Smokehouse

Smokehouse. Original Built 1898 in Largo. , A Cure for Meat , Before grocery stores or reliable refrigeration, rural families preserved or 'cured' their meat or fish in smokehouses. While the meat was still fresh, they covered it with a salt based seasoning, about 6-8 pounds of salt per 100 pounds of meat. Then they placed the seasoned meat in the smokehouse where afire burned at the back. The process took anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending upon the thickness of the meat. When it was done, the meat or fish had a brownish crust., They used specific trees for the firewood and added other items to the fire such as apples and corncobs for a distinctive smoked flavor. In Pinellas they used hardwoods such as pecan, oak, hickory and buttonwood in the smokehouses. Although very plentiful, they never used pine unless they wanted their food to have a turpentine taste!, The Nose Knows , Folks in rural Pinellas filled their smokehouses with mullet caught in nets from the Gulf, beef jerky from the cattle they raised or smoked ham from their hogs that roomed freely. Open the door and take a whiff what do you smell?, Form Follows Function , Hooks and shelves inside the smokehouse held the meat, with smaller pieces placed close to the door. By reaching inside the convenient split doors to remove finished meat, the fire's heat remained inside to continue smoking the rest of the meat. The roof overhang kept wood for the smokehouse dry.