Larder cabinet from Styria
Air-drying your own meat is something you can read everywhere about how little it takes to convert it. Today as then, the same questions of preservation and storage arise.
We are currently presenting a larder cabinet from Styria that is at least 230 years old. The condition is remarkable. The cabinet consists of a wooden structure made of hardwood, the fields of which are filled with wickerwork on four sides. The top and bottom are made of softwood. The cabinet can be operated via a small door. In the interior, wooden sticks are pushed through the above wooden frame, on which hooks with meat and sausages can be hung.
The function of the wickerwork is interesting: it ensures perfect ventilation and insects cannot fly into it due to the weaving technique. The closet is a rarity.
Salted meat is hung up to air dry for days, weeks or a year or more, depending on its size. During the drying process, water is withdrawn from the meat, which is why microorganisms do not find a breeding ground and the meat is therefore durable. The residual moisture determines the durability.