paste drying
A method of curing freshly flayed hides or skins
by means of a watery paste of natural salty earth
(see: KHARI )
rubbed into the skin on the flesh side. This
treatment rapidly draws water from the skin,
resulting in a quick cure. The salts also have a
bacteriostatic effect so that drying need not be
as thorough as in the case of air drying.
Paste-dried stock is also easier to rehydrate than
that which is air dried. Paste drying as a method
of curing has been used for centuries and is still
employed in India, Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey. (291 )
![[CoOL]](/icons/sm_cool.gif){kind=icon}