hi just wondering if anyone could give me some tips on preserving meat i sometimes get ofered some from friends and family as i work on a farm and help out on some pheasant shoots. What i have been considering is smoking and salting meat and so any tips would be gratefully recevied.
thanks swompy
Preserving meat
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Rosesandtea
Re: Preserving meat
Ooh lucky you 
. I have not done any smoking or other drying of meat so I'll be interested to see what replies you get. I pressure can meats I get on sale but have not done any game.
. I have not done any smoking or other drying of meat so I'll be interested to see what replies you get. I pressure can meats I get on sale but have not done any game.
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the-gnole
Re: Preserving meat
Pop it in the freezer 
It all depends on the types of meat that you get, Pork can be air dried, salted, and no doubt other things as well.
Beef can be marinated and dehydrated for Jerky
Lamb is something I haven't had a lot to do with, but probably marinated and dehydrated for Jerky.
It all depends on the types of meat that you get, Pork can be air dried, salted, and no doubt other things as well.
Beef can be marinated and dehydrated for Jerky
Lamb is something I haven't had a lot to do with, but probably marinated and dehydrated for Jerky.
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mike-rutland
Re: Preserving meat
preserving pork is easy. you need to purchase proper curing salts (must contain sodium nitrite as it inhibits botulism bacteria) and apply it at the rate of 35g salt per kilo of meat. Rub into all the nooks and crannies and in very thick parts of meat pierce the meat with a skewer to aid penetration.
Place into a plastic bag and seal. turn over each day to maintain even curing, cure for 1 day per half inch of thickness of meat, plus one day. therefore a 3" thick piece of loin (for back bacon) you would cure for 7 days. After the 7 days, take out of the bag, wash off the salt and any liquid that drains and then pat dry with a cloth. Hang to dry in the air at a temperature below 4C for 24 hours to surface dry.
Then either re-bag it and place into the fridge and it will keep for upto a month. If you cure it at the rate 50g per kilo (hard salting) then when you wash off the meat at the end of the curing, wrap in muslin or cheesecloth, sew it up tight and lightly rinse in white wine vinegar to keep away the flies. This meat can then be hung up in a cool cupboard at ambient temperature and will keep for around 2 months. longer in the fridge. However, this will be VERY SALTY and will need soaking before you cook it.
Mutton legs can also be cured this way, as can beef. You can also dry salt, where you pack the joint of meat into a box of salt and cover with at least 1" of salt all around the meat. Leave in the salt for 2 days per pound in weight of meat, plus 2 days. Wipe clean, wrap in muslin and wash with vinegar as before. This can then be hung in a cool shed for anything upto 6 months. If you use a leg of pork, you have effectively made a parma ham.
As for smoking meat, you need to choose you meat carefully, not too fatty as it wont take the smoke if there is too much fat, soak in a cleansing brine solution for a couple of days and then hang in a smoke chamber (made from an old metal dustbin if needs be) where the temperature doesnt exceed 60 farenheit. Anything above this temperature you will HOT SMOKE and effectively cook the meat, whereas by smoking it COLD you are preserving it.
Place into a plastic bag and seal. turn over each day to maintain even curing, cure for 1 day per half inch of thickness of meat, plus one day. therefore a 3" thick piece of loin (for back bacon) you would cure for 7 days. After the 7 days, take out of the bag, wash off the salt and any liquid that drains and then pat dry with a cloth. Hang to dry in the air at a temperature below 4C for 24 hours to surface dry.
Then either re-bag it and place into the fridge and it will keep for upto a month. If you cure it at the rate 50g per kilo (hard salting) then when you wash off the meat at the end of the curing, wrap in muslin or cheesecloth, sew it up tight and lightly rinse in white wine vinegar to keep away the flies. This meat can then be hung up in a cool cupboard at ambient temperature and will keep for around 2 months. longer in the fridge. However, this will be VERY SALTY and will need soaking before you cook it.
Mutton legs can also be cured this way, as can beef. You can also dry salt, where you pack the joint of meat into a box of salt and cover with at least 1" of salt all around the meat. Leave in the salt for 2 days per pound in weight of meat, plus 2 days. Wipe clean, wrap in muslin and wash with vinegar as before. This can then be hung in a cool shed for anything upto 6 months. If you use a leg of pork, you have effectively made a parma ham.
