Question

Tom watched his uncle preparing mango pickle. He noticed that he had put a lot of salt and spices into the vessel while cooking it. State any five ways in which these ingredients play a role in the preparation of the pickle.

Answer 1

Tom observed his uncle adding salt to the pickle.

• Salt helps in taste enhancement and plays an important role in preventing spoilage.
• The large amount of salt absorbs moisture and reduces the available moisture for microbial growth.
• Salt acts as a preservative by enabling the process of osmosis.
• It inhibits or regulates the growth of pathogens.
• Salt works well in pickles and spices have beneficial properties.
• Spices have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and they are natural alternatives to synthetic preservatives.