Food preservation

[Vesperas]

Before you scream "SALT!" at me, just me finish.

How many ways are there to preserve foods ICly?  I would think this would be a very important thing to characters, seeing as how difficult it is to get food.  I'm not talking about strictly coded-in preservations, but just what would be acceptable in the game.

Obviously, we can't throw meat into a meat locker -- AL has no ice (what would those poor Zalanthans think of EDIBLE water if they ever saw it?  Drinkable Rocks.. hmmm..).  Salting -everything- kinda narrows down what you can do with it after its salted.

So, anyway, I'd just like to hear what you folks say.

[Ghost]

The air being dry does help to preserve the food actually, since it does not give much ground for bacteries.  So I would expect the food to decompose more slowly in Zalanthas to start with.

But other than that, the less air flux, the better.  If you can put it in a box that prevents the air circulation it will be better for preserving purposes.

The more dry the food, the better:  Dried meat would last longer than a fruit (having water, will make the food an easier target for bacteria)

Aaaand.. The best preservation method yet, eat all you can!  Better in your stomach than having to put some thought into it.

EDITED:  Because of some grammar issues.

[JollyGreenGiant]

Smoked
Cured
Salted
Dried

Those are all the techniques for preserving meat that I can think of off the top of my head. Other spices can sometimes be substituted for salt in the curing process, which is why I mentioned it separately. From the little I know about making beef jerky (which, by the way, lasts a really long time), you pretty much do everything to it, so I would assume that any combination of the above processes would work even better than just one.

[Intrepid]

Cellars can be used as primitive refrigerators in more civilized areas.

[amoeba]

Food Preservation in Roman Times

It would be interesting to see food go through a period of decay if not preserved.  Perhaps a limited chance of getting posioned if old meats or fruits were eaten past thier prime.  

Another interesting thing I never noticed is that there are no Legumes (beans) in the game.  This is some of the best long term storable food, and is very common in many cultures.

[Agent_137]

Yea, my character almost said "works for beans" the other day, but then I remembered I hadn't ever seen any beans, so I said "for nuts."

there are a few nuts, though. Do they last a good while?

Also, I've heard a few immortals comment that they'd like to do food decay eventually.

[Maybe42or54]

I like it, but it is damn hard to dry things IG.

Then when you are trying to dry it, you drop it in the dust and then all the sudden it is too bad to eat?

To a nakki, a little sand never hurt noone.

[Adhira]

Pickling.

My grandmother used to pickle everything.

[JollyGreenGiant]

I've seen beans in game, Agent, so it's all good

[Delirium]

So that you can have a supply of food stocked up so that you DON'T have to hunt all the time?  Unlike many PCs, most commoners would be more than happy to reach a point where they only rarely have to venture out into the wilds and slay a big nasty beastie for their very survival.  It would also help to ensure that none is wasted.

[Vesperas]

1.  Taverns would be very concerned with preservation -- the more that spoils before they can sell it, the less income they can get out of it.  And income is everything.  This goes for noble houses, clans, and tribes.

2.

Unlike many PCs, most commoners would be more than happy to reach a point where they only rarely have to venture out into the wilds and slay a big nasty beastie for their very survival. It would also help to ensure that none is wasted.

3.  Armies, patrols, and caravans would be concerned over food preservation as well.  Do YOU want to stop your argosy in the middle of gith territory because your supplies are diminished?  Its important to take in account the actual size of Zalanthas.

[HardCarbon]

Hmm Canning.. I'd say would work for fruits..   smoking for meats...

Smoked
Cured
Salted
Dried

Those are all the techniques for preserving meat that I can think of off the top of my head. Other spices can sometimes be substituted for salt in the curing process, which is why I mentioned it separately. From the little I know about making beef jerky (which, by the way, lasts a really long time), you pretty much do everything to it, so I would assume that any combination of the above processes would work even better than just one.

[ObsidianSoul]

Hmm,  there  are  actually  fruits  in  this  world  of  ours  that  will  dry  right  on  the  tree  branches.  I'm  thinking  of  dates,  figs,  and  raisins.

     In  middle-eastern  countries,  and  throughout  parts  of  africa  (mainly sub-saharan),  I'd  imagine  dried  fruits  are  a  very  large  part  of  the  local  diet  --  infact  a  staple.

