Wilderness Survival - Meat Preservation
As you will learn in the video below, the preservation of meat spans thousands of years all the way back to 3000 BC when the Sumerians in Mesopotamia preserved cooked meats and fish in sesame oil and salt. The art of preserving meats and other foods has since been practiced by many different cultures using various methods. This video is a comprehensive look at curing meat using the age-old method of Salting.
Curing meat using this method eliminates the need for refrigeration and allows you to simply store your meat in a cool dry place such as a meat cellar or pantry. This is an essential skill when you live off-grid and don't have access to a consistent power source. It also eliminates the need for chemical preservatives and allows you to safely preserve your meat with only one ingredient...SALT.
Salt is effective as a preservative because it reduces the water activity of foods. The water activity of a food is the amount of unbound water available for microbial growth and chemical reactions. The salt inhibits the growth of microorganisms by drawing water out of microbial cells through osmosis. Concentrations of salt up to 20% are required to kill most species of unwanted bacteria.
It is important that you start with a quality cut of muscle meat and a PURE salt that has no other ingredients that may hinder the Curing / Salting process.
Curing meat using this method eliminates the need for refrigeration and allows you to simply store your meat in a cool dry place such as a meat cellar or pantry. This is an essential skill when you live off-grid and don't have access to a consistent power source. It also eliminates the need for chemical preservatives and allows you to safely preserve your meat with only one ingredient...SALT.
Salt is effective as a preservative because it reduces the water activity of foods. The water activity of a food is the amount of unbound water available for microbial growth and chemical reactions. The salt inhibits the growth of microorganisms by drawing water out of microbial cells through osmosis. Concentrations of salt up to 20% are required to kill most species of unwanted bacteria.
It is important that you start with a quality cut of muscle meat and a PURE salt that has no other ingredients that may hinder the Curing / Salting process.
The video below is a very well-organized and informative lesson on preserving meat using salt. It's a must-watch video for Homesteaders, Preppers, Survivalists, and those who choose to live off-grid.
