What are 3 ways meat was stored in colonial times?

Answer 1

Meat storage was important as it is a very rich energy source, providing greater energy density for humans than grains so colonial folks worked out several methods.

• The first was to operate an ice house if the town was near a lake. In winter they would cut blocks of ice out of the frozen lake and store them in buildings that were heavily insulated by bales of hay or straw. The ice could last until summer, and consequently keep the ice houses cold enough to temporarily store meat.
• Next, they used dessication, or "drying", by cutting the meat into chunks or strips and hanging it over racks in sunlight (for several days) to drive the water out. This dried meat (natives called it "Pemmican") could last all year, as long as it was kept dry.
• In places with access to mesquite, maple or hickory wood, they would build "smoke" houses, and maintain low fires to force-dry the meat. This had the added benefit of adding unique flavours that where sought after in this nearly "spice-less" time.
• In places that had access to salt, meat was layered alternately with salt in crates, which is sufficiently toxic to bacteria to keep the meat safe to eat. The best method to eat such meat was to boil it to remove most of the salt which is also toxic to humans in large doses.
• Meat (as well as fruits) could also be preserved in brine (salt water) or pickled if acetic acid (vinegar) was available, which made utilization much faster and more convenient.