reduces the moisture of
the fish, making it more difficult for harmful microorganisms to grow.
7. (b) When drying fish, it has to be hung in a net or placed in anything
with holes on it. This will reduce to moisture in the fish.
Let’s See What You Have Learned (pages 40–41)
1. (b) Red pepper is one of the vegetables listed in the ingredients for
achara. (a) is wrong because only green, unripe papayas should be used.
Sweet papayas and potatoes are never used for achara.
2. (d) If any of the ingredients in (a), (b) and (c) are missed, the pickling
process will not succeed.
3. (b) Most harmful microorganisms are killed when a container is boiled
for at least 20 minutes. Sterilization may still continue if the
containers are boiled for 30 minutes.
4. (c) Brine is a salt solution. It does not contain any other ingredients
such as sugar or vinegar.
5. (a) The fermentation of burong mangga calls for brine or a salt
solution. This solution draws the water out from the mango. A pickling
solution or vinegar plus sugar may be added as a last step. However, this
is optional.
6. (d) Fermentation is the transformation of carbohydrates into acids due
to the action of “good” microorganisms. (a) is incorrect because salt
helps promote this reaction. (b) is incorrect because sterilization is
performed on the container, not the product.
7. (b) Daing is a dried food product. Drying means reducing the
moisture (water) content in the food. (a) and (c) are incorrect because
air may hasten the drying effect while the nutrients present in the fish
usually remain.

E. What Have You Learned? (pages 43–45)

A. 1. (a) is the correct answer. Bacteria, molds and yeasts are harmful
microorganisms that are capable of spoiling meat. Choices (b), (c)
and (d) all include insects and viruses. Insects are not
microorganisms, although they may also spoil the meat. Viruses
are microorganisms but they infect only living cells.
2. (c) is the best answer. At a temperature of 0°C or lower,
microorganisms do not multiply. The rate of growth is very, very
slow. Options (a) and (b) are higher temperatures than 0°C.
Microbial growth is very possible at these temperatures, and may
result in food spoilage due to contamination.
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 3. (c) is the best answer. (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect because they
describe characteristics of unspoiled meat.
4. (a) is the best answer. During slaughter, the animal’s natural
defense systems are no longer active. The meat is already exposed
to bacterial contamination from the surroundings. Options (b), (c)
and (d) are all processes done to the meat after the animal has been
slaughtered.
5. The best answer is option (b). Meat is high in moisture and rich in
nutrients and minerals. These conditions are ideal for the growth
of microorganisms. Whether or not the meat is exposed to air, is
clean or not, or whether it is cooked or uncooked, microorganisms
may still grow.
6. (a) is the best answer. (b), (c) and (d) are all methods of
preservation that do not involve placing the food under the sun.
7. (d) is the best answer. Smoking involves burning wood and leaves
to dry the food. Natural chemicals from the smoke, such as
pyroligneous acid, penetrate the food and act as a preservative.
They also give special flavor and odor to the food.
8. The best answer is (c). Salt is a natural compound that has been
used for generations to preseve food. It has been used to flavor and
preserve food, whether meat, fish, fruits or vegetables.
9. The best answer is (c). Salt is a water-absorbing ingredient. (a) is
incorrect because vinegar is a liquid ingredient, which delays
microbial growth through its acidic content, not by absorbing
water. (b) is wrong because spices do not absorb as much moisture
as salt does.
10. (a) is the correct answer. Vinegar is the only acid ingredient among
the three choices.
11. The best answer is (b). Spices add delicious odors and flavors to
the food. The natural chemicals in spices also help to keep
microorganisms from increasing in number. (a) is incorrect
because vinegar contains acid, which helps delay microbial growth,
but is not used to add flavor or aroma. (c) is wrong because
although salt is also used as a preservative and also adds flavor, it
does not give aroma. (d) is wrong because sugar is only used to
enhance the taste of food.
12. The correct answer is (a). (b), (c) and (d) are all examples of
biotechnology.

53
 13. The best answer is (a). These three ingredients are standard curing
ingredients. (b) and (d) are incorrect as they do not include all the
ingredients for adding flavor to the cured product. (c) is incorrect
as the items listed are just different terms of the same curing
ingredient.
14. (d) is the best answer. All of the ingredients listed should be
present in the pickling process. All of these ingredients will result
in a high-quality pickled product.
15. The correct answer is (c). Fermentation is the action of good
microorganisms on carbohydrates only.
16. (b) is the best answer. Jellies would not be produced without
pectin. Pectin is also present in (a) jams but in a lesser amount.
The same is true with (c) candied fruit. (d) “fruit preserves” is just
a general term for (a), (b) and (c).
B. Here is a sample answer for you to compare your answer with:
Food is one of the basic needs of humans. Without the scientific
methods of food preservation, the food that we buy will easily spoil
after a short period of time. Food preservation methods can prevent
food from being wasted and can make food last longer and taste better.
Food preservation methods can improve our quality of life by helping us
save money, time and effort. Eating spoiled food can lead to diarrhea,
nausea, vomiting and even food poisoning. Therefore, food
preservation techniques also prevent us from getting sick from eating
spoiled food.
Your answer might be different. You can discuss it with your
Instructional Manager or Facilitator for additional feedback.

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 Glossary

Contamination A process of infection through contact

(Example: We must preserve food to avoid further contamination and
spoilage.)
Diarrhea Frequent excretion of watery feces/stools
Economic Financial; has to do with money
(Example: One of the skills that can come in handy during difficult
economic times is food preservation.)
Extracting Taking; collecting; gathering
(Example: Jelly is prepared by extracting the juice from boiled fruit.)
Food poisoning Acute illness caused by food contaminated with certain
bacteria
Formaldehyde Acid used as a disinfectant and preservative
Humidity Degree of moisture in the air
Inhibiting Preventing
(Example: Refrigeration/Freezing has been proven highly effective because
of its inhibiting effect on microorganisms.)
Microorganisms germs; microscopic animals or plants
Moisture Water or other liquids scattered in small quantity
Pectin Soluble gelatinous carbohydrate acting as a setting agent in jams
and jellies; also called “vegetable jelly”
Pyroligneous acid Acid which comes from burning wood and leaves which
helps preserve food
Scientific Based on science or on proven knowledge; systematic; accurate;
efficient; effective
(Example: Some examples of scientific methods of meat preservation are
freezing, drying and curing. They are called scientific because these
methods have been tested and found to be effective.)
Slaughtering Killing of animals, usually for human consumption
Sterile Clean; sanitary; uncontaminated; hygienic

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 References

Estrella, David S. Food Sources and Nutrition: A Guide on Food Sources,

Preservation, and Nutrition. Manila, Philippines: Saint Mary’s Publishing,
1987.
Food Processing Technology and Home Economics, HEAR Enterprise Co.,
1994.
Food Recipes Archives. 2001. Preserving Meats. Longganisa
<http://recipes.alastra.com/preserving-meats/longganisa.html>
10 December 2000, date accessed.
Food Recipes Archives. 2001. Preserving Meats. Tocino
<http://recipes.alastra.com/preserving-meats/tocino.html>
12 December 2000, date accessed.
Food Recipes Archives. 2001. Preserving Meats. Curing Salt
<http://recipes.alastra.com/preserving-meats/curing-salt.html>
8 December 2000, date accessed.
Food Recipes Archives. 2001. Preserving Fruits
<http://recipes.alastra.com/preserving/fruits.html>
9 December 2000, date accessed.
The New Encyclopedia Britanica, vol. 19. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Inc., 1993.

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