The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-12-02

Fling we the golden shower around.
+. Fling wide the generous grain we fling
Der the dark mold the green OF spring.
For thick the emerald blades shall grow,
When first the March winds M It the snow,
And to the sleeping flowers below,
The early bluebird sing.
W. c. Bryant's Song Of the sower.
HOW TO CURE BACON, HAM, AND
PORK:
A correspondent of an exchange says
As the wintry months approach the hog
gains greatly in the estimation Of his
friends, and many persons who would
not taste Of the flesh in the summer
months are pleased to see the various
dishes composed of it upon their tables.
But bacon holds its own at all seasons of
the year, and ham is always appreciated
when properly cured and cooked. Opin.
ions differ ~ to the derivation of the term
''bacon." Some wise heads think it to be
= corruption Of the Scotch bacon, (dried) ;
while others believe it to come from
beechen, Is the finest fitches are furnish
ed by animals fed upon the beech-nuts.
There are also various ways for curing
bacon. The Yorkshire (England) method
is to burn off tho bristles, rather than to
scald them, then brush the carcass and
wash it in cold water, and let it hang
where it will not freeze for twenty. -four
hours. Ohe-quarter ola pound Of salt
peter and twenty-five pounds of common
salt are then rubbed thoroughly into the
piece Of the animal, which should be
placed in large tub and covered up
closely in cool place for fortnight.
Then turn over each piece and rub in q
little more salt. Let it remain in the
pickle another fortnight, and the bacon is
ready to be smoked. The best way to
smoke it is with corn on the cob burned
upon charcoal; keeping up slow dense
smoke and not tire. Then put it in a
cloth and wash it over with white.wash,
to preserve it from mold or fly.blows, and
place where there is no moisture, and it
will keep for years.
The Westphalian hams and bacon are
cured by the following receipt: To six
pounds OF rock salt add three ounces Of
saltpeter and two pounds of coffee G
sugar. Put it into three gallons of water.
and boil until dissolved, skimming it we'll
while it boils and when cold pour it over
the meat, keeping every part of it under
the brine.
Bacon can be picked ready to smoke
in about ten days; but hams should re.
main in for four or five weeks. This
pickle can be used again and again, lift is
boiled up, skinned, and a small portion
of its ingredients added each time. Be-
fore putting the meat into the brine it
should be carefully washed and wiped
clean from blood, as that spoils the
pickle. Pickling-tubs should be larger at
the bottom, so that the pork can remain
urdisturbei in its layers until needed for
use; and the bottom Of the tub should be
covered with coarse salt, and then layer
Of meat placed upon it. and so on until
tho tub is filled. A good way to pickle
one ham Take q deep, stoneware dish,
just large enough to hold 4 ham, and
mix together one pound Of coarse brown
sugar, one and half pounds of fine salt,
and one ounce each Of saltpeter and salt
prunellc. Then rub every portion of the
ham, and pile the remainder of it over
the top. having placed the ham skin side
downward in the dish. Let it stand for
two or three days; then turn it over and
rub in tho mixture, and ladle over it with
q spoon any brine that may be found at
the bottom Of the pan. Do this for
fortnight, and if the ham is needed fov
use, it can be smoked for two or three
days, and then boiled. And it will prove
a delicious dish, especially if roasted and
served with clarct-wine sauce, made by
basting it the last hour with tumbler.
full Of the wine. And after pouring off
the fat thicken The gravy. If it is to be
kept, let it remain in the pickle, rubbing
it occasionally for month or so. A pint
Of molasses can be substituted for the
sugar, and pint Of beer is also an i'm
provement to its flavor.
Bacon is almost the only meat tasted
by hundreds Of thousands Of Frenchmen,
and they have become connoisseurs in
the method Of preparing it. AS soon as
the pig is killed it is always singed, not
scalded, the carcass being placed upon =
bundle Of straw and the fire set to it to
windward, As one side is singed the pig
is turned over; and if any bristles re-
main they are burnt off with wisps of
burning straw. Next il is brushed, and
scraped with knife, and washed clean
with cold water. After cutting it open,
the ''fry' is placed into water, to be
clcansed from blood, and afterward it is
speedily cooked. Some persons will
leave the cleaned carcass to cool all
all night; while others kill by early
dawn, and cut up in the evening by can.
delight to save time. The pig is cut up
into convenient pieces of from three to
five pounds each, reserving the hams,
feet, heads, and tails for special treats ;
also few roasting-picccs and some sau-
sage meat. The feet are then boiled ten.
der and broiled as tidbits.
TO PREVENT SPLITTING OF HAN:
DIES.
All carpenters know how soon the butt
ends Of chisels split, when daily exposed
to the blows Of the ma1lct or hammers.
A remedy suggested by Brooklyn man
consists simply in saving or cutting off
the round end of the handle so Is to make
it fat, and attaching by few small nails
on the top Of it two round disks of sole
leather, SO that the end becomes similar
to the heel Of boot. The two thicknesses
Of leather will prevent all further split.
ting, and if in the course Of time they ex-
pand and overlap the woed of the handle,
they are simply trimmed off all around.
Timely Hints.--The agricultural editor
of the n. Y. Herald in an article on pre-
pairing for winter, gives the following
hints stop leaks in the roof before II