Smoked meat?

[rezenn33]

how bout adding in a future update a way to smoke meat over the fire so it lasts a lot longer.

[bethany]

You can cook meat (which I'm sure you know), but smoking meat is a much more complex process. I can't say for sure what future plans are concerning food preparation, but I'll make note of your request just in case

[caverdude]

You can cook meat (which I'm sure you know), but smoking meat is a much more complex process. I can't say for sure what future plans are concerning food preparation, but I'll make note of your request just in case

smoking meat is not so complex as it takes longer. Native Americans used a frame made from 4 sticks with Y on top, two main sticks on each side placed on the Y on each corner, then perpendicular to that sticks laid across every 2" or so. Meat is hung or draped over these sticks. These are about 3 or 4 feet off the fire. Fire built below in the middle. Evergreen boughs are placed all around and on top to help to contain the smoke. Maybe green wood or moist wood smokes more than dry wood.

This image shows how the frame would look. And there are Tripod smokers as well that work similarly.

[caverdude]

Also smoking preserves two ways. The creosote in the smoke is antibacterial. It mostly protects the outside of the meat so that bacteria won't get inside to spoil the meat. Also in drying like in making jerky. In cold smoking the meat is very much still raw if I'm not mistaken. Hot smoking can cook as well as smoke. Oh and as long as the meat is surrounded by smoke in the air the bad bacteria are not getting to it. So its safe through the smoking process.

[German4XXX]

I love the idea good thinking man!!!

[caverdude]

Of course as fast as we eat the food preserving it doesn't seem necessary. Also does cooked food go bad in the game?

[Monty_Gulli]

Cooked meat does go bad in the game. Just not as fast as fresh meat.

All the fabricated food you find (like pork and beans, candy bars, etc...) goes bad, too. But again not as fast as fresh meat.

So it can be nice to make your catched fishes and your harvested meat stay edible even longer than "just cooking" would make them.

But to be honest I've never had the need.

[German4XXX]

With the introduction of bears the need has come. Also with this option (especially if it preserved it for a good long while) you might be able to have one good hunt and then explore for several days and not worry about food going rotten if your kept from your home base for a bit, or better yet you are able to voluntarily leave for several days because you don't have to keep spamming a meat source that you don't want to waste. Some may not have this need but for others it would be a nice option.

[elloco999]

Smoking food has already been discussed at great length:

http://www.hinterlandforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=4384&p=25573&hilit=smoker#p25573

http://www.hinterlandforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=3525&hilit=smoker

http://www.hinterlandforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=4872&p=28870&hilit=smoker#p28870

http://www.hinterlandforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=2652&hilit=smoker

Most people think it's a good idea.

[AmericanSteel]

I think the real hurdle that needs to be crossed is the mechanics. Right now, everything we do it a time sink... even if it is not realistic. We have to allocate time to melt water and then allocate time to boil water, when I think all of agree you could just put a pot on and walk away. Smoking takes far longer. The only way to break it up, in the existing structure, would be to make it like crafting. This is also not realistic.

Until the devs make some structure for a process to cycle without the players presence... smoking is not going to happen. Let alone boiling water or leaving a soup pot hanging over a fire.

I will now pass on the stick to let someone else beat this dead horse