(Prepping In Rural Iowa)

Preserving Foods With Salt

---

Salting was the most common way to preserve virtually any type of meat or fish, as it drew out the moisture and killed the bacteria. Vegetables might be preserved with dry salt, as well, though pickling was more common. Salt was also used in conjunction with other methods of preservation, such as drying and smoking.

One method of salting meat involved pressing dry salt into pieces of meat, then layering the pieces in a container (like a keg) with dry salt completely surrounding each piece.

If meat was preserved this way in cold weather, which slowed down the decomposition while the salt had time to take effect, it could last for years. Vegetables were also preserved by layering them in salt and placing them in a sealable container such as an earthenware crock.

Another way to preserve food with salt was to soak it in a salt brine. While not as effective a long-term method of preservation as packing in dry salt, it served very well to keep food edible through a season or two. Salt brines were also part of the pickling process.

Whatever method of salt preservation was used, the first thing a cook did when he got ready to prepare the salted food for consumption was soaking it in fresh water to remove as much of the salt as possible. Some cooks were more conscientious than others when it came to this step, which could take several trips to the well for fresh water.

And it was next to impossible to remove all the salt, no matter how much soaking was done. Many recipes took this saltiness into account, and some were designed specifically to counteract or complement the salt flavor. Still, most of us would find preserved medieval food much saltier than anything we're used to today.

THINGS YOU SHOULD DO BEFORE YOU START

• Obtain meat. Beef or pork would do nicely.
  
• It is wise to mosey about the far reaches of your home with a thermometer in hand. Make a note of the temperature of your cellar, attic, bulkhead, shed, and any unheated area of your home during the cold months. That way, when you need a place to store full crocks, you'll know where to go.
  

SALTING MEAT

This time-tested (and virtually forgotten) method of preserving your meats is neither difficult nor especially time-consuming.

• Cut your meat into 4-inch to 6-inch slabs. Generally, for every 12 pounds, use ½ pound of pickling salt and ¼ cup brown sugar. Coat all the pieces with the salt mixture.
  
• Sterilize a 2-gallon or two 1-gallon crocks. To sterilize, wash and rinse it well with boiling water.
  
• Pack the meat tightly in the crocks (or jars if you don't have a lot of meat to store), and cover tightly with cheesecloth.
  
• Keep the meat at 36°F (no more than 38°F; no lower than freezing) for at least a month. Wrap the meat in moisture-proof paper or plastic wrap. It will keep all winter.
  

That's it! You just made salted meat! Remember, however, if it gets too warm or cold, you must move your meats, so check it every once in a while.