Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1859-12-24
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7CTgl,EI . HAMk, II II TAI q

Fomerly | tried keeping hams aud
shoulders in salt. and alsv ia grain, but they
would dissolve the salt, OF mould in the
grain. Ithen tried keeping them in pounded
charcosl, With no better effect. next tried
dried ashes; but unless the hams were very
dry when pu. up they would taste Of The ashes.
l then tried sowing them up in coarse
cloth, ard WITHDRAWING them several
times over, as had seen them in tina.
condition in markets; but they did not
keep wsll--they would either mould, or
the lime would crack and the flies get ill.,
For . number Of years ] have adopted =
new method, and never failed . keep them
sweet, and free from mold or flies. pre-.
pare sack for each ham. 4 yard square
Of good shesting is sufficient for good
sized ham. After the hams are smoked,
ard hofors any Aies have infected them,
put them up, one in = sack. take swsss'
hay and cut it lin cutting box) about
ous inch long, and Gil in the sack and
around tbs ham, so4that the ham cannot
touch the bag. Tie cord around the
open end, and hang them up in the smoke
house, ct so1ne cool, dey place, and lhey
can be kept any length Of time. The bag
and hay will keep away the flies, and allow
the moisture to escape, 80 they viii not
mold .,-...,..-....r~..,~v...r
Hams should always Be veil cured be-
fore they ara smoked Ihave sesu several
good recipes ia the Rural for curing hams.
The following is my method, and have
often bsen asked how could keep them
through tbs summer and have them Of so
Zoe favor. - w. W ''1~N
REDr FOR CrlNc. HlNs.-To one gal.
Ion OF vaser take one half pound of sugar,
sn33haif ~ ounce of alt-rstre-to be
increased in this ratio 10 ony quantity re-
quired to cover the hams. As soon as
your pork is cold, cut Out the hams and
pack them closely in your cask. Sprinkle
each layer lightly with fns salt, put Oh .
wSslht and pour on the brine inmsdiateIy,
and befor: the juice of the ham has es-
capped. 1t will require from four to six
weeks for the salt to strike through. ac-
cording 70 the size Of the hams. II will
b pecsssary perhaps to add a little salt
N top ct the hams; sometimes, if they
are very large, they absorb so much of the
salt aslto leave the brine so weak it may
sour. II would be we'll to take them up
after they have been in week OF two and
examine them, and. il necessary. add
little more salt Great care should be
taken ,not 10 salt tso much, as BY doing so
you lose the flavor Of the ham, and but
just enouE "a % keep them should be used
~ chs ham, absorbs the salt from the
brine, it should be fed by adding little
salt on the top, and the hams should be
we'll struck through. When the hams are
large take out the aas bone with chisel,
leaving always the large bone. With care
1!nevsr have failed to keep hams sweet.
n How TO MAxE SMOKE HoUsE.-Hav-
ing giving you my method for curing and
keeNpg hams, let ne add my plan for a
a3sSks house. No farmer should be with.
out . good smoke house, and such one
as will b. ERE proof, and tolerably secure
from thieves. Fifty hams can be smoked
u one time in smoke house seven by
eight feet square. Mine is six by seven,
aud j. large enough for most farmers. ]
first dug al the ground cut below where
the frost would reach, and filled it up to
the surface With small stones. On this l
laid my brick floor, in lime mortar. The
walls are brick, eight inches thick and
seven feet high, with door on one side
two feet vide. The door should be made
Of wood aud lined With sheet iron. For
the top put on jost two by four, set up
edge~ise, and eight and half inches from
centre to centre, covered with brick and
pat on heay coat OF mortar. built q
small chimney on the top. in the centre,
srehing it oyer, and GOVERN Il it with .
single roof in the usual way. An arch
should be built on the outside. with a small
iron door to shut it up, similar to a stove
door, with a hole from the arch through
the wall.'of the smoke house and an iron
gate oyer it. The arch is much more con
vsnieat and better 70 put the FIRE in than
to build ere inside the smoke house. -
Good corn cobs or hickery wood are the
best materials to make smoke for hams
The cost Of such smoke house as have
described is about twenty dollars
80. ALEX. BROOKS.
Faetoryyille. Tioga., N. Y, Oct, 1859