I have been reading a Confederate recipe book published in Virginia in 1863 and have found some good ideas. There is a section on preserving meat without the use of salt that I found to be quite interesting. It is something I have wanted try for some time. If any of you have done it, let me know.
Here is the article, note the old-fashioned spelling.
There are some advantages to preserving meat without salt. Many of us older individuals are supposed to be on a salt free diet and in some areas salt may be hard to get after TEOTWAWKI. Another useful bit of knowledge.
Howard.
I would like to have bacon without nitrites. Are you going to cure bacon? As for hanging meat at the side of a house, how do you keep flies from blowing it? I have a dehydrator. Could meat be cured in it without the marinade the dehydrator book calls for in recipes?
Good questions, yes I am going to try bacon and like you I will try and avoid the nitrites. I have have dried quite a bit of food outside and found that as long as the food is in the direct sunlight the flies stay away. As soon as the sun starts to go down I cover it to keep them off. I have dried meat in my dehydrator with no salt. Here is a link to another article on jerky. https://preparednessadvice.com/food_storage/making-jerky-under-primitive-conditions/#.UxinvfldViI
Howard
I dehydrate meat all the time and never use added salt. I make my own marinades as well. I guess you dont technically need a marinade, but it will make it taste better. I marinade for no less than 12 hours, more it sits, the more the flavor.