Letters To The Editor

Even More Ways To Preserve Food Without A Refrigerator

To read the story referenced, “7 Time-Tested Ways Your Ancestors Preserved Food Without A Refrigerator,” click here.

Here is another good way to preserve food without refrigeration: Keep it alive! Small critters such as chickens, ducks, geese and rabbits could be butchered as needed. That’s what my family did on our farm in Michigan. I was 7 years old (1960) when we got our first fridge. And I am the 11^th child of 12. The others in the family managed to get by for many years with no refrigeration by using the methods listed in the article.

Tom

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The First Nations in my area (we are blessed with long hot dry summers) dried fish in the sun by filleting (usually sockeye salmon), then slicing the flesh crosswise every 3/4 of an inch without cutting through the skin. The sides were then hung in the direct sun, sometimes with a smoky fire to keep the flies away.

During the fur trade era the “sticks” of salmon were used instead of money during trading. If kept cool the sticks last a long time. Today you can see smallish (up to 15×15 or so) all-screened buildings behind many houses that are used for drying fish.

Fred

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Old houses sometimes had a cabinet in the kitchen with a vent to the cold outside nighttime air, where butter, cheese and other small items could be kept somewhat cool.

DWH