Episode 265: The Wild Pantry, Part II – Salting and Curing
This episode explores one of the oldest preservation methods in human history and brings it directly into the modern wild kitchen. In this episode, Justin Townsend and Adam Berkelmans unpack how salt works on a physical level, how curing differs from simple salting, why precision matters for safety, and how hunters, anglers, and foragers can apply these techniques responsibly at home. This is not a romantic charcuterie fantasy. It’s a practical, science-driven look at how salt controls water, slows spoilage, and transforms wild food.
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Before Freezers, There Was Salt
Justin opens with a simple truth:
“You can preserve food without electricity. You don’t need a compressor, a chest freezer, or even a cold climate.”
For most of human history, preservation did not rely on mechanical refrigeration. It relied on salt. As Adam explains, “Salt preservation predates refrigeration by thousands of years… in many places it even predates recorded history.”
Across cultures, the challenge was universal: how do you slow spoilage without cold?
Ancient Egyptians salted fish along the Nile. Chinese preservation records stretch back thousands of years. Roman trade routes moved salted pork and fish across continents. Northern Europeans relied on salted cod and herring to feed inland populations through winter. Preservation shaped migration patterns, trade routes, military logistics, and entire economies.
As Adam puts it:
“Salting wasn’t about luxury or flavor development necessarily. It was more about keeping food stable.”
When hunters harvested more than could be eaten fresh, salt turned abundance into survival. A single moose, elk, or caribou produces far more meat than one household can consume immediately. Fish runs create a glut of food in a narrow window. Without preservation, waste was inevitable. With salt, communities extended harvests into months of usable nutrition.
Salt was currency. It was power. It was infrastructure.
The Science: Salt Controls Water
To understand curing, Justin shifts the conversation toward the science:
“At its core, salting works by just controlling water.”
Microorganisms need water to grow. Bacteria, molds, and yeast depend on available moisture inside food. When salt is applied, it alters how water behaves through osmosis. Moisture is drawn out of cells, and the internal environment becomes less hospitable to microbial growth.
This leads to the critical concept of water activity, the amount of unbound water available for microbes. When salt binds water or pulls it out of tissues, water activity drops. Growth slows.
Two primary methods dominate:
- Dry salting (dry brining): Salt applied directly to the surface, drawing moisture outward before diffusing inward.
- Wet brining: Salt dissolved in water; submerge the meat, allowing the salt to move inward while moisture shifts outward.
Justin clarifies the distinction many people confuse:
“Salting alone reduces water activity and slows spoilage. Curing traditionally refers to salting plus the addition of nitrates or nitrites.”
Those curing agents specifically inhibit Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria responsible for botulism, particularly in low-oxygen environments. They also stabilize color and contribute to the characteristic flavor of products like ham or bacon.
But salt is not magic.
“Salt is powerful, but it isn’t a sterilizer. It changes the environment, it reduces risk, but it does not eliminate it.”
Where People Get Into Trouble
This episode is grounded in practicality. There is no romanticizing guesswork.
Adam emphasizes:
“The biggest mistake people make is guessing. Salt percentages matter. Thickness matters. Temperature matters. Time matters.”
Dry cures should be measured by weight, not feel. A digital scale is not optional. Most home curing should occur under refrigeration unless environmental conditions are controlled. Old European cellar traditions do not automatically translate to variable North American climates.
Salt does not kill parasites reliably. It does not fix poorly handled meat. It does not reverse improper field care.
If an animal was mishandled, gut-shot, or left warm too long, curing will not correct that.
Precision reduces risk. Guesswork increases it.
Practical Applications for the Wild Kitchen
For most hunters and anglers, the first steps are accessible:
Dry Brining
Justin recommends 1–2% salt by weight, applied evenly, resting uncovered in the refrigerator for 12–48 hours.
This is not long-term preservation. It is controlled seasoning and structural improvement. Venison roasts, elk steaks, turkey breast, waterfowl, all benefit.
Wet Brining
At 5–8% salt by weight of water, fully submerged and refrigerated, wet brining helps lean proteins retain moisture, especially before smoking or roasting.
Justin notes his preference:
“I tend to lean towards the wet brine quite a bit… when you’re thinking like pastrami or corned anything, it’s a good thing.”
Short-Term Salt Cures
Higher salt percentages remove more moisture and slightly extend shelf life, but still require refrigeration.
Long-Term Dry Curing
Whole muscle cures and sausages require precise salt calculations, curing salts, temperature control, humidity management, and patience.
Justin is candid about environment:
“In Hawaii… the bacteria and just the general fungus in the air is exponentially high… having a control aspect is going to be much more important.”
Geography matters.
Fish Responds Faster
Fish behaves differently from red meat.
Adam explains:
“Fish responds to salt faster than red meat… the texture is more delicate, the moisture content is higher, and salt penetrates quickly.”
Light salting firms flesh before smoking or cooking. Historically, heavier salting produced shelf-stable products like bacalao, but required soaking before use.
Salt fish shaped global trade. It traveled from Newfoundland to the Caribbean in exchange for rum. Cultural staples formed from preservation systems.
But again, safety matters. Curing does not reliably kill marine parasites. Freezing protocols may still be required before raw or lightly cured preparations.
Salt and Texture
Salting does more than preserve.
Justin explains:
“When you salt something, you’re not just preserving it, you’re altering its structure.”
Salt dissolves certain muscle proteins, affecting how they bind to water. Proper salting can improve moisture retention during cooking. Longer cures intensify flavor through controlled dehydration.
“Freezing tries to preserve the original state of food. Salting accepts that change is happening and directs it.”
That distinction defines this episode.
Freezing pauses. Salting transforms.
Choosing the Right Salt
Not all salts are appropriate.
Table salt often contains iodine and anti-caking agents. For curing projects, pure sodium chloride is preferred: kosher salt, pickling salt, or additive-free sea salt.
Measurement must be by weight, not volume. Crystal sizes vary. Consistency matters.
The Broader Wild Pantry
This episode is part of a larger preservation philosophy.
Adam summarizes it clearly:
“Freezing gives you time. Salting asks you to pay attention.”
The Wild Pantry series is not about nostalgia. It is about control. Understanding what each tool does and when to apply it. Freezing and salting are not competitors; they are complementary techniques in a disciplined wild kitchen.
Salting rewards attentiveness. It punishes shortcuts.
For hunters, anglers, and foragers, this matters. Preservation is not an afterthought. It is part of stewardship. Part of honoring the harvest.
Listen to the Full Episode
If you care about doing this right, if you want to understand not just how to salt meat, but why it works, Episode 265 is worth your time. Justin and Adam move from ancient trade routes to water activity science to practical, measurable steps you can apply immediately. This is the foundation for smoking, curing, fermentation, and beyond in the Wild Pantry series.
Head over to the Wild Fish and Game Podcast and listen to Episode 265: The Wild Pantry, Part II – Salting and Curing. Measure, don’t guess. Preserve with intention.