New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-02-04
4 Plea for Bacon.

WANT to urge upon farmer readers
the idea of curing their pork into ba-
con, and keeping some of it for their
own tables and making a home marke,
for such as they can spare. If they
will have it on their own tables, people
unused to it may find o. its value as a
staple article of meat, and q little sold
in a town will prepare the way for more
demand another year. The truth is,
the public, as body in the North, do
not know anything about bacon, and it
is time they did. Pork has started in
our local market at six dollars per hun
dred, and will probably run down
within two months to four dollars.
What nonsense it is for farmers to
force their pigs upon such q market.
Many of them will do it and get rid of
their pigs, and because their families do
not like pork (pickled pork) they will
buy beef fattened in Texas or Colorado.
This is sort of economy which is
largely practiced in this vicinity. If
the pigs should be killed when they
weigh about one hundred pounds, and
the entire sides, with all of the lean left
on, be made into bacon, the farmer can
have in store as nice meat and as nala-
table as any beef he may buy, and for
the surplus he may realize price which
will compensate him for his grain and
trouble. With the sides made into ba-
con pig can be turned into good ac-
count. The hams and shoulders make
the best of food, and cost the possessor
no extra profits which he has to pay
over and above the cost of the beef, be-
sides the freight. In other words, when
q farmer buys beef he pays more than
twice the cost of the meat to the pro-
Queer, and when he cures his own pigs
into hams. shoulders, bacon and lard,
and sells them to the consumer direct,
he makes the profit others make out of
him when he sells his pigs at the pork
price, four dollars per hundred weight.
When he sells his pork and buys beef,
he loses both ways, and if the extra
price he pays for his beef over his pork
was subtracted from the price of his
pork, he would really get nothing for it;
but when he fits it for food so that it
takes the place of the beef and he docs
not buy it, he really doubles its value
and trebles it, as beef retails at an aver
age of more than twelve cents pound.
Pigs must not be extra fat to make the
best of bacon, and the spare-rib lean
must be. left on the ribs, the bone must
be cut out, and the sides cut square and
smooth; the trimmings can be made
into sausage or 20 with the fat into
lard. The first six months is the most
growing age tor pig, anu at tnn age
*heY are suitable for the purpose After
th%t they begin to get too thick and fat.
Bacon may be cured the same as hams
and shoulders, only it does not require
80 long sailing. Usually the salt is
rubbed on the pieces, and they are piled
up for few days to let it strike through.
Three rubbiBgs ake enough. It should
never be allowed to freeze during the
curing, and if frozen it must be thawed
out BY soaking in water. Bacon will
take In salt enough. unless the sides are
very thick, in three weeks, when it is
ready to be smoked. After smoking it
may be hung in dry, cool place or
packed in dry salt or in tight boxes. 1t
d always ready for use, and rasher Of
good bacon is q treat for breakfast or
any meal. Al . side dish It has no
superior. It may 30 broiled IN dainty
bits or fried IN more generous slices. Il
Il excellent to flavor chickens or Stews,
and for staple meat - far preferable
to pork. The black and red Berkshire
pigs make the best bacon, @ they have
moro lean meat mixed with the TT, the
red being the best Of the two, . they
retain moro than the others the old
characteristics Of tho Berkshire breed,