Question

Raw vegetables and fruits are kept in refrigerators whereas jams and pickles can be kept outside. Give reasons for the following.

Answer 1

• Food preservation is primarily done to enhance the shelf life of raw unprocessed food such as fresh vegetables and fresh fruits.
• It is also done to enhance the market value of crops as they are still majorly fresh by these preservation methods.
• Cold preservation is done to increase the shelf life of perishable food items such as vegetables and fruits.
• Chemical preservation is done for increasing the shelf life of processed food items such as jams, jellies, pickles, chips, etc.
• Raw vegetables have enzymes that degrade at high temperatures. To lower the activity of these enzymes, raw vegetables and fruits are kept in the refrigerator.
• Additionally, microorganisms present in the environment attack the raw vegetables and fruits and degrade the quality of these substances.
• Pickles, jams, and sauces on the other hand have preservatives added to protect their ingredients from getting degraded.
• Activity of microorganisms or their growth is retarded at cold temperatures.
• Thus, Raw vegetables and fruits are kept in refrigerators whereas jams and pickles can be kept outside