The irony of it all.
When you look at a prepper’s pantry, you will find just about everything inside.
You will see rice, honey, sugar, flour, canned foods, beans, pasta, and so on.
Once you see their pantry take a look at their diet.
You will see preppers eating beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and so on.
They do not store meat in their pantries but only in their fridges and freezers.
This ironic situation could come about because many preppers do not know how to store meat outside of those appliances.
If the electricity goes out, then those preppers are going to be in a difficult situation.
People need protein and fat from different meat options.
It would be a wise decision to learn how to preserve meat outside of the fridge or freezer.
The good news is that there are at least 10 ways to store meat and preserve it without using a fridge or freezer.
Keep reading to find out more about those methods.
How do preppers store meat?
In this section we will look at 10 ways to store meat.
Sometimes for years at a time.
1. How do you store meat for 3-5 years? Canning
If you have canned fruits and vegetables, then you know how to can meat.
This is a top way to preserve meat for those times when the power is out for more than a few hours.
The drawback to this preservation option is to make sure you get the jars and lids airtight or you may end up with botulism.
To can meat properly, you can’t use a water bath method.
You need a pressure canner to do the job right.
Once done, the meat should last for 2 to 3 years.
2. How do you preserve meat for years without refrigeration? Curing
This is probably the oldest form of preserving meat.
It was used in ancient times as well as in the Old West.
To cure meat this way, you need to remove as much fat as possible.
Then cover the meat with salt and any other spice rubbing those spices into the meat.
Once that is done, let the meat sit in the fridge or some other cool place for about a week, then rinse the salt and spices off the meat.
Now wrap it in cheesecloth and store it in a cool dry place.
The meat should last for two or three months
3. Dehydrating
Take advantage of the power you have right now and use an electric dehydrator to preserve the meat you want.
Make sure to cut the meat into thin slices while removing as much fat as you can.
If you do not have an electric dehydrator, you can use a solar one or simply hang the meat out in the sun for a few hours.
Just make sure to keep the meat pieces nice and thin.
4. Freeze Drying Method
Not the most practical or cheapest way to preserve meat but if you already have a freeze dryer then you are good to go.
If you do have one of these expensive tools, you can freeze dry just about any food.
You are not limited to doing it to meat.
This method is one of the best methods to use.
The key for meat is to slice it into thin pieces so it freezes and dries easier.
The freeze dryer does most of the work for you.
5. Smoking
This is a technique that is best used when you live in a high-humidity region of the country.
The higher humidity levels make dehydrating and air drying impossible to do.
If you do not have one, you need to build a good smoke house or a smoker.
Place the meat on racks and let the smoke do its thing.
The drawback here is that you have to continually add wood or wood chips to the smokehouse or smoker.
Then you have to pick the right type of wood to get the flavor you want.
The smoke creates the flavor in the meat.
6. Brining
This may not be well known but it is an easy way to preserve meat without using your fridge or freezer.
The trick to this method is to create brine by mixing water, curing salt, and brown sugar together.
Then you soak the meat for about a month and after that, you store it at room temperature.
The water keeps the meat moist while the salt stops the bacteria.
Just make sure the meat is covered completely when you do this method.
7. Pickling
Similar to wet drying meat, this is another simple method that adds different ingredients than Brining has.
You will need vinegar, salt, sugar, and spices for flavor.
Put the meat in the pickle juice and make sure it is fully covered.
Then leave it for a month.
When the month is over, your meat should be well preserved.
8. Making jerky
Another easy to do method that does not involve cooking.
To jerk beef or other meat make sure to slice the meat thin, but not too thin.
Then put the thin slices in a mixture of salt and sugar, making sure to rub that mixture in gently.
After that work is done, leave the meat in the sun to be dehydrated.
Make sure to remove all the fat first before doing this.
If you see mold, etc., growing on the meat, then you know the meat did not dehydrate fully or the humidity level was too high in your area.
Just do not eat it when you see fungus growing on the meat.
9. Cold smoking
The regular smoking method above exposes the meat to the heat.
The drawback to that method is that you could end up cooking or burning the meat.
The trick to this method is to build a smokehouse where you can separate the heat from the meat.
Usually, the fire is in one part of the smoke house and the smoke is then channeled to the room where the meat is.
The biggest drawback to this method is that the smoke is not hot enough to kill bacteria or parasites in the meat.
Hot smoking will kill them off.
10. Lard
Yes, you read that right.
You can use lard to preserve meat but it is more of a protective cover than a preservative.
To use this method you will have to cure the meat with salt or cook it.
Once that is done, you cover the meat in lard making sure every inch of it is covered.
When it comes to using lard, make sure it is actually lard you are using.
There are substitutes that won’t work here.
A few words of caution
The above are just general instructions to give you an idea of how you can preserve meat without using your fridge or freezer.
These methods will have various instructions depending on the type of meat you want to preserve.
Some methods are better for some meat types while others are better for different meat types.
Cold smoking may be good for fish but it may not be good for pork, turkey, or even chicken.
Why you try to preserve meat is because no matter the type, it has a very short shelf-life when not frozen.
Under the right conditions, some meats can go bad in a few hours.
Some of the sources for spoiling meat are:
- An atmospheric moisture level of at least 18%
- Reduced airflow
- High humidity
- An ambient temperature of more than 40°F
- Exposure to oxygen
- A large exposed surface area
- A pH level of between 5.0 and 8.0.
Using the above methods helps keep those organisms and bacteria away from the meat extending their shelf life from a few days to a few months.
It all depends on the meat you are preserving.
Surviving in the wild
In our modern era, most people have only seen the ‘wild’ through their television or movie screens.
They do not know what it is actually like to live off the land and not have modern conveniences around them.
But when disaster or a SHTF situation arises, people may end up living in the wild as their early ancestors did.
This possibility makes learning the above methods very important.
Since the human body needs protein and fat from animals, preserving wild game is essential for healthy living.
Pick and choose which method sounds the best for you and will work for your living situation.
Not all are good but most will work and not be that expensive to do.
Some final words
Learning how to preserve meat and other food is essential for preppers.
That way they know they have a solid food supply and can continue preserving food as they get it.
That way they know they can take care of their families when SHTF.
Adding to your skills not only makes you more valuable, but it helps you to survive when the going gets rough.
It is possible to live without freezers and fridges.
All it takes is a little know-how and a little practice.
Make sure to practice the above methods to get good at them.
And please share this article with your prepper friends.
Originally posted 2023-05-09 03:53:14.
