Fermentation & Preservation

A & A Cooking includes several preservation methods that slow food freshness loss. Preservation is separate from cold storage, but the two systems can combine.

Preservation rates

Each preservation method applies a spoilage rate multiplier. Lower values mean slower freshness aging.

Method	Spoilage rate	Current player use
Fermented	0.50×	Apple Vinegar, Fermented Soybeans, Soy Sauce
Pickled	0.25×	Pickled Carrots, Pickled Beetroot, Pickled Onion
Sugared	0.40×	Sweet Berry Jam, Apple Jam, Pumpkin Butter
Sealed	0.10×	Filled jars sealed with the Jar Sealer

The preservation framework also defines Salted at 0.50×, Dried at 0.20×, and Smoked at 0.35×. No current default food registrations use those methods, so they remain framework support rather than a complete player production line.

Combining preservation with storage

Preservation and storage multipliers are multiplied together.

For example:

ambient storage uses a 1.00× storage rate
refrigeration uses a 0.20× storage rate
freezing uses a 0.00× storage rate

A sealed food at room temperature therefore ages at 0.10× its normal rate. A sealed food in a refrigerator ages at 0.02× its normal rate. Frozen food does not age while it remains frozen because the storage rate is 0.00×.

Multiple preservation methods can also combine. A sealed Sweet Berry Jam keeps its Sugared preservation and gains Sealed preservation.

Fermentation Crock

The Fermentation Crock handles recipes that require timed fermentation.

Fermentation progress:

persists through save and load
pauses when the output cannot be accepted
integrates with Load Pinned
participates in Recipe Book prerequisite planning
can access the connected kitchen storage network

Each fermentation execution must complete its full processing time.

Fermented foods

Current fermented products include:

Recipe ID	Product	Fermentation time
`apple_vinegar`	Apple Vinegar	5 minutes
`soybean_fermented`	Fermented Soybeans	6 minutes 40 seconds
`soybean_sauce`	Soy Sauce	10 minutes

Soy Sauce also depends on Soy Sauce Mash, which is prepared in the Mixing Bowl before fermentation.

Pickled vegetables

Current brine fermentation includes:

Recipe ID	Product	Fermentation time
`carrot_pickled`	Pickled Carrots	5 minutes
`beetroot_pickled`	Pickled Beetroot	5 minutes
`onion_pickled`	Pickled Onion	5 minutes

These foods use Salt Brine as part of their preservation chain.

Salt Brine

aandacooking:salt_brine is prepared in a Saucepan for 6 seconds at 75 to 95 °C.

Salt itself is a pantry ingredient obtained through structure loot. Drawing water from the Kitchen Sink does not create salt.

Sugared preserves

Sweet Berry Jam uses the Sugared preservation method. It is cooked in a Saucepan from Sweet Berry Compote, Powdered Sugar, and a Glass Jar.

The result is a filled open jar. It can then be sealed at the Jar Sealer for an additional preservation effect.

Jar sealing

The Jar Sealer adds the Sealed preservation method to filled jars.

The sealing flow is:

prepare a filled open jarred food
hold it while using the Jar Sealer
provide one Glass Jar Lid from the player inventory
the jar becomes sealed

Using a sealed jar opens it again and removes the Sealed state. The food’s other preservation methods remain in place.

See Jar Sealer for crafting and interaction details.

Preservation dependencies

Preserved products can become prerequisites for later meals. Examples include:

Soy Sauce and Sweet Soy Glaze feeding glazed proteins, fried Rice, noodles, and bowls
Pickled vegetables feeding Rice bowls and tofu dishes
Apple Vinegar feeding Herb Apple Vinaigrette
Sweet Berry Jam feeding sweet foods such as Sweet Berry Toast

The Recipe Book can expose these prerequisite chains when a required preserved ingredient is missing.

Jar blocks

See Glass Jars & Sealing for open and sealed placeable Glass Jar blocks. Food preservation through filled jars continues to use the Jar Sealer.