Meat, Fish, and Eggs

Pickling and brining, along with smoking and drying, were some of the earliest methods of preserving food before the days of refrigeration. Herbs and spices were added to scraps of raw meat to make sausages, which could then be smoked. Hams were salted and smoked and could be sliced all winter. If the summer had been bountiful, winter then became a time of good eating. Many of these old traditional ways of preserving can be done on a smaller scale in the modern kitchen, but for the sake of safety, do not attempt long storage of these items. Plan to use them within the time indicated with each recipe and do store in the refrigerator or freezer.