# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Cooking, Food Storage, & Preserving >  Salt Pork

## cm79

Does salt pork have a high enough sodium content if it is vacuum sealed to be transported thawed while backpacking?  Or, should it be dried? I always take some with me winter camping.I like to add it to any dry soups I pack in.Thnx

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## crashdive123

I've always ('cause Mom did) refrigerated it.

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## cm79

crash what do you think if you dried it out,I'm not sure about that because of all the fat?

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## Rick

Neither! Back in the day salt pork was heavily salted. Almost to the point there was no moisture left. Unless you are salting it yourself and know what you're doing I would not attempt to carry salt pork unrefrigerated. You probably won't have much luck in dehydrating because of the fat content. If left out the fat will go rancid.

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## crashdive123

Yep.  What he said.

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## cm79

Thnx guys, thats kinda the idea I had to but figured I'd get some more thoughts on it.

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

I ate some last night...and right on the package it says uncooked must be cooked to 180 deg F to be safe....just sayin'....read the instructions.

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## cm79

Thnx, cowboy I understand the cooking to 180 deg F, just wondering about transporting it when its not frozen. I saw some articles on trappers that carried it with them back in the day, but I think like rick said its not the same stuff as the trappers had.I do take it out with me in the winter but its always frozen.

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

I think you can carry it for as much as 3 months unopened so long as you cook it in the end. I would and keep it in my pack too!

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## Beans

Shelf life of Salt pork

http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18261

I still enjoy salt cure ham over sugar cured ham once in the while.

However Spam  :Wheelchair: 


The shelf life of Spam, as indicated by the Hormel website, is "indefinate". It also states that spam will be safe to eat a lot longer than the Enjoy By date, although the flavor will decrease over time. 

Any sealed(canned) container will remain safe to eat until a few things happen. 

1) A break in the seal, through punctures or through corrosion of the metal. 

2) Any kind of swelling of the container, or a outrush of gas upon opening. 



Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_th...#ixzz1X2qBKBOa

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## Sparky93

Ahh Spam..... the miracle meat....

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## gordy

Just carry your salted pork in a calico bag on the outside of your pack, to get air and stay dry.

It should easily last a week and a half totally unrefridgerated. Sometimes over 2 weeks.

Cut slices as you need it, and soak them for a couple of hours in fresh water to release most of the salt.

Thread cotton string through the pork and suspend the pork inside the bag, by tying the string around the outside neck of the bag.

When you need the meat pull the meat out with the string, and don't handle the meat directly with your hands. Use the calico bag to handle the meat, and only use the cotton string to pull the meat out.

Minimal handling is the secret to prevent spoilage.

You can get butchers twine from your local butcher.

Hams, bacon and salted pork can last a long time unrefrigerated when handled this way.

You can also carry salted back fat (Lard) this way too.

Carrying fat as food is the most energy you could carry, so it is beneficial to know how to carry fat.

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> Just carry your salted pork in a calico bag on the outside of your pack, to get air and stay dry.
> 
> It should easily last a week and a half totally unrefridgerated. Sometimes over 2 weeks.
> 
> Cut slices as you need it, and soak them for a couple of hours in fresh water to release most of the salt.
> 
> Thread cotton string through the pork and suspend the pork inside the bag, by tying the string around the outside neck of the bag.
> 
> When you need the meat pull the meat out with the string, and don't handle the meat directly with your hands. Use the calico bag to handle the meat, and only use the cotton string to pull the meat out.
> ...


It is sold here at "Piggly Wiggly" packaged in a vacuum sealed salt brine, heavy duty plastic. This stuff will last at least 3 months, had some last night with my cabbage I cooked, oh and salted back fat is called "fat back" down south.

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## Beans

> Carrying fat as food is the most energy you could carry, so it is beneficial to know how to carry fat.


Since I have gotten older I just let mine hang over my belt.   :ohno:  :burst:

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## Rick

Man, I was thinking the same thing when I read that. I don't know if it's the proper way to handle it but I came by it naturally. Gotta be good if its natural, right?

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## survival matters man

I live in the South and here we have what is called "Salt Pork" and "Fat Back". Salt Pork is usually in vacuum sealed plastic and has no visible salt. It tends to have more lean meat than Fat Back. Fat Back (my favorite) is usually on the thin Styrofoam plate with plastic wrap around it. It is almost always white fatty meat with little or no lean and salt is visible. "Fat Back" can be kept refridgerated for three or four months, though it hardly ever gets to stay that long here. We use it for seasoning beans and peas mostly. It is great fried in a skillet or cooked like bacon on a bacon rack in the microwave. As far as your question on carrying it with you camping, I have done it for years. Depending on how long I plan on staying out, I usually fry about two or three pounds, sliced like bacon slices (they get pretty small after frying) and lay the strips on paper towels to drain and cool. After cooling, I use a couple of fresh paper towels and just roll em' all up and put them and the paper towel in a gallon size zip lock bag. It's ready to eat when you are. Snacks during a hunt or several pieces with some pre-fried potatoes (cooked and stored the same way) along with some beans and coffee for a filling meal. I don't like to throw away anything good to eat so I save the grease from frying the fat back in a small jar and it adds great flavoring to your squirrel, rabbit or bird if you baste the wild game with it as you slow cook over a open fire. Try this! You'll love it!

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## Wildthang

Then there is pork rinds, they last a long time and needs no rerfrigeration! They are not too filling but then again, they don't weigh much either, maybe they could be the perfect backpacking food :Scared:

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