I thrived in the primitive tribe

"Lu Yao, have you thought of a good idea?"

"I have some ideas, but I don't know if they will be effective."

"Tell me."

"To preserve meat for a long time, we need to find ways to prevent it from rotting, that is, to slow down the decay of the meat. Using a lot of salt is one way, and we can also try air drying, smoking, or freezing."

What is the air-drying method?

"Air-drying involves slicing the meat into thin slices and hanging them in a well-ventilated, sunny place to air-dry. This method requires dry weather and plenty of sunshine. The purpose is to remove a large amount of moisture from the meat,"

"What about the smoking method?"

"The smoking method involves hanging the meat above smoke to remove some of the moisture from the meat, while the smoke also slows down the spoilage of the meat."

As for freezing, it's exactly what it sounds like: placing fresh meat in ice to freeze it, which slows down the spoilage of the meat.

"So, the air-drying and smoking methods slow down the decay of meat by reducing the moisture content, while the freezing method slows down the decay of meat by lowering its temperature, is that what you mean?" the great shaman asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, that's the summary. However, air-drying and smoking are not exactly the same. Air-dried meat has almost no moisture left, while smoked meat still has some moisture."

“I understand. Given the current weather, the air-drying method should be able to be tried. However, the rainy season will begin in a few days, and this method will no longer be usable. That means we need to hurry up and try it.”

"There's still a rainy season here? How long until then?"

"Based on past experience, I estimate there should be more than 30 days left."

"We should give it a try right away, after all, making successful dried meat requires a bit of luck..."

"How do you know when the air-drying process is complete?"

"Well-dried meat should be darker in color than fresh meat due to the dehydration process. The color should be uniform and without any obvious differences."

The meat should remain intact, without any obvious damage or cracks. When cut open, there should be no hollows or gaps inside the meat.

The dried meat should be sufficiently dry, feeling firm to the touch but not overly hard. The surface should not feel moist, and no moisture should seep out when squeezed; it should have a chewy texture.

How do you determine the method of smoke fumigation?

"Successfully smoked meat will have a relatively dark and even color."

The surface of the meat was also dry; no moisture seeped out when you squeezed it.

It has a slightly smoky flavor, the exact taste of which can be judged by the firewood burned during the smoking process. Its texture is more tender than that of air-dried meat.

However, it's important to note that when smoking meat, the firewood used must be safe. It's best to use non-toxic plants that produce a pleasant aroma when burning, and the smoking time must be carefully controlled.

"I understand. I'll talk to the chief when he returns, and then we'll check the number of prey we caught today. If there's a lot, we'll keep some to try. In this kind of weather, can we use either the air-drying or smoking methods?"

"Yes. If you want to use the fumigation method, it would take a while to build the fumigation equipment now. I remember there are large leaves in the forest. Find those large leaves that are not poisonous."

"When smoking, we build a rack for hanging the meat using branches. Usually, there are four supports standing vertically on the ground, and then at the top, we connect every two sticks with another stick, like this. Leave some space at the top of the rack and cover it with these leaves." Lu Yao described as she drew it on the ground with her hand.

"When we're doing it, could you go and give us some guidance?"

"Sure, no problem!"

The two had been talking about meat storage for so long, and looking at the sky outside, the Great Shaman said...

Are you still going to go shopping?

"Go ahead, as long as we get back before dark, it'll be fine, right?"

"Yes, then let's go out and see if there are any orcs in the tribe who can escort us. If not, we'll have to go again tomorrow."

"Okay, hopefully."

"By the way, didn't we say we wanted to find a Gaga fruit tree to plant in the tribe? Haven't we found one yet?"

"It should be. If it had been found, the chief would have brought it back long ago. The tribe people really like the cakes made from Gaga flour."

The two men, carrying wicker baskets on their backs, chatted as they walked out of the cave.