The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-12-04
Curing Pork and Beef.
From the Western RURAL

l~@@ NSbNAA ANAAA OA'i
The season will 500 be at hand when
farmers will be thinking of killing and
packing their yearly supply of pork.
There is always more or less complaint
about pork getting rusty, orsour, Or taint-
ed. There is no reason why these com
plants should beneccessary, except from
causes that are easily Obviated. Pork
will get rusty, sou or tainted from con-
tact with the atmosphere, from being
kept too warm, Or from alterations OF
heat and cold, especially if the salt used
be not OF the first quality. Now, since
a perfectly cool and equuble temperature
is not available to every farmer. and
especially that class which is obliged to
depend, more than any other, on salt
pork for their summer meat, it is par
ticularly necessary that they use the
best salt in the market for curing Their
pork and other meat. If this salt cannot
be bought at the country town, and it is
often difficult to do so, an order should
be sent direct to the nearest commercial
city. This may easily he done econ0mi-
calIy, by a few farmers clubbing togttll-
or, each taking a barrel; or if there il II
grange, or club, the ~matterthen becomes
still more simple. The order only has
to he sent to the agent.
w ME LlE price OL Tie uttlcT RI1utS
Of salt is 80 little in advance of hat OF
the common grades, every man who salts
meat OF any kind should never risk the
curing with any butthe best. If he gets
the coarse solar, or diamond, there will be
no trouble.
When the pork has been killed, and
hung in n cool place for twenty-f0ur
hours, it should be sufficiently deprived
of the animal heat to be safely laid down
in salt. If not thoroughly deprived of
this heat, it is liable to trouble, even
with the best salt. Therefore, this is
the tiIstand most important step in the
curing of pork.
Cut it into suitable pieces, and rub
each one separately with salt, hams,
shoulders, chops, bacon and side meat,
and stack it up so that the blood may
drain forty-eight hours. Then pack
the side-meat IN its edge, in sweet bar
relR, as closely as possible, always keep
ing the skin side next the side of the
barrel, and using One-half huslIel, by
measure, OF coarse salt to each barrel.
When the barrel is full weight the meat
with a flat stone, and pour on sufficient
cold water until bubbles cease to rise and
the meat is entirely covered, always
rec0llecting that Fat meat will not take
up HJ fACtSS bl Sill. Ill Tic udFIpl IL To
ne headed up. do this before the water
the top. If thereafter you keep the bar
rels in Il cool place, az the cellar, and
upon taking from the barrel, are careful
70 keep the meet submerged, it will keep
ne, two, or three years, perfectly.
For curing in the best manner, hams,
shoulders, chops and bacon, after the
blood has been drained as previously re-
commended, should te packed in Il
suitable caSk, pretty tight; make a brine
OF two pounds salt, one. pound sugar,
and four uncps Saltpeter to each gallon
OF water Scald and skim this brine and,
when cold, pour over the meat keep in
a cool place, but not so MS to he frozen.
for about four weeks. Thus cured, meat
will not require any freshening, and ii
will retain tsred extraordinarily. Itisa
most excellent way for corned beef, but
it will not keep during hot weather.
The hams aud bacon, however. will be
all right, for the smoking will tend to
preserve them.
Dry sailing is performed by rubbing
the meat with a mixture, to he used warm,
in the following proportion four pounds
salt, three OF. saltpeter, and sufficient
molasses to make a thick paste. If the
'ieat IN packeu III casks ana the prime
allowed to form and Satnrate it, cit is
then called wet sailing. For home con-
sumption, we should much prefer the
picking process previously given, since
the meat may safelyliein the brine until
it may be smoked in the spring and the
thoroughly scalded and SKINNED,
with that taken from the c0rned beef,
and strengthened by the addition of Ont
pound more of salt to each gallon, may
b]ereturned to the beef, which will remain
sweet until July at least.