Which traditional food-preservation methods have been used since prehistoric times?

Since prehistoric times, humans have developed various methods to preserve food to ensure survival during periods of scarcity, such as winter. Among the oldest and most fundamental techniques are:1

• Drying: One of the earliest methods used to remove moisture from food, thereby inhibiting the growth of spoilage-causing microorganisms.21
• Smoking: Likely emerging shortly after the mastery of fire, this technique involves exposing meat and fish to smoke. The process provides a drying effect, while chemicals present in wood smoke act as natural preservatives.31
• Fermentation: This ancient practice involves using specific microorganisms to stabilize food. By controlling conditions such as acidity and temperature, societies learned to ferment fruits, grains, and meats—often by adding harmless bacteria that produce acid to inhibit pathogens.145
• Preparation of mixtures: Hunter-gatherer societies also created shelf-stable food preparations, such as pemmican, which consists of a mixture of meat, fat, and sometimes fruit.1

These traditional practices were essential for early human societies to manage uncertain food supplies and improve the longevity of their nutritional sources.1