Early Food Preservation

Early Food Preservation. . , Drying: , Fruits, vegetables and herbs were all harvested in peak season and could be dried for use in later months. Fruits and vegetables would be sliced thin and laid out on a clean surface, usually a sunny area. They would then be covered with a fine weave cloth to keep insects away but still allowing the sun to draw out any moisture. Herbs were typically clipped and bunched together and hung inside to dry. These would be used for flavoring but also steeped in hot water to make healing teas for many ailments. , Salting: , Due to lack of refrigeration and no constant way to keep meat at a cool temperature, the method of salting was often used to preserve meat, mainly pork or fish. The meat, after being dressed and butchered, would be placed in a large amount of course salt. The salt would be vigorously worked into the meat to insure that all moisture would be pulled out. The meat would then be folded in a brown paper then hung in cloth bags, usually stored in a "smokehouse", to cure. , Smoking: , The process of smoking meat and fish would have been an additional step added to the salting process. The cold smoking method was used for preservation rather than cooking. This process took a longer period of time because the temperature was kept under 100°F. Apple, Hickory or Maple wood were the most desirable choices for flavor. There was typically a "smokehouse" this process was carried out in. Usually made of stone or brick with an earthen floor. , Pickling: , Vegetables and even eggs were put in glazed crocks, soaked in vinegar and covered with either leather, clarified butter or a pig bladder, stretched across the top like plastic wrap. , Sugaring: , A variety of fruits were packed in a crock of heavy syrup made of sugar. They could be kept this way for a few months, occasionally having to skim a layer of mold off the top.