High-Meat Preparation Notes:-
First get hold of a properly sealable container(eg:- vacuum-jar/sealable plastic box/Bell Jar etc.). Fill half of the box with the raw meats you want to age - make sure to leave 50% of the box unfilled, so as to ensure that there is enough air/oxygen for the bacteria - it's a very bad idea not to leave enough (fresh)air for the bacteria to work on. Then place the high-meat container in the fridge. Make sure to take the container out and air the box outside , at least once every 1 to 3 days for a few minutes, ...
I'm no expert on this stuff, but based on what I've been reading, I'm not sure that a sealable plastic box or vacuum-sealable containers are such a good idea. It sounds like the traditional Inuit containers were leaky and that this was a good thing. Now that more of them are using sealable plastic, botulism has become a problem, according to reports like the one below. The problem is, a loose top will likely result in a stinky fridge, right? Seems like a catch-22 for us who don't have a cellar that no one will mind if we stink it up. Botulism poisoning is rare, but I remember my high school biology teacher saying that it's one of the most potent organic toxins on earth.
Traditional "stink" foods such as fermented salmon eggs (stink eggs) or salmon heads (stink heads) are prepared by burial in moss-lined pits or barrels in the ground. Nelson (1971) described the process he observed during a visit to the coastal villages of northwest Alaska in 1878-1881: "In the district between the Yukon and Kuskokwim, the heads of king salmon, taken in the summer, are placed in small pits in the ground surrounded by straw and covered with turf. They are kept there during the summer and in the autumn have decayed until even the bones have become the same consistency as the general mass. They are taken out and kneaded in a wooden tray until they form a pasty compound and are eaten as a favorite dish by some of the people."
The process described by Nelson has changed somewhat. Now, fermentation is usually carried out in either a barrel, a plastic or glass jar, or a plastic bag. These containers increase the risk of botulism toxin formation because most can be easily sealed, thereby increasing the likelihood of anaerobic conditions. Some foods are fermented in a seal skin or fish skin bag or "poke" which is either buried or hung up. If salmon eggs are fermented in this manner, they can be left until they dry out somewhat and form a "cheese" which is firm on the outside and soft in the center.
Toxin production is also temperature dependent, and is less likely to occur at the lower temperatures used during traditional fermentation. However, fermentation now may be done indoors, or in a container above ground and in the sun. These methods involve warmer temperatures which make fermentation more rapid and production of botulism toxin more likely.
Botulism in Alaska: A Guide for Physicians and Health Care Providers - 1998 Update
http://www.epi.alaska.gov/pubs/botulism/bot_03.htm
