[Sca-cooks] Spices and Cooking (oop)

[Susan Fox-Davis]

Elaine Koogler wrote:

> That would probably also explain why my grandparents always did their butchering
> in late November/early December (Shenandoah Valley of Virginia).

Well yes.  Either you can feed the cattle/pigs/whatever over the winter -- or they
can feed you!

> There has to be some kind of difference between the way meat is aged properly
> and meat that has been in your fridge for a week.  I'm not a scientist or
> whatever so have no idea what the difference would be.
>
> Well Bear may have had the right of it, a quick wrap in Al foil or a plastic
> container is no substitute for proper aging treatment.  Wrapped meat can't lose
> that moisture, ergo you get a happy place for your mold farm instead.  His words:
>
> > The considerations on aging are a layer of fat to help keep bacteria from
> > the meat, cool temperatures, a clean, dry place to hang, and an air flow to
> > evaporate moisture escaping from the carcass.  A farm shed in Iceland in
> > late autumn just might fill the bill, the same way farm sheds were used for
> > hanging the deer carcasses in the US in October and November before the
> > advent of the professional processing plants.
> >
> > Bear

And I've managed to keep skate out of it entirely.  Huzzah.

Selene