[expand]The air drying used natural wind and sun. The meat strips were hung on wooden racks or ropes—the pieces spaced to prevent touching, the arrangement allowing air circulation around each piece, and the positioning maximizing sun exposure while protecting from ground moisture. The racks were constructed from available materials—branches lashed together creating simple frameworks, the portable construction allowing relocation if conditions changed, and the reusable structures being maintained across multiple drying sessions. The height above ground prevented contamination from soil moisture and reduced accessibility to scavenging animals—the typical height being perhaps one to two meters, high enough for protection but reachable for tending.
The smoke drying added preservation benefits. The meat was hung in smoke from smoldering fires—the smoke’s chemical compounds inhibiting bacterial growth, the heat accelerating moisture removal, and the distinctive flavor being added as valuable byproduct. The smoking required fire management—the smoldering producing smoke without excessive heat that would cook meat rather than drying it, the fuel selection using woods that produced pleasant smoke rather than bitter or toxic varieties, and the continuous tending maintaining optimal smoke production. The smoking time varied—perhaps twelve to twenty-four hours for basic treatment, several days for heavy smoking producing very stable product—based on intended storage duration.
The combination approach optimized results. The initial smoking provided antimicrobial treatment and flavor, the subsequent air drying completed moisture removal in gentler conditions, and the combined process produced superior product to either method alone. The combination required more labor—managing smoking followed by sun drying—but the improved results justified effort for families with time and resources. The smoking followed by sun drying was common autumn practice—the cool weather allowing extended drying after smoking phase, the lower insect activity reducing contamination risk, and the favorable conditions making multi-stage process practical.
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