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General Cooking (rec.food.cooking) For general food and cooking discussion. Foods of all kinds, food procurement, cooking methods and techniques, eating, etc. |
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Or something like that. Question: How were hams made (and preserved) before
the arrival of miracles like sodium nitrite? Tons of salt? |
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Doug Kanter wrote:
> Or something like that. Question: How were hams made (and preserved) before > the arrival of miracles like sodium nitrite? Tons of salt? > > Yes. Tons of salt. You had to boil or soak them to make 'em edible. Some country hams are still made with just salt and a little molasses. Bob |
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"Doug Kanter" > wrote in message
... > Or something like that. Question: How were hams made (and preserved) > before the arrival of miracles like sodium nitrite? Tons of salt? > Yes. I recall reading that some salt deposits contain traces of nitrates and nitrites and that over time this salt was prized as being a better preservative. -- Peter Aitken Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm |
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Doug Kanter wrote:
> Or something like that. Question: How were hams made (and preserved) before > the arrival of miracles like sodium nitrite? Tons of salt? > > and smoke, yes. Salt is an excellent preservative. Ever heard of sauerkraut or kosher dills? ![]() -- saerah http://anisaerah.blogspot.com/ "Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice." -Baruch Spinoza "There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened." -Douglas Adams |
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"sarah bennett" > wrote in message
t... > Doug Kanter wrote: >> Or something like that. Question: How were hams made (and preserved) >> before the arrival of miracles like sodium nitrite? Tons of salt? > > and smoke, yes. Salt is an excellent preservative. Ever heard of > sauerkraut or kosher dills? ![]() Pickles? Those things in jars? Nope. Never heard of 'em. :-) I *am* very familiar with bacalao, though. |
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On Wed 01 Feb 2006 08:54:40a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it L, not -L?
> > On 1-Feb-2006, "Doug Kanter" > wrote: > >> Or something like that. Question: How were hams made (and preserved) >> before >> the arrival of miracles like sodium nitrite? Tons of salt? > > On my grandfather's farm, when I was growing up in the '50s, ham was > preserved with salt and smoke. I remember the butchering all took place > around the same time, then the meat was smoked and left hanging in the > smokehouse until needed. At my grandfather's, too. I really loved those hams and bacon. We soaked hams in milk overnight before rinsing and simmering in a big pot until tender. Then baked them with a glaze. -- Wayne Boatwright Õ¿Õ¬ ________________________________________ Okay, okay, I take it back! UnScrew you! |
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![]() Doug Kanter wrote: > Question: How were hams made (and preserved) before > the arrival of miracles like sodium nitrite? Tons of salt? Of course salt. Only thing curing powders do differently is impart a more attractive appearance/color. Salt occurs naturally (has since before life began), many, many foods are still preserved with only plain NACL.... and brine. Even before salting foods were preserved by dehydration and/or freezing, the oldest forms of food preservation... still, obviously. Many foods are preserved by a combination of methods, drying, salting/curing, smoking... think pepperoni. |
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![]() zxcvbob wrote: > Yes. Tons of salt. You had to boil or soak them to make 'em edible. > Some country hams are still made with just salt and a little molasses. > Picked up a Smithfield ham a few years ago, and couldn't wait to try it; it was so salty, I ended up throwing it out! Perhaps I should have soaked it first. I suspect salt, salt and more salt was the recipe back then... -- Karen MacInerney Kitchen experimenter, family chauffeur, and culinary mystery author www.karenmacinerney.com |
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![]() Doug Kanter wrote: > > Or something like that. Question: How were hams made (and preserved) before > the arrival of miracles like sodium nitrite? Tons of salt? Salting and/or drying and/or smoking. 'Curing salts' have been known for a long time, without the specifics of nitrates/nitrites being identified. |
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Doug Kanter wrote:
> Or something like that. Question: How were hams made (and preserved) before > the arrival of miracles like sodium nitrite? Tons of salt? > > Salt will work, but some of the 'curing salts', like saltpeter, have been in use a looooong time. Bubba -- You wanna measure or you wanna cook? |
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Steve Wertz wrote:
> On 1 Feb 2006 08:18:17 -0800, "Sheldon" > wrote: > > >>Doug Kanter wrote: >> >>>Question: How were hams made (and preserved) before >>>the arrival of miracles like sodium nitrite? Tons of salt? >> >>Of course salt. Only thing curing powders do differently is impart a >>more attractive appearance/color. > > > Curing also adds a flavor component. If you cure a ham with just > salt, it will taste very different then one cured with salt + > nitrites. > > >>Salt occurs naturally (has since before life began), many, many foods >>are still preserved with only plain NACL.... and brine. > > > So, you're finally accepting the fact that a brine can used to > cure meat? > > -sw Curing in brine? Why would anyone question that? The writings of yesteryear are filled with references to barrels of brined meat. Recently, in a collection of 'receipts' from the mid 1800's, I read a technique for restoring a 'tainted' barrel of brined meat. Bubba -- You wanna measure or you wanna cook? |
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![]() On Wed, 1 Feb 2006, Doug Kanter wrote: > Or something like that. Question: How were hams made (and preserved) before > the arrival of miracles like sodium nitrite? Tons of salt? > > > Salt is naturally occurring in the earth and the sea. It has always been here. |
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