Canning meat without a refrigerator: how to do it? See 5 tips

The earliest records of fire-roasted meat date back 1.8 million years. To preserve meat and other foods, inhabitants of extreme poles used snow and frozen caves. Peoples in tropical or dry climates, however, had to reinvent themselves to preserve their food.

Today, technological freezers and refrigerators preserve food, offering great convenience. But if you are an adventurer who enjoys camping and hiking, learning some tricks on how to preserve meat without a refrigerator can be super useful.

So, check out our tips!

1. Use a cooler

Often used to chill drinks, a cooler is also a great option to keep your cuts of meat preserved when there's no more space in the freezer or refrigerator, or even while camping.

Coolers are generally made of polyurethane or expanded polystyrene, materials commonly used in the production of hard plastic, to ensure greater durability and thermal insulation.

Another material that also provides thermal conservation is Styrofoam, so both models can be used to store meats — as long as they are wrapped in ice!

If possible, storing meat cuts in vacuum packaging also optimizes food preservation.

To pack the cooler, the standard method is to create an ice base, place the meat in the middle, and then cover it with more ice. It's important to remember that this type of preservation requires replacing the ice as it melts.

See also: Other useful camping tips!

2. Cure meat with specific ingredients

Before the 20th century, salting was the primary way to preserve meat. Thus, it's also possible to preserve meat using only salt, a process known as "dry curing."

It is particularly recommended for thinner cuts of meat and consists of simply allowing the surface of the meat to rest in layers of salt, which should be renewed as the meat absorbs the ingredient.

Nowadays, there's even a specific type of salt for this method, known as "curing salt." Its composition contains sodium nitrites and nitrates, which accelerate the curing process, shortening the standard dry-curing time with common salt (3 weeks).

Another dry-curing technique involves adding sugar in combination with non-iodized salt in a ratio of 1/4 of the food's weight. The mixture should be brushed onto the meat and can include extra ingredients like black pepper, rosemary, and bay leaf. Every 12 hours, the liquid that drains from the meat must be removed, and then the spice mixture brushed on again.

This process will be repeated for 3 days, and the meat can last up to 1 week outside the refrigerator. In addition to aiding preservation, these components bring a distinct and delicious flavor to the cured meat!

3. Opt for brining

If your goal is to make the meat last for a long period, the solution might be traditional brining. For this, you will only need water and non-iodized salt. As a bonus, the salt absorbed by the meat's muscle fibers makes it more succulent when it's time to cook.

The secret to brining is understanding the proportions to avoid errors like excessive salt. See the steps below:

1. Select a container that can hold the brine and the size of the meat cut you wish to preserve;

2. Prepare the brine by thoroughly dissolving 50g of non-iodized salt per liter of water (or enough for a potato to float);

3. Cuts up to 5 centimeters in diameter should be completely submerged in the brine for 3 days;

4. For larger cuts, submersion in the brine should last at least 1 week.

This technique is especially advantageous for cuts like chicken breast and pork loin, which can easily become dry.

By using this practice, dryness is avoided, resulting in succulent and flavorful meats even when stored outside the refrigerator.

4. Smoke to preserve and enhance flavor

Smoking is a method that goes beyond preserving meat; depending on the type of wood or charcoal used in the process, it also imparts the flavor that is so revered in various products we consume daily, such as bacon and calabresa sausage.

Professional and wood-fired smokers can be found in various stores, specifically those that sell chimneys and barbecues. You will need one of these and follow the steps below:

• Marinate the meat in your preferred spices for 24 hours;

• Following the manufacturer's instructions, keep the smoker lit at a temperature between 60 and 70 °C;

• To enhance the smoked flavor, use oak, apple, or cherry wood or charcoal;

• Use a meat thermometer to ensure the ideal temperature for each type;

• Poultry meats should reach an internal temperature of 74 °C; pork and ground meats, 71 °C; steaks, roasts, and ribs should reach 63 °C.

The duration of smoking depends on the size and thickness of the piece to be smoked. For example, the average time to reach the smoking point for turkey breast is 6 to 8 hours, while beef brisket can take up to 22 hours to reach the ideal state.

This method ensures an average duration of 6 months for meat cuts if stored correctly!

5. Can your preferred meat

Using a tempered glass jar, store the meat in medium or small cuts and then place it inside a pressure cooker with 5 to 7.5 cm of water, which will be regularly heated. The high pressure and hot steam will cook, seal, and sterilize the meat.

When it's time to release the pressure from the cooker, you will also remove it from the stove and let it lose all pressure and cool naturally, without accelerating the process in any way.

Done! Now the cooked meat can remain stored in its jar or be transferred to a sterilized can, which allows the meat to be preserved for up to 1 year.

Prepared for anything

Now you have some ideas on how to preserve meat without a refrigerator, so you don't have to despair if you need to travel and don't know how to make the meat last until your destination.

Regardless of the circumstance in which you find yourself without the option of using a refrigerator, now you can avoid wasting those cuts of meat that, in addition to preservation, will acquire new flavors through the methods presented.

So, did you like the tips? Do you know any method that was left out of our list? Did you test any of the techniques shared in this article? Leave it in the comments to let us know everything! Cutelaria Cimo and all interested parties will greatly appreciate your gesture!

Until next time.

Aproveite e compre junto

Cimo

Cimo Stainless Steel Knife, Anti-Bacterial Handle, 10” - 660/10

R$ 182,63

COMPRAR AGORA

Cimo

Cimo Stainless Steel Knife Anti-Bac Handle 8” - 660/8

R$ 170,41

COMPRAR AGORA

Cimo

Cimo Stainless Steel Knife with Anti-Bac Handle. Leather Stripper – 660/TC

R$ 130,11

COMPRAR AGORA

Cimo

Cimo Stainless Steel Knife Anti-Bacterial Handle 12" - 660/12

R$ 198,31

COMPRAR AGORA