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page 381
it always under the brine.
If at any time the brine froths or looks red; it must be turned off, scalded,
and returned while hot. Never put cold brine on old pork unless you wish to lose
it. In salting down a new supply of pork, boil down the old brine, remove the
scum, and then pour it over the pork as directed above.--R. S. Wilcox, Madison.
TO CURE HAMS AND SHOULDERS. --Make a pickle of salt and water, with one ounce
saltpeter and half a pint molasses or one-fourth pound brown sugar for each ham
of ordinary size; pack hams as closely as possible in barrel, sprinkle on a
little salt, and pour over them the pickle boiling hot. Let them remain two
weeks, take out, drain a few days, and smoke according to taste. Corn-cobs or
sawdust are best for this purpose.
TO KEEP HAMS AFTER CURING. --Wrap in brown paper, and place in a tight bag so as
to secure from flies; or if preferred, cut hams in slices suitable for cooking,
trim off the rind, and pack as compactly as possible in a stone jar; over the
top pour melted lard so as to completely exclude the air. When ham is wanted for
use, scrape off the lard, remove a layer of meat, and always be particular to
melt the lard and return it immediately to the jar. Prepared in either of the
above ways, ham will keep through the season.
OR, TO PRESERVE SMOKED MEATS THROUGH THE SUMMER. --Pack in clean, sweet hay
before flies come; cover the box or barrel tight, and keep in a dry place.
TRYING LARD. --Cut the fat in small pieces, put into kettle, and pour in enough
water to cover the bottom; boil gently until the "scraps" settle or until the
water has all evaporated, stirring often to prevent burning. Take off, strain
into stone jars, and set in a cool place. The quality of the lard is improved by
sprinkling over and slowly stirring in one table-spoon of soda to every five
gallons of lard, just before removing from the fire. The leaf should be tried by
itself for the nicest cooking. That from the smaller intestines and the flabby
pieces, not fit for salting, should be tried by themselves, and the lard set
away where it will freeze, and by spring the strong taste will be gone. A
tea-cup of water prevents burning while trying.
TO CORN BEEF. --Pack the meat in barrel with a sprinkling of salt between
layers; let it lie three or four days, then turn in the pickle, made as follows:
For one hundred pounds meat, take nine pounds salt, six gallons water, one quart
molasses,
(brown sugar may be substituted) and one-fourth pound saltpeter; boil together,
skim, and turn on either hot or cold.
In packing beef, lay that which is intended for dried meat on top of barrel; let
it remain ten or twelve days, take out, string, and hang to dry near the kitchen
fire placing the pieces so that they will not overlap each other. Some prefer to
smoke dried meat.
SAUSAGE. --For twelve pounds meat, take one tea-cup salt, one and a half cups
pulverized sage, eight even tea-spoons black pepper, two table-spoons ginger;
mix, sprinkle over meat before cutting. (Some add a small quantity of summer
savory). When nicely minced, pack in jars, and treat precisely as in preceding
recipe "To keep Hams." If kept in a cool place and care taken to replace the
lard, there is no difficulty in keeping sausage perfectly fresh almost any
length of time. Some persons partially cook meat before packing, but this is not
necessary. Fresh meat may be kept nicely in the same way, being first seasoned
with salt and pepper.
Or, one pound salt, one-half pint of sage, and three and one-half ounces pepper,
scattered over forty pounds of meat before grinding.--Charles Phellis, Jr.
For ten pounds of meat take five table-spoons sage, four of salt, and two of
pepper.--Wm. Patrick, Midland, Mich.
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