Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1847-11-13
From the Prairie Farmer.
THE PRESERVATION OF MEATS.

/
and directions have been often published
for the proper doing of il, that were it
MT for the fact that so much meat is intol-
erably cured as to be hardly eatable, is
met with, it might be supposed that every
body knew how to work well.
Meats badly put up, are not always
simply unpalateable; they are often un.
wholesome. Beef or hams for instance,
sailed to the toughness Of rope, are spe-
cially indigestible; and pork half cured or
infected with "rust," is no better, if not
worse.
HAMs.--To cure thus--to three gallons
Of water put about five pounds of sugar
or pint of molasses for each pound of
sugar instead, -four ounces Of saltpetre,
and eight pounds of rock or Turk Island
salt, with atable spoonful of saleratus. Heat
these together over a slow fire till all is
dissolved, skimming off the scum. as it rises,
and pour it over the hams. This may be
done while the liquid is hot or it may be
cooled first The above preparation will
answer for 100 pounds Of meat.
! The same preparation may be kept after
the hams are taken out, and used for curing
tongues or beef or mutton intended for
drying; or for curing meats which are not
to be long kept.
The hams may lie in the pickle from
three TO six or eight weeks, according 10
their size; but if they lie more than three
weeks, il is well to take up and repack
them. When taken out of the pickle, let
them soak in cold water for eight or ten
hours; then hang them up TO dry for the
same length Of time, and proceed to smoke
them.
ln smoking, hang the hams with the
shank end down. This prevents the drip
; ping Of the Juices of the meat, and adds
greatly to its flavor. A smoke may be
. made Of cobs, hickory chips, or any hard
clean wood, but the fire should be at
goodly distance from the mea,---so far, in
fact, that it will not heat; and il is better
if it can be at least 30 fee, distant. The
smoking may be continued longer or short
err, as il is intended 10 keep the meat. If
| meat is to be kept over summer, and the
! smoke is cooled before it reaches the hams,
=, it may be continued with advantage for
, four or six weeks.
CLEAR PoHH.--Herc nothing is wanted
4 but good salt. Some add little water;
!, but the less the better People differ in
their modes of cutting porh--some divid-
= ing it into strips, and others into small
packed by placing the strips edgewis-.
:. The desideralum is to pack it so close. as
to leave as few intorsIces as possible. In
e one Of pork, and SO on, filing in all the
0 holes with salt, so that the pork shall be
- entirely coyeree with it. Clear pork will
Al not take up more salt than il needs, how
e ever much my be put upon it. The quality
g
the kind Of salt used. Rock or Turks
- from that impaired by the fine New York
- salt.
~ BEEF.--Many persons can never succeed
Is in keeping beef sweet. There is perhaps
q very little more trouble attending it, than
III in keeping pork, provided one knows how.
C a good recipe is as foows:--T To one
hundred pounds Of meat make a pickle con-
al s.stin, Of four gallons of water, eight
q, pounds of salt, three of brown sugar, three
IN ounces saltpetre, and one ounce of pearl.
to ash. Pack down the meat, sprnk.ing salt
ra between the layers, and having boiled and
r. Skinned the pickle, pour it over the meat
If. covering il entirely. Meat in pickle OF
~ any kind must be kept down, SO as 10 be
covered, either by placing weights upon
ed it, or by some other mode.
d, Another method, praclsed by some, is tt
ht take four quarts Of rock salt, pounded fine
ds four ounces at sfltpetre, fine; four pounds
IN brown sugar, mixed together.
Of The above will cure 100 pounds Of meat
on which is to be packed down in it. If;
he scum rises, sprinkle on some more salt.
nd 1t will be observed that sugar or mo
lat lasses, in these preparations is substitute,
ng for salt. Its power Of preserving meat j
ed very great, fully equal to that of salt, Will
IN. it does not impart that acid taste TO IN
his meat which it acquires from the latter
lbs We have kept mince-meat four years, per
feCtly sweet, in molasses, with only sal
Of. enough to give it favor.
at BAcoN.--ln New England, hams whe
IN. smoked, were called bacon; but the tern
srs at the West, has more extended sltinfca
rs ton. Here it means the whole hog; lhoug
the better and more common way is
m take only the two hams, two shoulder
ate two sides, and the cheeks, using in othel
mas ways the upper half of the head, with ii
ribs and all the bones and lean meat, usual
AL taken out when clear pork is to be sailed.
If The mode Of curing it is so well describe
eI- by our friend Scion Robinson, that we wi
yisb adopt his directions, as communicated
ON. the American AgTIculturist:
ap. Nobody ever made better bacon for
in. years than have, and never use por
,tle, barrel. / sprinkle about two ounces sal
1 = l., 9 10 h,,