How to Create Preservatives

Making a food preservative can be as simple as creating a vacuum-sealed bag to store and freeze foods, or as complicated as the canning process for long-term shelf preservation. Regardless of the method you choose, the goal in preservation is to reduce the effects of elements that promote harmful bacteria growth that leads to spoilage and decay. The preservative you choose will be dependent upon the type of food you wish to preserve, as well as the length of time you plan to store your food while optimizing safety for consumption. The most common preservatives use salt, vinegar, citric acid, lemon juice, or sugar, or a combination of these. For example, to make a simple preservative for fresh fruit, you will need to start with a citric acid base.

Things You'll Need

• 6 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/3 c. water
• 2/3 c. sugar
• Mixing bowl

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash your selected fruit thoroughly to remove any surface bacteria or pesticides.

• 2

  Cut, or slice as desired, and place fruit in a clean airtight sealable container.

• 3

  Mix the lemon juice, water and sugar in a clean mixing bowl.

• 4

  Pour the mixture over the fresh fruit until thoroughly covered. You may need to make more of the juice, sugar and water combination, depending on how much food you are preserving.

• 5

  Place in the refrigerator for the best protection and preservation.