Question

Salt is added to meat or pickles to preserve it. Why

Answer 1

The reason why salt is such an effective preservative is that it draws moisture out of food. Dry foods are less likely to spoil as moisture is a key requirement for organisms that want to spoil the food.Spoilage organisms, such as bacteria, yeasts and mould grow on the food making it undesirable or just unsafe to eat all require moisture to feed on the food. The moisture content of the food is, therefore, a critical aspect of how likely the food it to spoil in a short time frame. We know then that by reducing the moisture content of foods we can inhibit microorganisms from growing and therefore extend the shelf life of the food.The principle of adding salt to meat to preserve it is called curing. The principle of adding salt to fruits and vegetables to preserve them is called pickling