Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1872-11-08
FARM AND FIRESIDE.

!; CURING PoRK.-Some thirty years ago I
lodged from Saturday to Monday with an
inn-kesper in the country, who was also a
farmer. On the table for Sundays dinner
there was nice piece of picked pork, boil
ed the day before On tasting it l thought
it the most delicious l ever etc. request
ed "mine host" to give his receipt for curing
pork. He replies as follows:
"As soon as my hogs are dressed and cool
enough te be cut, 1 pack the side pieces in
a barrel or cask, with plenty of salt on all
sides of each piece, and when my barrel is
full Immediately roll it to my pump and
pump in water until / can see the water
cease to sink in the vessel, or to moisten the
salt on top Of the cask. I then lay fat
stone, as large as the vessel will receive, on
the contents. so as to keep the pork always
under the salt or pickle. I put it in my Gel
lar, covered so as to exclude the flies, and
there it remains unit! piece is wanted
Care must be taken to keep the meat under
the pickle, otherwise it will rust"
Here is the whole secret of making good
picked pork for family use. We have used
the above method, and we want no better,
easier or more economical plan. 1t has Of
ten happened that when we wanted to put
down new pork there remained some of the
old in the bottom of the cask. In that case
we poured off the pickle, took the undissolv-
ed salt, packed the fresh pork on top of the
old, using the salt which had been in the
cask, with the addition of fresh salt if neces-
sary, and then poured on the old pickle or
water. In this way we have had pork three
or four years n the bottom of our pork bar
rel, and when used it was as free from ran
cidity as it was three weeks after it was put
down. Indeed, we seldom emptied our pork
barrel, except when it wanted hopping. We
believe that boiling pickle is useless, if not
injurious. Pork ought not, if it can be pre-
vented, to be frozen before it is put down.
The best pork that we ever saw was that
from some pigs under the charge of lad
who took as much care of them as some peo-
pie do of their children. Every day he used
to give them dinner Of hot potatoes, for he
said that he didn't see why his pigs
| "shoudn't have their Eaters hot as we'll as
himself" Then he used to scrub them sew
eral times a week with a brush and soap,
rlnslng them with clean water. The ami
mails seemed to enjoy their lavation, and
used to press quite eagerly toward him as
he came in sight with his pail and scrubbing.
brush. Their sty was also kept perfectly
clean, and then troughs washed out frequent
ly In consequence the pork was perfec.
AS general thing it is a good plan to
reject pork made from hogs that have been
kept by distllers or butchers but if posi-
BILE get pork that has been bred and fed by
dairyman, and finished off with corn.
OFFENSIVE BREATH.-What is more dis
agreeable than an offensive breath? Per-
haps flthiness of person, which would pro-
duce an unpleasant appearances to the eye
but we are speaking more of persons of res
probability who move in good society It is
not very uncommon for such people to have
breath SO offensive as to make their near
presence extremely disagreeable. There
may be several causes for this, but one of
the more common is decayed teeth and the
want OF care respecting the cleanliness of
the mouth; and singular as it may seem,
one may have an offensive breath and not
know 1t, and it is subject on which friends
are very reluctan to speak SO that one may
| have bad breath for a year and not know
it. After each meal one should remove
with stick or quill all loose particles of
food from between the teeth, and rinse the
mouth with water, and soft brush at night
and IN the morning, and little nice toilet
soap on the brush may be used. Nine out
OF ten who annoy their friend with bad
breath might obviate it entirely by follow
ing these directions in regard to the mouth.
How TO BARREL WINTER AppLEs.-The
Yankee always barrel their apples for the
market, and see them in this way to most
advantage throughout the Fall and Winter.
The secret of having them keep and carry
we'll is to pack them tight. The New York
Agraculturist tells how to do thus: "Clean
new barrels should be provided. When
one is about half full, shake the barrel gent.
ly, In order to settle the fruit; repeat this
when the barrel is full, and then LAYER on
the top SO that the apples will be at least
one inch above the chine. The head is then
put IN position, and pressed down by means
OF lever. Apples packed in this way can
be carried long distance without danger Of
bruising. Do not put any poor fruit with
the first quality, as it will seriously affect
the price. After the fruit is all barrelled
in should DO stored in cool place, where
there is DO danger from FROST"
10 SwEETEN BUTTER F1RK1Ns. Before
packing butter into frkins, put them out of
doors 10 the vicinity of the we'll, fill them
with water and throw in few handfuls of
salt, let them stand three or four days. and
change the water once during that time
If the butter is we'll made and rightly pack.
ed it will keep good all summer. To cleanse
old trkins in which butter has been packed
and left exposed some time to the air, fill
with sour milk and leave standing twenty
four hours; then wash clean and scald with
brine. This makes them as good as new.
BRIDE CAKE. Two full cups Of white
sugar, half cup Of butter. hale
emp of butter, the whites Of Eve eggs
beaten to froth; add to this one CUP 81
cold water, mix we'll together then add
three cups of flour, into which one teaspoon
OF soda and two Of cream tartar have been
stirred. Beat together briskly for two min.
utes, and bake in a quick oven. Flavor
with almond. and frost the top.
FRENCH Rolls OR TwisT.-One quart Of
lukeWarn milk, teaspoonful of salt tea.
\ cunfuI Yeast and Co.,. ''