Information AboutCuring |
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In Food preparation, curing refers to various Preservation and Flavor ing processes, especially of Meat or Fish , by the addition of a combination of Salt , Sugar and either Nitrate or Nitrite . Many curing processes also involve Smoking . The etymology of the term is unclear, but it is thought to derive from the same Latin ''cura, -ae'' that the other meanings of cure do. Curing with salt and sugar may be called ''salting'', ''salt-curing'', ''sugar-curing'' or ''honey-curing''. The application of pellets of salt, called "''corns''", is often called ''corning''. Curing in a water solution or Brine is called ''wet-curing'' or '' Pickling '' or '' Brining ''. The curing of fish is sometimes called '' Kipper ing''. Salt inhibits the growth of Microorganism s which cause spoilage by drawing water out of microbial cells through Osmosis . As the unwanted bacterial population decreases, other beneficial bacteria, primarily of the '' Lactobacillus '' genus, come to the fore and generate an acidic environment (around 4.5 PH ). The sugar included in the cure is used as food by the lactobacilli; generally Dextrose is preferred over Glucose , or table sugar, because it seems to be more thoroughly consumed by the bacteria. This process is in fact a form of Fermentation , and, in addition to reducing further the ability of the spoilage bacteria to grow, accounts for the tangy flavor of some cured products. Concentrations of salt up to 20% are required to kill most species of bacteria. Smoking adds chemicals to the surface of an item which affect the ability of bacteria to grow, inhibit oxidation (and thus rancidity), and improve flavor. Nitrates and nitrites not only help kill bacteria, but also produce a characteristic flavor, and give meat an appealing pink or red color. Nitrate (NO3), in the form of either Sodium Nitrate or Potassium Nitrate , is used as a source for nitrite (NO2). The nitrite further breaks down in the meat into Nitric Oxide (NO), which then binds to the iron atom in the center of Myoglobin's Heme group, preventing oxidation. The presence of nitrates and nitrites in food is controversial due to the development of Nitrosamine s when the food, primarily bacon, is cooked at high temperatures. The nitrate and nitrite compounds themselves are not harmful, however, and are among the Antioxidants found in fresh vegetables. The usage of either compound is carefully regulated in the production of cured products; in the United States, their concentration in finished products is limited to 200 ppm, and is usually found to be below. Finally, they are irreplacable in the prevention of Botulinum Poisoning from consumption of dry-cured sausages. , which was air-dried in cool northern Europe, was a civilization-changing food product, in that a bountiful but perishable food supply could be converted to a form that allowed for wide travel and thus exploration. Some cured meat products:
Cured vegetable products: ''See also'': Food Preservation , Smoking Notes McGee, Harold. ''On Food and Cooking'' (revised). New York, NY: Scribner, 2004. ISBN 0-684-80001-2 EXTERNAL LINKS |
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