Salt Curing, Smoking and Drying

The oldest family of food preservation methods, using salt to draw out moisture and inhibit microbial growth, smoke to add antimicrobial compounds and flavor, or plain air drying, singly or in combination, to keep meat, fish and other perishable food edible for months without refrigeration. The three methods are frequently layered, as in a smoked and salted fish or an air-dried, salt-cured ham, and together they underlie preserved foods on every inhabited continent. Also known simply as curing, salting, smoking or drying depending on which method is foremost.