Editing Food preservation (section)

=== Cooling ===
{{Main|Refrigeration}}
[[Refrigeration|Cooling]] preserves food by slowing down the growth and reproduction of microorganisms and the action of enzymes that causes the food to rot. The introduction of commercial and domestic refrigerators drastically improved the diets of many in the [[Western world]] by allowing food such as fresh fruit, salads and dairy products to be stored safely for longer periods, particularly during warm weather.

Before the era of mechanical refrigeration, cooling for food storage occurred in the forms of [[root cellar]]s and [[icebox]]es. Rural people often did their own [[ice cutting]], whereas town and city dwellers often relied on the [[ice trade]]. Today, root cellaring remains popular among people who value various goals, including [[local food]], [[heirloom plant|heirloom crops]], traditional home [[list of cooking techniques|cooking techniques]], [[family farm]]ing, [[frugality]], [[self-sufficiency]], [[organic farming]], and others.