Preserving and Storing Meat Without Electricity
Most people keep meat from spoiling by putting it in the fridge or freezer, but there are many alternative methods of meat preservation that have been used for centuries. Here are a few:
Keep it cool (like what a fridge does) aprox. 32 - 40 degree F
As it is with most foods, the cooler you can store meat, the longer it will keep from spoiling. The idea is to slow bacteria growth. When you don’t have or are unable to power a fridge, you can sometimes simulate a fridge environment in a basement or cellar. Stored between 32 - 40 degree F, fish, poultry, & ground meats should last between 1 - 3 days and beef, lamb, pork should last between 3 - 5 days.
Freezing (like what a freezer does) aprox 0 degrees F
Frozen meats can last up to 1 year or longer, provided the meat was frozen while still fresh, and was able to stay frozen solid for the entire time. This can be accomplished without using a freezer, if you live in an area that has long, cold winters. Anything 0 degrees F or below is ideal for freezing meat. Wrapping the meat in plastic or aluminum foil will help prevent ‘freezer burn’.
Dehydration (like jerky)
If you live in a hot, dry area, you may be able to sun dry your meat, however you’ll need a breeze, or some type of ventilation, and sun drying may not work well with all types of meats. You can also dry/dehydrate meat using a solar dehydrator which can either buy or build yourself. Lean meats will work best for jerky, and you may wish to avoid meats like poultry and fish altogether. The more dry the meat, the longer it will last. Could last anywhere from 1 month to 1 year, depending on moisture content, type of meat, storage temperature, etc...
Pemmican (like a primitive protein bar)
Pemmican is a high concentrated bar of fat and protein originally used by the native americans. It is made from lean meat that has been dried (over a fire or in the sun) and crushed into a powder like form, and then mixed with animal fat in a 50% lean meat, 50% fat ratio. Berries can also be added to the mix. You can find various recipes online for making your own pemmican.
Curing With Salt
Covering clean, fresh meat entirely in salt will prevent/significantly reduce bacteria growth. Meat prepared this way will last several weeks even at warmer temperatures, as long as it’s kept dry. The salt covering needs to stay on until you are ready to use the meat, at which time you can just rinse it off with water. You can use regular salt or choose make a special curing salt
Curing With a Salt/Water or Brine Mix
A brine mixture of salt (or curing salt) and water can be used to soak meat in for several days, in order to prevent bacteria growth. Once cured, this meat may be able to last up to 6 weeks when stored somewhere dry and cool (60 degrees F is okay), even in summer time.
Preparing Meat for Storage
1. Cut the animal up into ham sized pieces, 10 to 15 lbs each, and trim off any undesirable parts.
2. Wash the meat in lukewarm water, and pat dry with a clean towel.
3a. Rub salt into the meat until it is thoroughly covered in a layer of salt.
or
3b. Soak the meat pieces in a salt brine for 5 - 7 days. Then remove and dry with a clean towel.
4. Hang the meat somewhere around 60 degrees F and let it air dry for about 3 weeks.
5. Use the meat within 6 weeks. Rinse off the salt, and cook. If it looks and smells good, then it’s good. If it goes bad, then you’ll know it.
The brine mixture should be about a 32 to 1 water/salt ratio, which is about 1 cup of salt for every 2 gallons of water. Use hot water. You can add a little vinegar as well, before soaking the meat.
