On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 575
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werepreservedforsomeweeksinseawateror
a5to10%brinewhiletheywereshipped
fromAsiaandtheMiddleEasttoEurope;now
they’rebrinedtodevelopflavor.Yeastsgrow
onthepeelandproducealcohol,whichthen
supportsaceticacidbacteria.Theresultisthe
productionofvolatileestersthatdeepenthe
aromaofthepeel.Thepreservedlemonsof
MoroccoandothernorthAfricancountries
haveasimilarcharacter;they’remadeby
packingcutlemonswithsaltandfermenting
fordaystoweeks.
SugarPreserves
Anothervenerabletechniqueforpreserving
fruitsistoboosttheirsugarcontent.Likesalt,
sugarmakesthefruitinhospitableto
microbes:itdissolves,bindsupwater
molecules,anddrawsmoistureoutofliving
cells,thuscripplingthem.Sugarmolecules
arequiteheavycomparedtothesodiumand
chlorideionsinsalt,soittakesalargermass
ofsugartodothesamejobofpreserving.The
usualproportionbyweightofaddedsugarto
fruitisabout55to45,withsugaraccounting
fornearlytwo-thirdsofthefinalcooked
mixture.Ofcoursesugarpreservesarevery
sweet,andthisisalargepartoftheirappeal.
Buttheyalsodevelopanintriguing
consistencyotherwisefoundonlyinmeat
jellies—afirmyetmoistsoliditythatcan
rangefromstiffandchewytoquiveringly
tender.Andtheycandelighttheeyewitha
crystallineclarity:inthe16thcentury,
Nostradamusdescribedaquincejellywhose
color“issodiaphanousthatitresemblesan
orientalruby.”Theseremarkablequalities
arisefromthenatureofpectin,oneofthe
componentsoftheplantcellwall,andits
fortuitousinteractionwiththefruit’sacids
andthecook’saddedsugar.
The Evolution of Sugar Preserves The
