Storing salt for SHTF

Yep...that stuff about the Indians makes perfect sense...we also use everything here, traditionally...we use bones for soups and stews, lungs, livers, harts and kidneys for many different recipes, even bowels are thoroughly cleaned and prepared in many different ways....The heads usually go whole in a big pot, and everything is used, except the bones of the skull.

Hmmmm...as far as I know, our drinking water is only chlorinated and not fluoridated...actually, I have never heard of water being fluoridated anywhere in the Balkans...we have clean and unpolluted water...
Personally, I prefer unrefined sea salt...I don't mind the taste...It's the same taste as Aegean or Adriatic sea, where we go to vacation....but the health benefits are undeniable, bad taste or not...

 

Can you not cure meat with table salt?

 

Double check me on this, but I remember reading that a 15% brine solution will preserve anything.

That said, those pickling / curing products by Morton will produce a better end product, though one that's filled with nitrates.

I plan to test out all of the above eventually as I think that this type of preservation would be very handy when TSHTF, if you plan to hunt or trap at all.

 

if sea salt had enough iodine, they wouldn't "fortify" salt with iodine.


If you can grow celery, bok choi, you can use it to cure your meat as these plants have high (relative, ~0.5-3% NaNO3) levels of nitrates naturally. These are currently used as "natural" curing agents. See oscar mayer "natural" bacon, an ingredient will be celery powder.

 

I would go with more smokeing/drying of meats or canning than salt curing. Even lightly cured (as in still needs refridgeration) bacon is WAY saltier than what people are used to from the store. We have tried some of the salt cureing and sugar cures (which also contain a LOT of salt) to save frezer space when we butcher and even though we like salt we can only handle most of the cured meats in small doses.

The main thing with smoke cureing is to remember you want to dry the meat NOT cook it. As long as its dried out like jerkey and not cooked it will preserve it and anything added is just flavoring.

 

Good to know.
First time I tasted NC country ham I was like whoa! I must have drank a quart of water that morning.

Did you soak the meats before you cooked them?

 

We actualy didnt move on to fully cureing the meats. We tried the 'cures' you use to make bacon and ham that still needs refridgeration but is ready to cook and eat and it was that salty. Theres also the fact that you pack the meat in salt to preserve it and the salt soaks in so if you try to soak it out it wont just rinse off and salt will still be the overpowering flavor.

Salt cured/preserved meats can be done and some will even work well in stews and such but I dont think they would suit most pallats to eat straight, kind of like anchovies.

 

I LIKE ANCHOVIES!!

 

What would be the typical amount of salt to store? I've got about 6 regular containers(from the grocery store) on hand right now. Any suggestions?

 

50 lbs bag is a good start, IMHO. Salt is valuable. We just do not realize it because it is so plentifull.

If you watched Jericho on TV (great show), or old west shows you will see that salt has great value.

 

IS, thanks. I'll get to work on that. I do have super pails of flour, rice and wheat. Don't know why I didn't shore up my salt supply.

 

Just keep in mind though, If you store canned foods, these are usually LOADED with salt already.

Let your taste buds decide. God gave them to you for a reason. I always wondered why I craved salt until my labs came back - My body was telling me something. Now I use it without hesitation.

 

FortunateSon, yes, I have an ample supply of canned food, dried food, etc. I'll look up salt for curing meat and see what's available. Thanks.

 

I have put away a very small qty of salt - I think too little.

Good post - I am going to boost the amount - with both regualar salt as well as Sea Salt.

Thanks -

Rourke

 

In addition to the salt some other spices could be a great investment. When not available, like in old times, spices become a fair bit MORE valuable than gold pound for pound. So a bucket of pepper and some garlic powder and a few others could be a kings ransom in a drawn out SHTF situation.

 

Good idea about other spices and oils, too. I have a separate cabinet downstairs with my food storage for condiments, larger quantities of pepper, spices, etc. Sweet stuff, too.

 

True.
And for trading nothing beats vice items:

Chocolate, Coffee, Cigarettes, Booze.

No matter how bad things get people will feed their vices. Cynical but true.

 

Going to bump this thread. I know it is a sleeper, but with all the new faces, SALT is ESSENTIAL for preps. READ this THREAD thoroughly. Salt is a vital element, it contains (in some cases) iodine for thyroid health, and is historically the best preservative.

I buy salt in 25 pound bulk bags from my local Sams and Costco stores. It is worth it's weight in gold, IMO. Otherwise, how are YOU planning on getting salt post SHTF?

Input?

 

I grow my own herbs(sage, oregano, thyme, stevia, sometimes basil, mint, etc) so good on that. For salt, I stock up at the dollar store. Logee's online nursery has peppercorn plants for sale(and cacao trees, but they're a bit out of my zone, so stocking up on Toll House cocoa powder from Walmart cause it's the cheapest), plan to get some. Also make sure to grab sugar/spice packets anytime we eat out. Reminds me, gotta ask my sister to stock up on those "sugar in the raw" packets Starbucks has for me, since she's an SB junkie