Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-12-19

now TO SUPPLY II WITH CURED MEATS HINTS
FOR THE THRIFTY HOUSEWIFE

now TO SUPPLY II WITH CURED MEATS HINTS
FoB THE Trinity HOUSEWIFE.
The sailing Of clean side-pork is very
simple process There is no danger of salt
ing it too much, as it will only absorb Ger
tain amount The only danger IN curing
clear pork is IL packing it before the animal
heat is all gone. More pork is lost from this
cause than from all others combined No
definite rule can be- laid down as to the time
required for pork becoming thoroughly
cool This will depend somewhat on the
thickness Of the pork. but more on the state
of the weather The outside often feels cool
when the inside may be warm. IN ordinary
November weather hog should be allowed
to hang 3G hours before it is packed, and if
ON cutting it up, the thermometer applied to
the fresh-cut surface indicates a rise Of tenn
perature, packing should be deferred still
longer The pork should be cut in strips
about four inches wide, and packed with the
skin next 10 the sides of the barrel. a layer Of
best rock salt being FIRST placed Oh the bot
tom, and So alternating with layers Of salt
and pork till the barrel is full care being TAX
en- to pack each layer Of pork so compactiy
that It will not rlsa. Some make a brine and
add it to the pork after it has lain IN the salt
for two or three days but pure water is Just
as good If sufficient salt mas been used in the
phGhluks II UIlut II uhtAs il llubl bt LubI-
oughiy cold before It is applied A little
saltpetre half pound to a barrel will give
the pork slight rosy tinee much admired
by many, while others prefer the pure white
which salt alone gives.
The curing Of bacon is an entirely different
process. IL cutting up pork for bacon. il is
usual TO have some lean meat IL the strips
and if these were sailed as thoroughly as IL
clear fat pork, this lean meat would become
lntoierably hard and stringy. Bacon is. there
fore better If dry-salted as 1t Is called-that
Is. not put into brine but rubbed with tue
salt and sugar or molassrs mixed together.
If the rubbing is thoroughly done using SIX
pounds of salt and pound OF sugar, or q
pint OF moiassos TO 100 pounds of pork suti-
cient salt will be absorbed to keep these strips
Of bacon sweet for al indefinite time If
however. the strips are unusually thick, the
rubbing must be repeated after ten DAYS or
fortnight.
Beef Is best cured much IN tn, same way
as recommended tor bacon. only We should
always put il q quarter OF pound OF sail
petre along with the slN pounds of salt and
the pound of sugar A reddish hue III beef Is
desired 10y every one, and the saltpetre also
AAs al auusepuc effect With large pieces
of beef the rubbing must be repeated. except
when it Is designed for drying when one
tight covering, which keeps out the air and
prevents the putretact0n tendency IL some
warm and dry climates all the curing which
beef requires is hanging IL tine sun Oh some
branch Of Il tree where the air circulates or
all sides Of it, and soon forms a membranOus-
like covering. Our climate Is too moist for
this, and besides, most persons like taste
of salt IL their cured meat; The common
practice OF putting beef and hams into d brine
Is Objectionable the brine extracts more
or less Of the juices Of the meat which are
mostly retained If the meat Is dry-cured.
Another process III curing hams and dried
beef Is smoking Most persons think this
gives good a. well as al additional flavor TO
the meat Whether the flavor Is good or bad
depends much on the material used III gener-
atlng the smoke. Coru-cobs make a good
smoke as also do birch and hickory chips .
al unpleasant flavor Great care must be eX-
ercised, IL smoking, not to create so much
heat as TO cook, a. well h cure, the meat
To avoid this. il is well to have two apart
ments III the smoke-house-one for the cobs
or chips, and the other for the meat but
one Is sufficient if only the meat Is hung W
high enough and the IRE is kept smoulderlng