Larder

A larder is a cool area for storing food prior to use. Originally, it was where raw meat was larded—covered in fat—to be preserved.^[2] This method slowed spoilage by sealing out air, bacteria, and moisture. In colder larders (4°C/40°F or lower), larded meat could last for months, while in warmer conditions, the fat turned rancid within weeks. By the 18th century, the term had expanded: at that point, a dry larder was where bread, pastry, milk, butter, or cooked meats were stored.^[2] Larders were commonplace in houses before the widespread use of the refrigerator.

Stone larders were designed to keep cold in the hottest weather. They had slate or marble shelves two or three inches thick. These shelves were wedged into thick stone walls. Fish or vegetables were laid directly onto the shelves and covered with muslin or handfuls of wet rushes were sprinkled under and around.^[3]