Fort Yargo's Smokehouse

Fort Yargo's Smokehouse. . , Fort Yargo's smokehouse is a reconstruction and is in use most winters. Smokehouses served to cure meat or fish with smoke and salt. Before the invention of refrigeration, fresh meat would not last very long unless it was "smoked" or frozen. In the early winter, farmers butchered animals to use for food during the winter. In colder climates, the excess meat was frozen, but in the south, it was more often smoked or salted, or both. , Meat is cured in two steps. First, fresh cuts such as hams, shoulders, and roasts are packed in a box of coarse salt for approximately six weeks. The salt draws out most of the water before the salted meats are hung. Next, a fire is built and kept smoldering for one to two weeks. Freshly cut wood, especially hickory and oak which burn slowly, smoke heavily, and add good flavor to the meat, is often used. This results in dried, long-lasting, smoke-flavored meat that remains edible for about two years. , When an area was first settled, the absence of sawmills and brick kilns meant that most smokehouses were built of logs or stone. Stone did not burn, but was difficult with which to build. Later, when innovations arrived, brick smokehouses were preferred as they were more durable. However, plank smokehouses remained a less expensive alternative. , Hunting provided a large portion of the settlers' food supply in the winter. Turkeys, small game such as rabbits, squirrels, and opossum, and large game such as deer helped satisfy the family's need for protein. Rarely could a family slaughter enough of their livestock to feed them all year. , Settlers and frontiersmen relied on rifles and muskets. Boys and sometimes girls as young as six or seven learned to stalk prey, aim, and bring down game for the table. Some became proficient and could provide for their family even at a young age. , The men of the Living History Society built this smokehouse. When possible, they used only 18th century tools. A grindstone on site helped keep the tools sharp for tasks such as hollowing out the salt box. , When our smokehouse is not open for viewing, these photos can give you an idea of how its interior looks and works. On the left is its ceiling with empty hooks for hanging meat, and sometimes a few stray horseshoes! Below is the floor with its fire pit and on the right its salt box. Above right is a smokehouse full of smoked hams. , A blacksmith made the hooks for our smokehouse.