The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-11-07
Preserving Meats.

1t is curious to note the widely
differing methods adopted by diff
ferent househeepers for preserving
meats for family use. The methods,
however, are not 0 variable
than the quality of the meats after
they are preserved. Meats may be
preserved IN a great variety o.
ways. Beef will keep for an IN
limited length Of time if picked IN
a strong brine made Of clear salt
and water, but such beef, after a
short time becomes SO hard and
dry as TO be unpalatable to most
| people. The salt removes all the
rich juices of the beef. and leaves
it hard, woody, and tasteless.
The secret Of keeping beef, hams,
or other lean meat IN pickle, IS to
use just as little salt as possible,
but enough to prevent decomposl-
ton. Sugar IS nor expensive
than salt, but many people 5 it
very freely for making meat pickle,
and usually with good results.
Pepper and other spices will keep
meats from tainting, but too much
would spoil it for table use. We
are quite partial to the canning
methods of keeping meats, but as
the work needs to be done on a
large scale, and by those who are
experts in the business, it will be
sometime before such meats will
wholly supersede the home-cured
product. The early winter has
been too warm for the best success
in preserving meat fresh, many tons
of poultry and others meats have
been injured or entirely spoiled IN
the hand of dealers. For keeping
beef perfectly sweet for using fresh,
the following method is recon-
mended by a New York State farm
er. The only difficulty in follow
ing the directions this winter, has
been in finding a day cold enough
for freezing the meat very solid"
"Cut the beef in pieces to suit
your convenience, expose it where
it will freeze very solid, wrap each
piece in a separate piece of paper,
securing it with Irvine, and bury in
a bin of wheat. If you have 10
wheat, peas, barley, or any other
heavy grain will answer a good
purpose. l have kept beef fresh
and sweet in this way from the
first Of January to the first Of
April. | have had some beef kept
in this way which was better and
more tender on the first of April
than on the week it was killed"
For preserving beef in pickle, the
following method has been adopted
by many housekeepers with the
best success =
To 100 pounds Of beef cut in
pieces suitable for boiling, add
four quarts of salt, four pounds
brown sugar, and four ounces salt
petre. Sprinkle the mixture over
each piece as it is packed, and
pound down solid and weight heav-
| lily with stones. No water need be
added, as there will be enough
brine formed from the beef and
the other materials. The brine
must constantly cover the beef, IS
the air would soon spoil it.
The following recipe for picking
beef in brine, we find in a ccmmu-
nication to the Rurnl HOme:-
After sla%ughtering your beef, let
it hang, if convenient, in some
cool place, twenty-four hours; it
should not freeze before being pack
ed. Then with your saw and knife
cut it to suit your convenience,
leaving your axe in the woodshed.
To 100 pounds of beef use 10 lbs.
of fine salt, 4 ounces of saltpetre, 3
pounds of sugar, 2 ounce of black
pepper-to be put into hot water
enough to the meat. Let it
stand until lukewarm. Then pour
it on the meat; be sure to keep the
meat from rising up in the barrel.