Food Storage, old timy style

[bacpacker]

With all the discussion going on about food storage, and how to cook storage. I got to thinking about some old style ways to perserve meat. Salt curing, Sugar curing, and Smoking.

I've never tried any of them, but as long as these methods have been used, I think they are worth another look. Here is a couple of links I found about smoke houses tonight. The first one is a pretty good article written by the folks at Colonial Williamsburg.

http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/winter04-05/smoke.cfm

Here is another that cover root cellars and smoking.

http://www.countrysidemag.com/issues/93/93-6/build_a_homestead_root_cellar_and_smoker.html

Does anyone use a smokehouse of any type to perserve meat with? Any tips or idea's you would care to share?

[Taz Baby]

Wow interesting links bp. Thanks. We are going to use the smokehouse method. I built one years ago from tin and rebar. My kids Grandpa uses one made from an old fridge. We haven,t gotten that far yet on which one we will build.

[ak474u]

My dad used to tell me about going out to the barn, digging thru grease in a pickle barrel, filling a cast iron pan with the dug out grease and sausages from the barrel, and carrying it back in for his mother to cook, he'd then bring the hot grease back out and dump it in the barrel on top of the hole he dug it out of. How my grandparents lived as long as they did, I'm not sure. Lol

[ladyhk13]

My sister built a smokehouse and she LOVES it. If I can get over there soon I'll take some pics and post them. We are going to build one as well. Nothing better than smoked pork, chicken and turkey.

[bacpacker]

From what I got to read laat night a lot of folks use old refrigerators along with stand alone building and portable smokers. I will post up more info tonight .

[slowz1k]

Awesome thread BP. Really got me thinking.

I found this forum dedicated to smoking meats. They have a lot of info on smoking and building SHouses. I plan to spend more than a little time there.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/f/111/wood-smokers

[bacpacker]

Nice link slowz. Worth some research time for sure.

[bacpacker]

Here is a couple of nice, small, field expediant smoker set ups.

http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/smokehouse-plans/smokehouse-survival

http://alekhouse.hubpages.com/hub/httpwwwHowtocureahamcom

[ak474u]

Here is a couple of nice, small, field expediant smoker set ups.

http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/smokehouse-plans/smokehouse-survival

http://alekhouse.hubpages.com/hub/httpwwwHowtocureahamcom

I saw an episode of Alton Brown's old show on food network where he made a smoker out of 2 large terracota pots, a kettle grill grate, a heating coil, and a tin pie pan, the heating element went in the bottom with a tin pan full of wood chips, the grate went on, and the other pot went upside down on top of that. It was meant for apartment dwellers who obviously have electricity, but I thought it was cool.

[Sniper-T]

I've been smoking meat (and cheese) for 25+ years, and love it. IF SHTF, and I have a freezer full of meat like I usually do, this is how I'll be saving most of it.

I have a couple of small tin smokers, and am scrounging for cinderblocks to make a permanent one. I have had a couple of fridge ones over the years and also used old ovens.

If you're looking for a cheap, ready to go smoker, consider this:

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/smokers/876628001398.aspx

or if you want something that takes a little less effort on your part, and does a truly fantastic job:

http://www.greatcanadianbbq.ca/cookshack_fasteddy_fec100.html


If you want to make one out of an appliance, make sure that it is OLD... like 50+ years old. modern fridges will NOT work as smokers, as they contain too much plastic. (including door seals)

Also, like a cast iron pot, a smoker will work best if you season it well first. fire it up, and pound the smoke and the heat to it hard for a good 6 hours (or more). That'll coat the inside nicely (seal), and burn off any unpleasantries that might exist (paint/wires/etc)

After that, just start experimenting. you don't NEED to brine meat to cure it, but you do need to smoke it hotter and longer. If you brine it first, then the smoke is more for flavor, and drying for texture. (if you buy some nice soft chewy beef jerky, it has been heavily brined, lightly smoked. If it is hard and brittle, it would be a lesser brine, longer smoke).

Like different seasonings, different wood types will add different flavours, or add very little flavour, but still cure.

Now I'm getting hungry!

[Taz Baby]

Right now I use my indian oven I made in the ground to smokeand cook our roasts. I love cooking meat in the ground. The smoke stays with it better. I use apple, pear, hickory or walnut wood.

[bacpacker]

Taz I need to look into cooking in the ground. That sounds interesting.

Good links Sniper. Your making me hungry talkin about the jerky.

[bacpacker]

I've been looking for some recipes for salt and sugar curing meats. Here is a pretty well layed out PDF that goes into pretty good detail.

http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2055/ANSI-3994web.pdf

Here are a couple more.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/nutrition/dj0972.html

http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/lit_rev/cure_smoke_cure.html

I'm gonna have to grab up some ingrediants and meat and start trying some of these out. I am looking forward to this fall.