Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-12-10

action and that of heat in the process OF
cooking, and showing that as little salt
should be used as is consistent with the pres
ervation Of the meat, and that in the curing
of dried meats brine should be altogether
excluded He then continues as follows:
| What is known in commerce as the I" SUI
gar cured hams" are packed IN bulk with
ground salt at such tim IS, or from time to
time, as convenience may dictate; the time
they remain in bulk is also governed by con-
venlence. They are at length packed In
| hogsheads, filled with what is called sweet
plckle-composed OF salt, saltpetre and mo-
lasses. Many of them are shipped from the
West in this condition, smoked here aud sold
for Jersey hams. The consequence is, there
is little uniformity in their quality. Some OF
them are very good, others over-salted, hard
and tasteless. The celebrated Burlington
hams of the olden time, (Newbold, think,
was the name,) were cured in this wise:
To twelve hams. 8 pounds sugar, l IL pounds
saitpetre, pounds fine salt rub the hams
with this mixture, and let them be ore week
in cask with the skins downward then
make a pickle Of the strongest coarse salt, OF
sufficient strength to bear an egg &; add two
or three quarts of hickory ley, refined by boil
ing; when cold cover them. The receipt of
Abraham Hunt of Trenton, was-FOr three
dozen hams, 3 pounds saltpeue, IL busbel
fine salt, and IL gallons OF molasses; mix
them we'll together, and rub the hams well
es them lie twelve or fourteen days then
make a pickle sthat will bear an egg, and
cover the hams with it. After lying shree
or four weeks in pickle, rub them with bran
and hang them up to smoke The recipe
that | have adopted for 10y own use, is as
follows For II hams, pound saltpetre,
II pounds fine salt, - gallon molasses.
| These Ingredients, when well mixed, will
have about the consistency and appearance
of damp brown sugar. Rub them thor
oughly with this mixture, lay them slngly
on dry platform. At the end of one week
ruG them again; at the end OF the second
week again rub them and hang them up to
smoke. Let them dry thoroughly, but do
not smoke them more than ten days. 1t
will be perceived that all the foregoing reel
pes embody the same principles and differ
only in the mode of compromising the ingre
dents and their application ; and l am fire.
quently amused to some neGly-hedgst
agricultural journal publishing a new rec pc
tor curing bacon hams, when In principle, ii
not In words, it Is precisely the same that
Was used more than halt a century ago. In
regard to smoking meat, 1t has been prae
tced in this country since time immemorial,
but do not deem 1t essential to its preser-
vatiOn. Many persons like slight favor OF
m0ke, Others do not. Meats cured for the
English market are neUer smoked, and have
known persons to kiln-dry their meat as they
would cure tobacco. II IS, necessary, how
ever, to have it thoroughly dried L would
net be understood as entirely dscardng
brine. In some cases it is not only valuab e.
but Indispensable The sides, or what is
known as mess pork, being nearly all fat,
possess neither fbrine nor albumen, and con-
sequently cannot be injured either by salt or
water, and can be kept sound and sweet an
Indefrite length of time by simply keeping
1t covered with pure brine, or as the gentle
man from Wheatland suggested at our last
meeting, by keeping it covered with salt.
and taking it to the pump now and then,
anG filling the cask with cold water
would here, however. drop a caution. All
brine requires to be assiduously watched and
kept pure. 1t extracts the juices Of the
meat they being lighter than the water
saturated with salt, rise to the top, become
exposed to the air, and soon decompose,
thereby, communicating the whole contents
of the cask The following recipe for making
brine, think, is the best that has fallen
, within my observations SIX pounds salt, one
pint m0lasses, SIX ounces saltpetre dissolve
them by boiling in four gallons of water.
In the pickle, when perfectly cold, keep any
sort of fresh meat sunk and closely stopped
!, This pickle may be kept pure and its strength
, undimlnished Tor almost any length of time
/ by occasionally reboillng it and skimming off
, the impurities; but as old brine is an excel
lent fertilizer, and salt is not expensive, |
. would recommend that the old brine BE-
: thrown on the asparagus bed or compost
heap, and freshly-made brine be substituted
Opinions in relation to - the best mode OF
preserving meats after they are cured, are
as diversified as they are in regard t. the
$ mode of curing. The hams OF commerce
! are, believe, invariably covered with can
5 vas and whIteWashed. Many persons advo-
{ cate packing them in chat, bran, ashes, etc
/ Others, alter smoking. immense them in
6 BRINE; others again pack them in air tight
Y barrels. The manner of keeping is n t SC
i essential as the time at which they are pu,
r up. And hence the necessity of not con.
b suming more time than is necessary in cur
e lag. If they are not secured before the fly
{ deposits its eggs upon them, no means what
ever will save them, except indeed in keeping
d them in a temperature SO low that the egg
5 cannot hatch, or immerslng them in brine
!, For any considerable quantity, prefer til.
l. tight barrel system. But for family use,
IS have found rough swinging shelf, the sides
d and ends of which are cover ed with wire
n cloth Tin which the pieces are hung) very
II convenient and secure against both flies and
: vermin of every description.
d Now, MIR. President and gentlemen, if the
e foregoing premises be correct, am led to the
n following conclusions: l. To have cureC
, meats in perfection, no animal should b.
slaughtered until it has in some degree d
|; least attained its natural growth 2 AL
re meats should be promptly and thoroughly
N cooled before beng salted. If In cold wealth
4 err by hanging in cold place at least forty
| eight hours and as much longer as will b
ID consistent with its keeping sound, but unde
~ 10 circumstances let it freeze. 3. No NOR
salt should be used and no more time shout
be consumed IN curing than is necessary t.
Its safe keeping, due regard being had to tn
e, size OF the pieces, the temperature of tn
as weather, etc, and as little water should b
G. used as is consistent with cleanliness. 4
lt They should be thoroughly dried befor
10 slowing away, but smoke is not essential t
TT their preservation. S. To preserve them al
I'd ter being cured, they should be slowed ava
is in cool and well ventilated apartment be
ne fore the fly can possibly reach them In thi
r climate, should say not later than the m id
" die of February.
I'd How TO LEAD Cow.-There is some phi