Salt preserves meat by drying it out

Science
Salt preserves meat by drying it out

Salt preserves meat by dehydrating it through osmosis, creating an environment too dry for bacteria to thrive, a method used for millennia before refrigeration.

For thousands of years, salt has preserved meat by drawing out moisture through a process called osmosis. When salt is applied, it creates a high-salt environment outside the meat cells, pulling water out and dehydrating it. This drastically reduces the water bacteria need to grow, preventing spoilage.

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