Food regeneration: what it consists of and how it is carried out

Food regeneration is a very common process in hospitality and food service businesses.

However, for a person who is not part of the sector or has little experience, food regeneration can be a bit confusing.

For that reason, we decided to prepare a special paper dedicated to food regeneration and preservation, where you will learn everything you need to know about this important process for your business.

Go ahead, discover the secrets of a process that will help you improve service times and even save you a lot of money by preserving food in the right way.

what is food regeneration and preservation?

In the hospitality industry, there is a pressing need to cook quickly and reduce food losses.

For this reason, it is customary to precook food and freeze it. This slows down the decomposition time and preserves the components of each ingredient.

The process of controlled thawing of food, in the foodservice industry, is known as regeneration.

So, food regeneration is nothing more than the process of thawing our ingredients, with controlled environment and subsequent reheating.

In order that the food does not lose any of its qualities, it is recommended that the regeneration is carried out with special processes for this purpose.

Food regeneration techniques

The three most frequently used regeneration techniques are:

• Water bath: This is the most traditional technique. It is recommended that plastic bags be used to prevent the food from coming into direct contact with the hot water.
• Regenerating oven: This type of oven works by raising the temperature of the frozen food to the ideal temperature to serve it to your guests. The process is not immediate, it is done gradually to prevent bacteria.
• Combi oven: This is an oven that uses the power of steam, such as a bain-marie, to regenerate food. They usually do not have controls, therefore, it requires maximum attention from the kitchen staff.

Now that we know the ideal techniques for food regeneration, let’s see the secrets to carry out the process correctly and not damage your ingredients.

Secrets for effective food regeneration and preservation

For the regeneration of frozen foods to be perfect, as we expect, we must heed the secrets of the most experienced cooks. Here we bring them to you:

Control the temperature

One of the mistakes that beginners make is try food regeneration by subjecting the frozen food to high temperatures.

Doing so runs the risk of burning or overcooking the food, losing flavor, texture and basic characteristics of our food.

Regardless of the food regeneration technique you choose to use, ideally it should be a slow process at a temperature that does not exceed 70˚ C.

Maintain food moisture

When practicing food regeneration, you run the risk of losing a lot of water and leaving the food dry and unpalatable to your diners.

In this case, steam is your best ally.

During food regeneration, it is necessary to control the amount of steam needed for your preparations to be perfect and juicy, as if they were freshly cooked.

Perfect binomial: Temperature – humidity

Food regeneration should never take more than two hours, otherwise the food will lose its most precious characteristics.

Avoid this by monitoring the humidity and temperature of regeneration.

For most foods, you need 140˚ C temperature with humidity between 60 and 100%. For fried foods, 160 ˚C is recommended without any steaming or they will lose their characteristic texture.

Why should you choose food regeneration in your restaurant?

In addition to improving the service times of your restaurant, in a safe way, food regeneration offers great advantages for your business, among them we have:

• Wide variety: Your menu will not find limits of time or food combination. With food regeneration you could have fresh ingredients, even out of season.
• Minimal wastage: By using food regeneration and preservation techniques, you use your food more efficiently, minimizing wastage or loss.
• Safety: One of the biggest nightmares of any restaurant owner is food contamination and its consequences. With food regeneration avoid the proliferation of microorganisms or bacteria.
• Improved production: Food regeneration and preservation allows your restaurant’s efficiency to go through the roof. Orders will leave your kitchen in a short time, always with the best presentation and flavor.
• Efficient use of resources: Resources, such as gas and electricity, are used more effectively by adopting food regeneration in your restaurant. In a single tray, you will be able to regenerate several foods at the same time.
• Low investment: The price-benefit comparison is favorable when analyzing food regeneration and preservation, and the investment required to opt for any regeneration system is low.