Smoking a ham preserves the food by drawing water out of the cells through a process called

Smoking a ham preserves the food by drawing water out of the cells through a process called dehydration.  The smoke itself acts like an acidic, that coats the surface of the meat. This coating prevents the growth of bacteria. So, smoking is used to preserve food. Dehydration is part of the smoking, in which evaporation of tissue fluid out of a flat piece of meat is performed. 

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