As for smoking meat, you need to choose you meat carefully, not too fatty as it wont take the smoke if there is too much fat, soak in a cleansing brine solution for a couple of days and then hang in a smoke chamber (made from an old metal dustbin if needs be) where the temperature doesnt exceed 60 farenheit. Anything above this temperature you will HOT SMOKE and effectively cook the meat, whereas by smoking it COLD you are preserving it.
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preppingsu
Re: Preserving meat
Fantastic reply Mike, thank you for sharing.mike-rutland wrote:preserving pork is easy. you need to purchase proper curing salts (must contain sodium nitrite as it inhibits botulism bacteria) and apply it at the rate of 35g salt per kilo of meat. Rub into all the nooks and crannies and in very thick parts of meat pierce the meat with a skewer to aid penetration.
Place into a plastic bag and seal. turn over each day to maintain even curing, cure for 1 day per half inch of thickness of meat, plus one day. therefore a 3" thick piece of loin (for back bacon) you would cure for 7 days. After the 7 days, take out of the bag, wash off the salt and any liquid that drains and then pat dry with a cloth. Hang to dry in the air at a temperature below 4C for 24 hours to surface dry.
Then either re-bag it and place into the fridge and it will keep for upto a month. If you cure it at the rate 50g per kilo (hard salting) then when you wash off the meat at the end of the curing, wrap in muslin or cheesecloth, sew it up tight and lightly rinse in white wine vinegar to keep away the flies. This meat can then be hung up in a cool cupboard at ambient temperature and will keep for around 2 months. longer in the fridge. However, this will be VERY SALTY and will need soaking before you cook it.
Mutton legs can also be cured this way, as can beef. You can also dry salt, where you pack the joint of meat into a box of salt and cover with at least 1" of salt all around the meat. Leave in the salt for 2 days per pound in weight of meat, plus 2 days. Wipe clean, wrap in muslin and wash with vinegar as before. This can then be hung in a cool shed for anything upto 6 months. If you use a leg of pork, you have effectively made a parma ham.
As for smoking meat, you need to choose you meat carefully, not too fatty as it wont take the smoke if there is too much fat, soak in a cleansing brine solution for a couple of days and then hang in a smoke chamber (made from an old metal dustbin if needs be) where the temperature doesnt exceed 60 farenheit. Anything above this temperature you will HOT SMOKE and effectively cook the meat, whereas by smoking it COLD you are preserving it.
Could you please pop over to the new members section and post an intro. We're a nosy bunch and would like to know what bought you here.
Cheers.
Re: Preserving meat
Roseandtea can you tell me how long meat keeps after canning it? I have had a quick look at the canning usa site and like the idea of meals in a jar that have been made by myself.Going to do some more research to see where you get jars/lids etc any help would be gratefully recievedRosesandtea wrote:Ooh lucky you
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swompy15
Re: Preserving meat
thaks mike excellent information there must give it a go soon
I have also found a website which sells curing salt for difrent meats.
i'm not shure how to put up a proper link but here is the website. I havent brought any products from them yet but will do soon.
http://www.sausagemaking.org/index.html
thanks
swompy
I have also found a website which sells curing salt for difrent meats.
i'm not shure how to put up a proper link but here is the website. I havent brought any products from them yet but will do soon.
http://www.sausagemaking.org/index.html
thanks
swompy
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mike-rutland
Re: Preserving meat
swompy - sausage making is good, as is weschenfelder. in fact, Tim at weschenfelder is the guy who sent me loads of free stuff to do a demonstration at The Royal Welsh Showground a few years back on sausagemaking. He didnt charge me for any of the skins and the like, and he even loaned me a sausage machine! cant rate their service highly enough - although - i will say he is slightly higher in cost than others, you do get what you pay for.
if you need further information on sausage recipes, curing etc, just let me know and where to post it on the forum and i will be more than happy to help.
if you need further information on sausage recipes, curing etc, just let me know and where to post it on the forum and i will be more than happy to help.
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Rosesandtea
Re: Preserving meat
Great info, Mike! Thank you for that good information. I'd really like to try charcuterie some day.