You’ll take that moldy beer and pungent salt beef and like it, sailor

No refrigeration, a long sea voyage … What else would you expect?

“After their stint in the Elissa’s hold, many of the provisions still seem edible. For safety reasons, nobody will actually be tasting the experimental results, but the baked ship biscuits are in the best shape by far, a testament to their legendary hardiness. The salted beef, however, has taken on a pinkish center resembling prosciutto. It has a pungent smell, says Tsai, though it isn’t rotten.

“A big exception is the natural spring water, which has turned cloudy with greenish bits and 'smelled pretty disgusting,' Tsai says. 'Sailors may have preferred quenching their thirst with beer and wine, which remained more palatable. Still, a surprising amount of lingering yeast fermentation and carbonation caused the beer barrel to leak and grow mold.'”

http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/50896