Pickled meats are prepared by the use of condiments, as salt, sugar, vinegar, and saltpeter. During the smoking and curing of meats, no appreciable losses of nutrients occur.[51] The smoke acts as a preservative, and imparts condimental properties. Saltpeter (potassium nitrate) has been used from earliest times in the preparation of meats; it preserves color and delays fermentation changes. When used in moderate amounts it cannot be regarded as a preservative or injurious to health. Excessive amounts, however, are objectionable. Smoked meats, prepared with or without saltpeter, give appreciable reactions for nitrites, compounds formed during combustion of the wood by which the meat was smoked. Many vegetables contain naturally much larger amounts of nitrates, taken from the soil as food, than meat that has been preserved with saltpeter.[52]
137. Poultry.--The refuse and waste from chickens, as purchased on the market, ranges from 15 to 30 per cent. The fat content is much lower than in turkeys or ducks, the largest amount being found in geese. The edible portion of all fowls is rich in protein, particularly the dark meat, and the food value is about equal to that of meat in general. When it is desired to secure a large amount of protein with but little fat, chicken supplies this, perhaps, better than any other animal food. A difference is observed in the composition of the meat of young and old fowls similar to that between beef and veal. The physical composition and, to a slight extent, the solubility of the proteids are altered by prolonged cold storage, the difference being noticeable mainly in the appearance of the connective tissue of the muscles. In discussing poultry as food, Langworthy states:[53]
"A good, fresh bird shows a well-rounded form, with neat, compact legs, and no sharp, bony angles on the breast, indicating a lack of tender white meat. The skin should be a clear color (yellow being preferred in the American market) and free from blotches and pin feathers; if it looks tight and drawn, the bird has probably been scalded before being plucked. The flesh should be neither flabby nor stiff, but should give evenly and gently when pressed by the finger."