The key to salting meat is the process of diffusion: the tendency for substances to disperse through another substance until equilibrium is reached. From the hills of Italy to the Spanish plains, ...

Curing meat is why humans could stay put when there was nothing to grow, kill or steal. It is how conquerors and discoverers lasted while they traveled the world. But the refrigerator and the modern ...

Curing involves the use of salt and sugar to pull out moisture, while smoking, a primitive technique, uses heat to pull out moisture.Photo courtesy of Metro Creative Connection This week, we’re going ...

TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. About the Archive This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online ...

Clearly, one significant challenge to early humans was how to manage quantities of meat, poultry, fish, and other perishables beyond what people could eat immediately during one or two meals. The ...

Salt is my frenemy. But it is also the magical crystal of culinary alchemy. Salt can harden my arteries but also transform raw fish, fowl and meats into delectable morsels through curing. Curing is ...

Sliced corned beef with seasoning and garnish on a wooden cutting board with a long knife near. All on a dark table. - Elena Veselova/Shutterstock The terms "corned beef" and "salt beef" are quite ...