Mary’s How to Preserve Beef, Pork, Poultry, and Seafood Cookbook: Preserving Meat & Seafood by Smoking, Brining, and Fermenting The Old Fashioned Way

Mary Robins starts out her book with a very brief yet insightful look at how historically, meat preservation has been significant to survival and sustenance. In the next chapter she touches more on this history of meat preservation, with some very interesting and different methods used around the world that I did not know about. I found it inspirational to learn about how people made their meats last with the resources that they had during those times.Robins taught me how to cure meat, which I find very useful because of the preservation benefits but also because I like buying cured meat at the deli so now that I have the knowledge on how its done, I can finally just do it at home by myself! Mary Robins calls herself a food scientist, which is a concept I very much appreciate; Learning from her is a shaping experience.Later on in the book Mary talks about fermenting. When I hear that word I think about the process of making alcoholic drinks. I never considered that fermentation can be used for meats as well, so that alone was very mind opening for me. I had no idea what bacterial powder was before I downloaded this book, either.Throughout her book Mary also discusses safety, proper sanitation and general guidelines for optimal success. Every now and then her personality slips out with personal anecdotes and even a little bit of humor, building a relationship with the reader while also teaching some very useful practices. I’m so glad I found this book.

Just in time for the holidays, Mary Robins offers a sane and sensible approach for us carnivores. Her book Mary’s How to Preserve Beef, Pork, Poultry, and Seafood Cookbook: Preserving Meat & Seafood by Smoking, Brining, and Fermenting The Old Fashioned Way is, like all important books, about way more than even the lengthy title suggests. That’s because knowing how to preserve meat means eating more of an animal –– and considering the sacrifice it made, shouldn’t you consider consuming more than a single cut?Plus, understanding preservation means understanding how to prevent spoilage and cross contamination –– two issues that can turn a festive feast into a trip to the ER.Combining the author’s experiences growing up on a rural community with an historian’s perspective on the culinary habits of ancient cultures, this book will keep you interested no matter your background or tastes. Robins introduces readers to the evolution of meat preservation before diving into challenging methods like fermenting (which isn’t just for wine) and smoking, this last being a personal favorite of mine.Of course the author also offers recipes for meats like ham and sausage and for kosher readers, pastrami and corned beef. Of course sourcing these cuts is up to the readers discretion. Considering the soaring price of food, using more of an animal and making is last longer is just more cost effective. Which is why this book should be on everyone’s wish list.

Mary does an excellent and straight to the point job of getting to the "meat" of the matter in her book. From a good dose of the history of preserving meat back in days of the Greeks and Romans right up to the current age of reducing food waste for environmental reasons, she covers everything in between and then some. You can get the news on the required tools to try the many different versions of preservation, as well. Brining, fermenting and freezing will do you right for considerations, and if you didn't understand the importance of salt in the process, you certainly will after reading this book. Meat production and farming practices are evolving, and everyone can do their part thanks to Mary's easy to follow guide on the finer aspects of food preservation. You will not be wasting food once you master the art of preservation, no matter what method you decide to utilize in your home. Sustainability matters, and Mary's book helps you to educate yourself on fun and tasty options to pitch in for the good of the planet. To add to the finer gift that you get by reading the guide, it is chock full of recipes that will surely delight your family and guests. The recipes are highly detailed and not difficult to follow at all.

Exactly what I was looking for. This is critical lost knowledge that (some) grandparents used to teach.

The book taught me great techniques on how to preserve food such as meat and save money.I learned how to cure meats and along with different recipes through out the book.I learned about the uses of salt for brine and preserving meats for use later on.

My granny did a lot of canning meat curing. My grandpa was into hunting, so every time he brought home 2-3 deer, it was her job to preserve the deer meat. Lately, I am getting into the habit of canning and trying to learn the best ways to cure and preserve meat, wish she was still alive to teach me. Reading this book brought back a lot of memories; I am pretty sure some of the curing processes this author shares are exactly the same as what my granny used to do. I found the book to be helpful and well written with plain and simple language that is easy to understand and easy to follow.

A highly factual and slightly humorous how-to guide on how to salt, cure, and preserve meat, written from a sustainable farming perspective, with graphics included. The book includes a history of meat storage, dating back to the Roman charcuterie board, and teaches you how to preserve meat from venison to salami. With funny anecdotes such as, "Pastrami packs a powerful punch, you should do a Meg Ryan impression while eating some." Did you know that the average American wastes $1,500 a year's worth of food? Learn about dry boxing and equipment. This guide will show you how to make sure that your meat doesn't go to waste so that you are getting the most bang for your buck.

I love seafood and this cookbook help me preserve my food and save me money at the same time! A win- win scenario. In addition it also had some great recepies that were very tasty. Highly recommend, it saves both time and money and tastes great at the same time and was a big hit!