# Alternative preservation of meat?



## HillRunner (Jun 28, 2010)

Anyone use any alternative way of preserving meats besides freezing and canning? Like drying or I heard of fermentation? Like with the drying how would you do it with out power? Could some one explain the fermentation? What other ways are they? 

Farmers only worry during the growing season, but towns people worry all the time.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Drying meat without electric, easy, solar dehydrator or hang it over a fire. Smoked and dried. Mmmmmm!


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Larding


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## alpacaspinner (Feb 5, 2012)

I have made duck confit several times, and imagine this could be done with other meats. Confit is essentially just cooking the (in this case) duck pieces in fat till done, and then putting them in a crock, or jar, and totally covering them with the melted fat (making sure there are no air pockets). When needed, pieces are removed, and heated in a pan till hot. The fat is poured back into the crock, and you need to be sure that all the remaining meat is well covered (with no air pockets).


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Fermented meat = rotten meat.


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## Island of Blueb (Sep 20, 2005)

We salt a lot of salmon. Later we use it for picklling.

I know people who make corned venison and moose.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Forgot about salting. IMO salted meat is really really nasty. But sometimes that was the only way to preserve it.

I've had cracklins that were stored in lard in a cool room for months. Didn't know it could be done with other meats or what it was called. 

I suppose you could pickle meat. They used to keep jars of pickled pigs feet on the counter at the butcher shop my grandparents used. Never thought of them as food though.


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## Riverdale (Jan 20, 2008)

HÃ¡karl :gaptooth::gaptooth::drum::viking:


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## Island of Blueb (Sep 20, 2005)

Danaus29 said:


> Forgot about salting. IMO salted meat is really really nasty. But sometimes that was the only way to preserve it.
> 
> I've had cracklins that were stored in lard in a cool room for months. Didn't know it could be done with other meats or what it was called.
> 
> I suppose you could pickle meat. They used to keep jars of pickled pigs feet on the counter at the butcher shop my grandparents used. Never thought of them as food though.


I know they pickle moose tongue and it is considered by some to be a real delicacy.

I have never tasted it though.


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## opalcab (May 16, 2011)

Do Your drying meat just like the old guys use to do it 
Brine it and hang it to dry if you do not like flys place it between layers of cheese cloth use until dry 

Just to let you know about Frementation it is a lactic transfermation of sugars into acid that cure meats not rotting 

Good luck and have fun curing meat
Stan


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

suitcase_sally said:


> Fermented meat = rotten meat.


Ever eat salami?


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## blooba (Feb 9, 2010)

wannabechef said:


> Ever eat salami?


if it was my choice, all my meat would be turned into real cured salami, that stuff is awesome...lol

Country hams are great also


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

heres you a video of real world doings....BUT BE WARNED....HE IS A CUSSER....but he has so much knowledge and does so much i think its worth it to post it.hope the mods understand.i just link instead of embedding it.


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AEctyZNTY4&feature=plcp]Moose Meat In The SmokeShack - YouTube[/ame]


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

wannabechef said:


> Ever eat salami?


I did not know that! Thanks for the info!


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

suitcase_sally said:


> I did not know that! Thanks for the info!


You are welcome. 

Ya learn something new everyday! (which is why I recently joined this site)


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

blooba said:


> if it was my choice, all my meat would be turned into real cured salami, that stuff is awesome...lol
> 
> Country hams are great also


Most people don't know much about charcuterie. I have not tried salami or country ham but I have done jerky, canadian bacon, bacon, honey hams, sausages, corned beef. Its a very good thing to know.

Some folks would be turned off to know a layer of mold was on their salami or ham prior to delivery.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

heres you a link to many recipes

Sausage Recipes and Formulations


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## nandmsmom (Mar 3, 2006)

Check out your library and see if they have the book Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman. It's a pretty amazing read.


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

nandmsmom said:


> Check out your library and see if they have the book Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman. It's a pretty amazing read.


That is the goto book for charcuterie


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Re: fermentation, maybe it's "barrel beef" you're thinking of. My dad remembered it, and also that it was a pretty funky thing - no one had any nostalgia for it when iceboxes came in.

Here's some info on that way: 
Preserving Meat on the Frontier.
The Old Foodie: Preserved Beef, Otherwayes.


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