Preserving in fat: the basics

In short

• Fat and oil only seal food off from the air. They don't kill germs and don't prevent botulism.
• Honey and sugar really preserve, but only when there is enough of them: honey with no more than 18 % water, slatko and jam with 60–65 % sugar.
• Food in fat is kept safe by salt, heat and cold: salted, well cooked and in a larder below 10 °C (50 °F), and most safely in the fridge.
• Above the food there is always 2–3 cm (1 in) of clean fat, with no meat juice or water in the bottom.
• No fresh garlic, herbs or vegetables in fat or oil for long keeping.
• Food from fat is heated thoroughly before eating, until it boils or sizzles.

What's inside

Chapters

1. Fat, oil, honey and sugar: who does what
2. Four barriers against spoilage
3. Risks at a glance
4. Which fat for what
5. Containers and the larder
6. The general method: from raw material to container
7. The fat seal, taking out and topping up
8. Rancidity: the silent spoiling of fat
9. How much to put by
10. Old ways: what to keep and what to change
11. Most common mistakes
12. Printable checklist

Worksheets

• Fat, oil, honey and sugar series calendar
• Lard calculator for covering
• Stock calculator
• Check-date calculator
• Larder log
• Container inventory
• Labels