The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1865-01-24
= ss HIIIsDALE. MICH. TUESDAY,
Sugar Cured Hams.

A writer in the Scientific American
says: IgYc et
srhe meat must not be allowed to
freeze under any stances-freez.
ing destroying the property in the
juices, which prevents any application
Of sugar, molasses, Or salt, from uniting
with them and forming the chemioal
combination which keeps them from
souring. Separate the right and left
hams; spread them on floor, shelf or
in a box, the thick part Of each ham
overlapping the thick part, with their
butts elevated three inches more than
the shanks. Bear in mind, through the
whole process, that the retention Of the
juices by placing the hams in proper
position, and free from any kind Of pres
sure is essential. 7'l' N' NhI@. e
"To cure a ham Of fifteen pounds
weight requires one pound Of good
brown sugar, two ounces refined and
ground saltpetre, halfa pound ofground
sea salt. First application saltpetre,
and cover the face of the ham with
sugar a quarter of an inch thick on the
fifth day rub the skin side with sugar.
Second application--saltpctrc and a
mixture of three parts sugar, and one
part salt; on the seventh day rub as
before. Third application-half sugar
and half salt; in seven days rub as be-
fore. Fourth application-same as last;
IN seven days rub with half sugar and
half salt, clean the flesh side of the ham.
Fifth application-very good molasses
mot sorgum) as lorg rs the meat will
absob it. Saturate the ham with sugar
as you would in preserving fruit; the
salt is only to flavor it; for hams in
tend for boiling, and which require
more salt, you may use salt according
to your judgment and give more time.
The ham is now cured, and for purpos-
es of boiling it will be found delicious.
'Hams should always be dried with
out smoke, hanging them in domestic
sacks, shanks down. If you perfer
smoke, hang for two months, and then
commence smoking, observing to have
your meat elevated as many feet from
your fires rs practicable. Smoke-houses
should be constructed SO that the smoke
is admitted at the top of the building
the meat being near dry floor, the
smoke settles on meat after being cool.
ed How smoke should never touch
meat. Smoke very slowly, using green
hickory, smother with green sawdust
from white or burr oak timber if you
can get it. / have never used anything
else, and therefore cannot speak of the
merits of corn cobs or sassatras; but as
rule use timber that smokes red, not
black; during the last six hours smok-
ing, throw red peppers on the fire, it
keeps off the skinner bug You may
want to know what are the advantages
gained by curing hams by this expens-
i've process. Well, they are weight
and superior quality; as to their keep
ing / never had chance to ascertain
it-hams' cured in this way being COB
bled up" Immediately when placed in
market-their keeping qualities don't
get chance to be tested. Compared
with sweet picked ham there is just
the same superiority in quality as there
is between the sweet picked and salt.
Try few.
"One word more about the special
advantage of curing with sugar fat
cured with salt is repulsive te weak
stomaohs, consequently large portion
is trimmed flo hams intended for the
American market, that in England is
always retained, for two reasons--econ-
omy and preserving the Juices. Stom.
achs that reject fat when salted, find it
palatable and delicious when cured
with sugar"