Preservation: Meats

Preserving meat involves various techniques to maintain its freshness and safety, from procurement at the local grocer or butcher to serving it on your dinner table. Whether you’re dealing with fish, chicken, beef, or pork, accurate preservation techniques are essential for maintaining the quality and flavor of the meat. In this series guide, we’ll explore the best practices for preserving different types of meat, as well as some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your preservation efforts.

Fish

Fish is a delicate meat that requires careful handling and preservation to maintain its quality. Here are some tips for preserving fish:

1. Clean: Properly clean and gut the fish as soon as possible, especially after catching it.
2. Brine: Use a brine solution to preserve the fish, either by soaking it in the brine or by injecting the brine into the fish. The brine, or pickled fish should contain salt, vinegar water and spices. Pickled fish needs several days or weeks of airtight storage to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.
3. Smoking: Smoke the fish to help preserve it, and it also enhances its flavor.

Chicken

Chicken is a popular meat that can be preserved using a variety of methods. Here are some tips for preserving chicken:

1. Freezing: Freeze the chicken at at least 0°F to preserve it for an extended period of time. 1 year for a whole chicken, chicken pieces (wings, quarters) last up to 9 months, and cooked chicken between 2 to 6 months.
2. Freeze with Vacuum: Use a vacuum sealer to remove air exposure from the packaging and extend the shelf life of the chicken. This adds to the shelf life, with whole chicken lasting up to 2 to 3 years, chicken parts, 1 to 2 years, and cooked chicken, up to 1 year.
3. Cook and Store: Cook the chicken and store it in the refrigerator for short-term preservation.

Beef

Beef is a versatile meat that can be preserved in several ways. Here are some tips for preserving beef:

1. Aging: Dry aging beef can help enhance its flavor and tenderness. This process tends to take time, and requires multiple steps and added ingredients or equipment.
2. Freezing: Freeze beef in airtight packaging, or its original packaging, which will extend its shelf life.
3. Curing: Use curing salts to preserve beef and create products like corned beef.

For a quick guide on how to age beef, check out this video tutorial on the multiple ways to try:

Pork

Pork is a rich and flavorful meat that can be preserved using various techniques. Here are some tips for preserving pork:

1. Cure: Cure your pork with salt and spices to create products like bacon and ham.
2. Freezing: Freeze pork at 0°F, in portions, for easy access and great extended preservation. Ground pork last 3 to 4 months, whole cuts up to to 6 months and cooked pork, up to 3 months.
3. Smoking: Smoke pork to enhance its flavor and preserve it for longer periods. Can last up to a year if smoked and cooked through.

Meat Processed Products

In addition to preserving individual cuts of meat, there are also various meat processed products that require special preservation techniques. These products most likely contain an abundance of preservatives like salt, sugar or vinegar, so preserving them becomes slightly easier. However, if you’re making homemade jerky, sausages or meatballs, here are some easy tips for preserving popular meat products:

1. Jerky: Marinate, then dehydrate strips of meat to create flavorful and long-lasting jerky. The result is a shelf-stable snack that’s perfect for on-the-go eating or as an addition to trail mix.
2. Sausage: Cure and smoke sausage to preserve it and enhance its taste. Cured sausages like salami and pepperoni are made by fermenting the meat with lactic acid bacteria before drying it in a controlled environment.
3. Meatballs: Cook and freeze meatballs for quick and convenient meals. To preserve longer, freezing cooked meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring them to a freezer-safe container or bag, or preserving meatballs is canning them in a flavorful sauce.

Extra Tips

• Use high-quality meat: The quality of the meat you start with will greatly affect the outcome of your preserved products. Look for fresh, lean cuts with minimal connective tissue for the best results.
• Proper sanitation: When working with meat, it’s crucial to maintain proper sanitation to prevent cross contamination and foodborne illness. Clean all surfaces, equipment, and hands thoroughly before and after handling meat.
• Follow recipes carefully: When making preserved meat products like sausage or jerky, it’s important to follow recipes closely to ensure safety and quality. Pay attention to measurements, curing times, and cooking temperatures for best results.
• Monitor storage conditions: Whether you’re freezing, canning, or drying meat, it’s important to monitor storage conditions regularly to ensure that the meat remains safe to eat. Check for signs of spoilage such as off odors or discoloration.
• Keep Track of Dates: It’s important to keep track of the dates of all your meats that were purchased, cured, smoked, cooked and stored. If you’re storing multiple meats of the same kind, be sure to place the oldest in-front or at the top to be consumed/used first.

Best Ways to Preserve

There are many methods available for preserving various types of meat and meat products, each with its own unique benefits and considerations. Whether you’re looking to stock up on your favorite cuts of beef and pork or make the most of your latest fishing excursion, there’s a preservation method that’s right for you. By following these techniques and tips for preserving meat, you can ensure a steady supply of high-quality protein for your family’s table.