Doug Kanter wrote:
> Question: How were hams made (and preserved) before
> the arrival of miracles like sodium nitrite? Tons of salt?

Of course salt. Only thing curing powders do differently is impart a
more attractive appearance/color.

Salt occurs naturally (has since before life began), many, many foods
are still preserved with only plain NACL.... and brine.

Even before salting foods were preserved by dehydration and/or
freezing, the oldest forms of food preservation... still, obviously.

Many foods are preserved by a combination of methods, drying,
salting/curing, smoking... think pepperoni.