Smoke House

Smoke House. . , Traditional smokehouses served both as meat smokers and to store the meats, often for groups and communities of people. Frederick Bates had his own smokehouse that fed just the residents of this estate., Food preservation occurred by salt curing and extended cold smoking for two weeks or longer., Typically butchering, salting and smoking of meat is a late fall or early winter activity. During the summer months meat that was killed was typically cooked and eaten the same day due to the warmer temperatures., Curing meat is done in two steps… ,

1. the fresh cuts are packed in tubs of coarse salt for about six weeks while the salt draws most of the water from the flesh. , 2. Then the salted meats are hung in a tightly constructed wooden shed, usually without windows or a flue, in which a fire smolders for one to two weeks. the result is dried, long-lasting, smoke flavored meat that can age in the same smokehouse for up to two years before it's eaten.

. This historical marker is in Chesterfield in St. Louis County Missouri