How To Preserve Food - Meats

Preserving your meats (including poultry and fish) is not only a great way to keep this type of food around longer and lessen your trips to your friendly neighborhood meat shop, but some methods actually add flavor to spice up your next meals.FreezeThis is the easiest and simplest way of preserving meat in its natural form, and is done commercially as well as in households. The very low temperature in the freezer makes the bacteria dormant so they don't grow and multiply. This way, the meat does not spoil quickly and can even be kept for several months up to a year. When the meat is taken out and thawed, the bacteria become active again so it is recommended that thawed meat should be cooked and no longer returned to the freezer. If you are going to use only a small amount of meat, the best way to store them is to cut them into serving portions, wash thoroughly, and then repackage the portions separately before putting them in the freezer.SaltMoisture is what makes the microorganisms thrive and is a major factor in the decaying of food. Lessening the moisture content makes it difficult for the microorganisms to thrive and so prolongs your meat's shelf life. One easy method is to use salt. Because of its hypertonic property, the salt absorbs the water concentration out of the meat and microorganisms through osmosis. To preserve, cut up the meat into smaller pieces and rub as much dry salt as you want on the surface. Using large amounts will be more effective but it also affects the saltiness of your meat so make sure you just use enough.DryIf you don't prefer getting your meat salty, another way to remove the moisture from your meats is to dry them under the sun. There are several machines that can be used to dehydrate the meats quickly but using the natural method is a cheaper way. This involves slicing the meats into smaller, thinner portions so they can dry up faster and more thoroughly. Then they are hung out to dry or placed on wire racks for several days. At night, they should be taken in to prevent insects or animals from touching them. This method may involve adding flavors and spices to the meat prior to drying, such as the case in making jerky.SmokeThis can be done in an enclosed space where heat and smoke from burning plant materials such as wood can be allowed to accumulate and move around, slowly cooking your meats. Nowadays you don't have to build smokehouses just to make your own smoked meats. Smokers made of steel or iron can be easily bought in stores and allow you to smoke small amounts of meat enough for the whole family right in the comfort of your backyard. Take note, though, that smoking thick amounts of meat may not be able to cook it right down to the center so it's highly recommended to slice the meats thinly before placing them in the smoker. If you really prefer thick cuts, then mix this with other food preservation techniques such as curing them with salt or brine to kill the bacteria.
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