How to Make a Meat Cellar

An empty refrigerator can become a convenient meat cellar.

Curing meat at home requires several things, but the most important is a spot to keep the meat at a steady temperature between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is too high, bacteria will grow rapidly; too low, and the meat will not cure or will cure very, very slowly. Curing meat also requires humidity and fresh air. A bit of ingenuity can turn nearly any spot in your house into a meat cellar, however.

Things You'll Need

• Refrigerator
• Small fan
• Temperature controller and sensor
• Humidity sensor
• Humidifier
• Power strip

Instructions

1. Set an extra refrigerator in a convenient spot in the house, preferably a spot that is relatively cool and humid.

2. Plug the refrigerator into the temperature controller and the controller into the wall outlet. Place the controller's sensor inside the refrigerator and set the controller to between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The sensor can be placed inside by opening the refrigerator door and slipping it through the gap between the door and interior, then closing the refrigerator door.

3. Attach a humidity sensor to an inside wall of the refrigerator and run its power cord out of the fridge by opening the door and feeding it through the gap between door and chamber. Plug a small power strip into the humidity sensor.

4. Plug a small humidifier and small fan into the power strip and place it on the floor of the fridge. Fill the humidifier with water. Set the humidity sensor for 85 degrees Fahrenheit to start and drop it to about 75 degrees Fahrenheit once the meat has started curing. The humidifier will turn on when needed, and the fan will blow the humid air throughout the refrigerator.

5. Slide a rack into the refrigerator at the highest location possible. Use this for hanging the meat to be cured with twine tied to the rack.

Tips & Warnings

• The fan will circulate air well, but fresh air is important to curing. Open the fridge door and leave it ajar periodically. Since it is set at nearly 60 degrees, you won't be wasting much electricity. If you can't tend the meat daily, drill some small holes through the side of the refrigerator to allow air exchange.

References

• Wrightfood: Meat Curing at Home
• Texas A&M: Fundamentals of Meat Curing
• University of Minnesota: Processing Meat in the Home

Resources

• University of Minnesota: Processing Meat in the Home