Keeping Meat Fresh
In the sub-tropical climate of Canton, it is difficult to keep meat fresh for any length of time without the use of ice. With a room temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit and above, meat will keep fresh but a few hours. If placed in a refrigerator with a temperature of from 34 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it will keep fresh for a week to ten days. Dry air should circulate freely through the refrigerator. Moisture in the refrigerator tends to develop mould, which is apt to cause decomposition of the meat. A little decay will soon contaminate a large amount of meat.
In the north, meat may be kept fresh during the cold season by freezing it solid. The carcass may be cut into quarters or smaller pieces and hung in an open outbuilding where it will freeze solid, and remain frozen until the weather begins to warm up in the spring. Whenever a piece is wanted it can be removed with a saw. Rapid thawing of frozen meat greatly injures its flavor. If the meat is thawed out slowly in a cold room, the flavor of the meat will not be injured. Meat can be kept frozen for months if kept in cold room, or in a refrigerator with a temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and with proper ventilation provided.