How did people preserve thing before we had sugar. I know they used to salt meat. But how long have we had vinegar, this might seem really stupid of me. But kinda following on from some of the bomb drops type threads i was wondering how you could preserve foods without recourse to the methods we use now!
They still do it in Iceland, Norway and various other places, just hang it out in the winter and it soon freeze dries. Iceland and places like that (Alaska, Greenland etc) also preserve by fermentation, just store stuff in an anaerobic atmosphere (wrapped and buried) for a few months and you get some gloopy protein rich sustenance.
They still do it in Iceland, Norway and various other places, just hang it out in the winter and it soon freeze dries. Iceland and places like that (Alaska, Greenland etc) also preserve by fermentation, just store stuff in an anaerobic atmosphere (wrapped and buried) for a few months and you get some gloopy protein rich sustenance.
So you couldnt freeze dry somewhere warm, ( sound obvious really ) And gloopy protein rich sounds yummy!
So what would you use if you lived half way up a welsh hill and only had access to what grows there.
Refrigeration has been around for a while too, don't know how it works but people used to make ice way before electricity so that's a possibility, and fermentation definitely.
I have found the following book on amazon
Keeping Food Fresh: Old World Recipes and Techniques
Vivante Terre
It looks like it might have some answers has anyone read it, is it any good.
Ice houses werer for the rich, who could afford to have large amounts of ice carted from far and wide (In the 19th century ships used to come to the UK from Canada with ice in cork-lined holds). Initially ice houses were used to make puddings and ice-creams and to store dairy produce. It wasn't until the middle of the 19th century that meat started being cold-stored (it's said that one of the reasons the North won the American Civil War was because it had refrigerated railway wagons to transport meat for the troops, while the Southerners had to live off the land and were often starving).
Otherwise the commonest ways of preserving were drying, salting and smoking. Hence the habit of killing off excess stock in the autumn and making as much long-lasting charcuterie as possible.
Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Posts: 95 Location: Romford, Essex.
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 05 5:56 pm Post subject:
The Ice House has lots of information about this - though sadly not so much on their website.
Apparently they used to store such enormous amounts of ice there, that it would keep cool from its own low temperature, and so prevent from melting.
One can power a refrigerator from (camping) gas. I've never been able to remember how they work, although its been explained to me numerous times I think its something to do with seperating/removing the heat, so that only the cold is left behind??? Not sure how modern these are though.
Jonnyboy
Joined: 29 Oct 2004 Posts: 23956 Location: under some rain.
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 05 6:01 pm Post subject:
vegetables stored in clamps, or fruit packed in sand.
storing meat under a layer of fat was popular, we now call it confit. Don't forget potting as well.
And gloopy protein rich sounds yummy!
I think its something to do with seperating/removing the heat, so that only the cold is left behind??? Not sure how modern these are though.
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