Trystan Casey
Before the invention of refrigeration, people had to find creative ways to preserve meat for weeks and months. Even today, power outages can lead to fresh meat decaying and rotting. There are several ways to preserve meat without electricity, including canning, curing, salting, dehydrating, smoking, and freezing with ice.
Characteristics and Values
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Canning | Sterilized canning jars and a pressure cooker are required. |
| Cook the meat, fill the jars, seal the lids, and place in a pressure canner. | |
| Biltong | A South African method using vinegar and air-drying. |
| Herbs, spices, black peppercorns, cloves, brown sugar, or rock salt can be added. | |
| Confit | Salt the meat and cook at a low temperature. |
| Rillettes | Cook the meat in its own fat for up to 10 hours at a low temperature. |
| Shred, add salt, and pack into small pots, covering with fat. | |
| Dehydrating | Cut the meat into chunks and cook to an internal temperature of 165°F to kill pathogens. |
| Dry the meat in the sun to remove moisture while retaining nutrients. | |
| Salting | Salt curing can preserve meat for 3-4 months without refrigeration. |
| Smoking | Smoking can be combined with other methods like salting and drying. |
| Jerky | Put the meat in a marinade with spices, then dehydrate it. |
| Pemmican | A mixture of tallow or lard, dried meat, and dried berries used by Native American tribes. |
| Coolers | Fill a cooler with ice and place the meat surrounded by ice to ensure complete freezing. |
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What You'll Learn
Canning
To can meat, you will need some specialised equipment, such as a pressure canner and mason jars. You can also use sterilised canning jars and a pressure cooker. The pressure canner can be placed over a portable propane stove or another heat source.
The process of canning meat can be done in a few different ways. One way is to cook the meat and then fill the jars, sealing the lids. Another way is to can the meat while it is raw or slightly cooked.
Federal guidelines for canned meat recommend pressure canning the meat for 90 minutes to kill all botulism spores. However, it is also recommended that you boil the meat for 15 minutes before tasting, even if you have pressure-canned it. Water bath canning for three hours will also kill all botulism spores and create a sealed product that will keep for years.
Once the canning process is complete, the canned meat should be stored in a relatively cool, dark, and dry place.
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Curing
To cure meat, start by covering the entire surface with salt, aiming for a layer about half an inch thick. The larger the cut of meat, the higher the temperature should be, with a range of 35-50°F recommended for curing ham, roasts, and shoulders. Once the meat is coated, leave it until the juices have evaporated and the surface feels dry to the touch. The meat should lose about 35% of its weight. When complete, the salted meat should have a matte appearance and feel dry.
You can also cure meat by packing it in salt along with brown sugar, spices, and herbs. This method serves the dual purpose of keeping air out during the curing process and preserving the meat afterward. To further extend the shelf life of cured meat, you can hang it to dry.
Another curing method involves first salting the meat, then placing it in vinegar, adding spices, and hanging it to dry. This produces a product that is great for low-carb diets or quick snacks.
Cured meat should be stored in a cool, dry place to prevent spoilage.
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Salting
To salt cure meat, you must first determine how long to cure it using the following formula: 7 days per inch of thickness. For example, a 12-14 pound ham that is 5 inches thick will need to cure for 35 days. Salt-cured meat can last 3-4 months without refrigeration if kept in airtight packaging. However, it is important to rinse off the excess salt before cooking.
It is important to note that even with salting, there are still risks of meat spoilage. To minimise these risks, it is crucial to follow basic meat preservation rules: keep the meat cold, dry, and clean.
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Dehydrating
To dehydrate meat, you can follow these steps:
- Cut the meat into thin strips with a cross-section of 1cm x 1cm.
- Boil the strips of meat on the stove for 3-5 minutes to remove bacteria.
- Remove the meat from the water and let it drain until dry.
- Bake in an oven (on the lowest setting) for 8-12 hours.
Alternatively, you can use a dehydrator, which can make jerky in just a few hours. Dehydrators can be electric, but there are also solar options available.
Properly dehydrated meat will feel sticky, hard, or leathery. It will last 1-2 months in airtight containers without refrigeration. Dehydrated meat has a much longer shelf life, with dehydrated venison lasting up to two decades when protected from oxygen.
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Smoking
To properly smoke and preserve meat, you will need a smoker large enough to accommodate the amount of meat you wish to preserve. The smoking process can take up to 8 hours, so it is important to plan accordingly. The fundamentals of smoking involve creating smoke to flavour the meat and cooking it for a long time at a low temperature. Some people use fancy smokers or smoking huts, while others simply use a barbecue grill.
When smoking meat, it is important to ensure that the smoke can penetrate the meat effectively. This can be achieved by enclosing the meat in a smoker or a similar setup. Smoking was commonly used before the invention of refrigeration as a means of preserving meat and preventing spoilage.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several ways to keep meat fresh without electricity, including canning, curing, salting, dehydrating, and smoking.
One of the simplest methods to keep meat fresh without electricity is to use a cooler. You can fill a cooler with ice and place the meat inside, surrounding it with ice to ensure complete and even freezing.
Canning meat is one of the best methods to keep it fresh for an extended period. All you need is sterilized canning jars and a pressure cooker. Simply cook the meat, fill the jars, seal the lids, and process them in a pressure canner according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Salting is a cheap and effective way to preserve meat without electricity. Salt curing can keep meat fresh for 3-4 months without refrigeration when combined with air-tight packaging.
Smoking and curing meat can be done quickly and will preserve it for extended periods.
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