Dry-Curing Foods

• 1). Trim the foods to be salted, if necessary, with a sharp knife. Sprinkle the bottom of the container with coarse salt, and arrange a single loose layer of food on top of the salt. The pieces of food must not be touching.
  
  
• 2). Cover the first layer of food with salt, and put down a second layer of food. Cover with salt and repeat, until the container is full or all the food has been used up. Finish with a thick layer of salt.
  
  
• 3). Leave the food in salt until the desired level of curing has been attained, usually one to six days. For foods requiring the longer curing time, it is best to use packaging that can be flipped top to bottom every day or two. This will ensure even curing.
  
  
• 4). Remove the cured food from the salt after the appropriate curing time. Rinse briefly under cold water, and dry with paper towel. Package the foods and refrigerate or freeze, as desired. If a high degree of saltiness is acceptable in the finished product, the food can be stored in the salt at room temperature until needed.
  
  

Brining Foods

• 1). Prepare the foods to be brined, as directed previously. Prepare a brine of a half-pound of salt in one gallon of cold water. Older books say to add salt until an egg will float in the water, but it is not necessary to use that much.
  
  
• 2). Place the prepared foods in the container, and pour in the brine. The food must be completely immersed in brine, with no portion of the food touching the surface. If necessary, hold the food under the brine by placing a plate on top of it, and using a weight to hold it down.
  
  
• 3). Cure the food for the length of time specified in your recipe. Depending on the food and the degree of preservation desired, this can be as little as 12 hours or as long as several days.
  
  
• 4). Inject large pieces of meat with brine, to ensure faster and more even curing. Brine syringes are available at many retailers or online vendors. Inject the brine in several places where the meat is thickest, and near the bone if the cut is not boneless.
  
  
• 5). Store the cured food in the brine, or drain and wrap it for refrigeration or freezing. Food stored in brine will be very salty, and will require soaking before use.
  
  

Pickling Foods with Salt

• 1). Prepare foods and brine as directed previously, but use seven ounces of salt by weight, for every gallon of water.
  
  
• 2). Layer the foods to be pickled into the container, traditionally a stoneware crock. Immerse completely in the brine, as described previously. Add any additional flavorings called for in your pickle recipe. Cover the container and store it at cool room temperature, for approximately three to four weeks.
  
  
• 3). Check the pickles toward the end of the allotted time. They should small sour and fermented, with a clean and astringent aroma. If the foods have acquired any off smells, or they appear to be rotting or deteriorating, they should be discarded.
  
  
• 4). Pack finished pickles into canning jars, and process them in a water bath as directed in the USDA's canning guide. Pickles should be eaten within a year for best quality.