     I  know  there  must  be  a  reason  that  they  actually  call  the  deglet  noor  --  otherwise  known  as  the  algerian  or  tunisian  date  --  the  "bread  of  the  sahara".

         

Fruit are drupes, 1-3" long, dark brown, thick skinned, with thick sweet flesh and a large seed in the center. Unlike other drupes, the endocarp is thin and membranous, instead of thick and bony. Immature fruit are green, yellow, or red. Several hundred to just over 1000 fruit are borne in each bunch, which can weigh up to 80 pounds. Bunches are often tied to leaves to prevent breakage of the peduncle under the weight of the fruit. Fruit go through 5 distinct stages as they mature over 6-8 months, given the following Arabic names: Hababouk, Kimri, Khalal, Rutab and Tamar. Fruit grow rapidly in the first 2 stages, then turn their characteristic color, lose water, and accumulate sugar in the Khalal stage, and finally ripen completely in the last 2 stages. At Tamar stage, the fruit have only 10-25% water content, and thus are resistant to spoilage and fermentation, and shrivel like raisins. Craft paper covers or shade cloth are often applied to fruit bunches in the Kimri stage to protect from rain, insects, and birds.

     It's  a  naturally  occuring  process  in  our  world,  fruit  dehydration.  It  is  just  the  final  stage  in  the  ripening  process  of  certain  fruits',  if  the  climate  is  ideal,  and  the  fruits  are  left  on  the  tree  or  bush.  

     Hmmm,  would  be  super  interesting  to  see  something  like  this  extending  into  Zalanthas.

http://www.uga.edu/fruit/date.htm

      Cool  --  and  something  else  to  note  is  how  the  nutrient  and  mineral  levels  in  these  fruit  grow  as  they  lose  their  moisture. . .  I  didn't  know  this.

[RogueWarrior]

Well, I once had a character who discovered the distilling properties of alcohol. So... get a simple bag. Do some emote work on it to make it leak-proof, then stick a few bowls of stew, or gruel, or whatever in it, along with a shot or something of some sort of (preferrably pretty stout) liquor.

[Xygax]

SALT

Neat.  I think I'll do all my posts this size.

[Vesperas]

Why in the world is there no canning on Zalanthas?

You can can beef.  (can-can beef...lol...oi..)

I'm sure you can can all sorts of things to store at room temperature... you just have to weigh its value against the value of water.

But maybe I've just been in the country too long. *cough*

It would atleast be worth it for those particularly rare foods that you just don't want to dry out and ruin the flavor for.

[Xygax]

You mean metal cans???

[LauraMars]

My mom cans things in glass jars.  Your mom does too.

...Maybe.

[spawnloser]

You mean with metal lids???

[LauraMars]

You mean with metal lids???

ONLY NOBLES CAN CAN.

[Vesperas]

lmfao.

I think the metal slip at the top of the jar can be substituted, just like anything else in Zalathas is.

The purpose is to seal.

[Nusku]

Wooden lid with a wax seal.

[spawnloser]

Heheh.  Yeah, i was playing...imitating Xygax.

Actually, I do think that having something that resembled 'canning' would be really neat.  Using the current crafting code, we could use recipes that include things like jars...maybe even go so detailed as to require a lid item as well.  It would probably use the 'cooking' skill to combine these items into another food item.

This would allow for us to have food items with timers.  When the timer runs out on, for example, a purple kank steak, it could become a putrid kank steak  (with little nutritional value and possible poisoning effects), and when the timer runs out on that item, there is nothing left.  Of course, appropriate echos could be included as well.

Anyway, preserved items (done through proper cooking techniques including canning, smoking, drying or salting) would have MUCH longer timers or no timers at all.  Also, I'm sure some food items could just not have timers to begin with.

Thoughts?

[Twilight]

You could preserve things in oil (ala olives in ancient greece) in clay jars with sealed lids.  If I remember right, they would put other things (like grain, etc) also in large jars and seal it airtight as a form of preservation as well.

[Agent_137]

I've seen some sealed jars in zalanthas. seemed to be a condiment.

that's all i got.