Background: Sugaring is a food preservation method similar to pickling. Sugaring is the process of desiccating a food by first dehydrating it, then packing it with pure sugar. This sugar can be crystalline in the form of table or raw sugar, or it can be a high sugar density liquid such as honey, syrup or molasses.

The purpose of sugaring is to create an environment hostile to microbial life and prevent food spoilage. Sugaring is commonly used to preserve fruits as well as vegetables such as ginger. From time to time sugaring has also been used for non-food preservations. For example, honey was used as part of the mummification process in some ancient Egyptian rites.

A risk in sugaring is that sugar itself attracts moisture. Once a sufficient moisture level is reached, native yeast in the environment will come out of dormancy and begin to ferment the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This leads to the process of fermentation. Although fermentation can be used as a food preservation method, it must be intentionally controlled, or the results will tend to be unpleasant.

Situation: Greg has decided he would like to store some foods for the winter. He has decided to use two different methods to preserve his food. First, he decides to use a process called sugaring, the next he just stores the food in a jar.

Question: What method has a higher likely hood of fermentation if moisture is introduced?
Answer: sugaring

Situation: Greg has decided he would like to store some foods for the winter. He has decided to use two different methods to preserve his food. First, he decides to use a process called sugaring, the next he just stores the food in a jar.

Question: What method has a less likely chance of fermentation?
Answer: food in a jar

Situation: Greg has decided he would like to store some foods for the winter. He has decided to use two different methods to preserve his food. First, he decides to use a process called sugaring, the next he just stores the food in a jar.

Question: Which method is closer to a process called pickling?
Answer: sugaring

Situation: Greg has decided he would like to store some foods for the winter. He has decided to use two different methods to preserve his food. First, he decides to use a process called sugaring, the next he just stores the food in a jar.

Question: What process will have a more hostile environment for microbial life?
Answer: sugaring

Situation: Greg has decided he would like to store some foods for the winter. He has decided to use two different methods to preserve his food. First, he decides to use a process called sugaring, the next he just stores the food in a jar.

Question: What process will be less hostile to microbial life?
Answer: food in a jar

Situation: Greg has decided he would like to store some foods for the winter. He has decided to use two different methods to preserve his food. First, he decides to use a process called sugaring, the next he just stores the food in a jar.

Question: Will sugaring have an increased or decreased chance of fermentation than just food in a jar?
Answer: increased

Situation: Greg has decided he would like to store some foods for the winter. He has decided to use two different methods to preserve his food. First, he decides to use a process called sugaring, the next he just stores the food in a jar.

Question: Will having food in a jar  have an increased or decreased chance of fermentation than sugaring?
Answer: decreased

Situation: Greg has decided he would like to store some foods for the winter. He has decided to use two different methods to preserve his food. First, he decides to use a process called sugaring, the next he just stores the food in a jar.

Question: Which method should Greg use if he wants to avoid attracting moisture?
Answer: food in a jar

Situation: Greg has decided he would like to store some foods for the winter. He has decided to use two different methods to preserve his food. First, he decides to use a process called sugaring, the next he just stores the food in a jar.

Question: Which method should Greg use if he wants to increase moisture attraction?
Answer: sugaring

Situation: Greg has decided he would like to store some foods for the winter. He has decided to use two different methods to preserve his food. First, he decides to use a process called sugaring, the next he just stores the food in a jar.

Question: Which method may inhibit native yeasts to come out of dormancy for Greg's food storage?
Answer: sugaring