Suggestions in Storing Desserts

Knowing the shelf-life of a dessert or dessert accompaniment can broaden a host's list of
sweet selections for an appropriate ending to a holiday menu. Here are suggestions,
some of which were shared by Susan Holtz, a dessert expert, that will inspire and assist
a dessert cook.
Puff pastry shells, those crisp casings for fresh fruit or pastry cream, can be baked ahead
and cooled. They may be left on the baking sheet for protection, covered with foil and
stored in the freezer for up to one week. Remove from freezer two hours before filling
and recrisp in 325-degree oven five minutes or until warm.
In regards to cookies, at the very least, crisp should be stored with crisp and soft with soft, or
they will all end up soft! The soft cookies lend moisture to crisp cookies if stored together. That
said, we think the optimum situation is to store individual types of cookies by themselves
following individual instructions. This way, chocolate cookies will remain tasting like chocolate,
pure butter cookies will retain that purity, spiced cookies will not lend their flavor and aroma to
others, etc.

Guidelines in Storing Cold and Hot Desserts

Desserts containing uncooked eggs should be handled with extreme care, as raw egg is a
medium in which dangerous bacteria such as salmonella can thrive. This means you need to be
really careful with foods like chocolate mousse and uncooked cheesecakes that contain egg
whites for preparation.

Egg custards contain protein, which provides good food for bacteria. If custards are not heated
and cooled properly and quickly, bacteria that are present in the custard can grow quickly to
dangerous numbers.

Any dessert that is not required for immediate consumption must be cooled rapidly and stored
in the cool room until required.

If you plan to keep a pre-prepared dessert hot until service, make sure that the temperature of
the food is over 65oC. Never leave an egg mixture in a Bain-Marie for any length of time. Any
dessert that has been kept hot in the Bain-Marie for a while should be discarded at the end of
service.

If milk and cream are used in desserts like trifle and custards, they must not be left to stand at
room temperature for any length of time. They should be kept in the refrigeratoruntil the last
possible moment to prevent the risk of food poisoning.

Many desserts have a limited storage life. Make sure you check with your supervisor and
follow organisational requirements.
Types of Packaging Materials

1. Flexible packaging (laminates, wrappers)

These are the most common method of
packaging material used to pack bakery
products . Few manufacturers are
providing tear tape at the top of packing
which opens like a thread and helps
consumer to open a pack to required
packet length. We can find this in slug
packs or Family packs.

2. Plain cardboard Boxes

These are used by many manufactures to pack
biscuit to differentiate its product from
competitors. These normal paper boxes which are
slightly thicker.

3. Display Boxes
After primary packing done by flexible wrappers
these packets are arranged in display boxes
manually and then these boxes are shrinked
wrapped. Consumers can see the products through
these transparent films.

4. Vertical Pouches or Sachet

These have also been experimented by many
bakery manufacturers mainly biscuits, snacky
biscuits. These can be found for cookies packing
which very soft to handle. Soft cookies or cakes
are arranged in these trays to prevent from any
damage at with ease to handle and store.
5. Poly bags
Breads are packed in these types of poly bags
which are tied through twist n tie bands or stickers.
Normal flow wrap packaging is done for Majority
of white bread available in market.

6. Shrink Wrapped / Over wrapped boxes and

trays
Shrink wrapping is done on boxes to give a
attractive look to consumers with additional safety
to the products. Shrink wrapping is done on boxes
to give a attractive look to consumers with
additional safety to the products.

7. Tube Packaging
This is also used by bakery manufacturers for
cookies and biscuits for their premium products.
Food Preservation
Food preservation is any of a number of methods by which food is kept from spoilage after
harvest or slaughter.

Methods of Food Preservation

1. Canning
Heating the product at a certain temperature for a certain time (pasteurizing), and then
vacuum sealing the pasteurized food in special glass jars designed for this purpose. It can
be used with most foods, as fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, and some prepared foods.
Canning requires just reusable canning jars and rings, one-time use sealing lids, and some
practice to learn the necessary and detailed steps.
Example:
Canned foods in supermarkets and department stores.

2. Freezing
The process of chilling foods to at least -6°F. It can be used with all foods, from fruits,
vegetables, meats, seafood, grains, nuts, dairy, eggs, and prepared foods. True freezing is
not possible in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator where the temperature is
typically much warmer, between 10°F to 32°F. Freezing is easy to do, if you have a
proper freezer.
Example:
Freezing foods in a freezer for long periods of time.

3. Drying
Use as dehydrating foods items until there is not enough moisture to support microbial
activity. It can be used with most foods, fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, grains,
legumes, and nuts. There are several different techniques, some are relatively easy to do
and require no special equipment.
Example:
Drying fish in the sun is a good example of this.

4. Fermenting
Encouraging the growth of “good bugs” to inhibit the “bad bugs” that can spoil food. It
can be used with many types of foods, fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, grains, legumes,
dairy, and eggs to produce a wide range of products such as wine (from grapes),
sauerkraut (cabbage), cured sausage (meat), and yogurt (milk). Many fermented products
can be produced without any special equipment. The method for each type of product is
relatively easy, but requires attention to detail.
Example:
The production of wine uses this process of fermentation.

5. Pickling
This is soaking food in a solution containing salt, acid, or alcohol. It can be used with
most foods, including fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, legumes, and eggs. Most
methods require no special equipment. However, pickled foods can be unsafe if prepared
 carelessly or stored at room temperature. Pickling is often combined with another
method, such as fermenting, canning, or just refrigerating.
Example:
Itlog na maalat is one example of this.

6. Dry salting
Is items as salt drying must be use with a high salt concentration (20% to 25% salt),
prevents microbial growth and preserves the food in a more or less fresh, although salty
state. Many people familiar with the technique consider salted vegetables such as green
beans to be far superior in taste and texture than canned or frozen beans.
Example:
Dried fish is an example of this.

7. Curing
This process may using special equipment and exacting technique is similar to pickling,
and uses salt, acid, and/or nitrites. It is used for meat and fish. Simple, modern curing
methods often reduce the amount of salt and nitrites, which may require that you
refrigerate or freeze the final product.
Example:
Meat products such as longganisa undergo a curing process.

8. Smoking
Is a complementary process of lots of smoke over long time can import final to curing
that improves flavour and appearance, and can also act as a drying agent. Smoked meats
are less likely to turn rancid or grow mold than unsmoked meats.
Example:
Using smoke to preserve fish or meat products.

9. Sealing
Is a process of covering food to keep out air, which delays (but does not stop) the activity
of spoilage organisms. It is used primarily as a complementary process to other methods
such as drying or freezing. Both fat sealing and vacuum sealing methods are relatively
easy.
Example:
Sealed food products found in supermarkets and grocery stores.

10. Cellaring
Is just storing foods in a humid temperature-, humidity-, and light-controlled
environment. It can be used with many foods, especially vegetables, grains, and nuts, as
well as fermented foods and dry-cured meats. There are many different methods for
cellaring food, all of which are relatively easy to do. No matter where you live, whether
in an apartment or on a farm, you can use the concept of cellaring to some degree.
Example:
Commonly used to age wine for years in a basement.