The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-12-22

Satisfactory Nodes Of Curing Fsrk.
The season for curing meats for
home consumption is now at hand, and
although formulas are given every year,
few hints embracing all that il really
necessary on the subject will doubtless
be of assistance to large class of read
ers.
A secret of many failures In curing
meat lies in the fact that the animals
after Strengthening have not hung long
enough to thoroughly cool previous to
being cut up and packed. The car
cases are often exposed to an atmos-
phere cold enough to freeze the outer
/ surface before the animal heat has all
escaped. The consequence is this heat.
surrounded by q frozen wall of flesh.
remains In and around the bones to
sour and speedily cause decay at the
center of hams, shoulders and the like
which present fair outward appear
ance.
Cut the middles crosswise into pieces
five inches wide for picked pork, and
take out the back-bo and ribs. This
will leave the meat in q convenient
condition to cut in suitable pieces when
required for use. New packages are
the best, but old ones may be employed
repeatedly, provided they be clean and
sweet. The packages must be abso.
lutely clean and free from faint of any
description. Old pork barrels ought
never to be used for packing down
beef, and the beef tubs should not be
employed for packing pork: 1t is also
advised not to use for this purpose
either sirup or molasses barrels.
Sailing with and without brine are
both satisfactory methods when prop
erly done. but the preference is usually
given to the latter because the brine or
pickle used insures immunity from in
sects during the picking process.
When the pork is ready for packing,
sprinkle the bottom of the barrel liber-
ally with coarse salt of good quality.
pack the pieces on their edges. forming
ring around the inside OF the barrel
with the skin outward; fill the ring in
the same way until complete layer is
gained, then press and pound it down
gently. if necessary. Next apply .
generous layer of salt. Follow this
with layer of meat placed according
to the directions given for the first one,
and so on until the barrel is filed, TAX
ing care that the last layer of meat Is
covered with LAYER of salt.
II the weather is cold the meat NAV
stand several days in this condition. but
as rule it is the safer plan to at once
add the brine, which must be made
sufficiently strong to float an egg Let
the scum rise to the top, and skim it off
before applying the brine. which must
open package weight the pork down to
insure its rising above the pickle.
Employ enough salt SO there will be
some not dissolved in the barrel when
the meat shall have been used up.
The brine extracts blood and other
juices from the meat. These rise to the
surface, and in very warm weather are
liable to decompose and contaminate
the contents of the barrel. To avoid
tainted meat from this source the brine
may be drawn of occasionally, boi' ed.
skinned OF its impurities, and when
perfectly cold again poured over the
meat. This precaution is especially
necessary at the South, where tainted
meat is more liable to occur. When
barrels containing picked pork are
headed up it is advised to lay them on
their sides and roll them over OCCASION
ally.
There are some persons who pre-
to prepare brine by adding to the salt
some sugar or molasses and saltpeter.
When these additions are desired,
allow for every hundred pounds of pork
seven pounds of salt, three pints of
molasses or two pounds of brown sugar,
and four ounces of saltpeter. Boil the
pickle before using it and skim off all
the impurities. Let it become thor
oughly cold before pouring it over the
meat.
There is really no danger of injury to
any but the leaner portions of the hogs
carcass by too much salt. Side pork
does not readily become oversalt, hav-
ing so large per cent. of fat
In picked pork no harm is done bv
a superabnndance of salt: but bacon
must be differently treated, for choice
bacon is that presenting alternate
stripes of lean and fat, and too mu h
salt renders the lean part stringy and
tough. Dry sailing is generally re-
sorted to in making side bacon.
For dry-salting. !. e., sailing in bar
rels, boxes or plies. without the addi-
ton of water to form brine, it is of
the utmost importance that no chance
be afforded for flies to deposit eggs or
maggOts or to come in contact with the
meat. If flies have access to the pork
it cannot then be saved unless at once
put into brine or kept in temperature
SO low the eggs cannot hatch. the lat
te: being not often practicable. A
simple way in which any portion of the
hogs carcass can be cured without
brine is to put layer of half an inch of
salt on the bottom of the box or cask.
then a layer of meat; on this liberal
sprinkling of salt and SO on until all is
packed and the top we'll covered with
salt. Such portions as are not to be
smoked should be stored in brine be-
fore insects appear.
Pork should be cnt to suit the de-
mands of the different markets in
which it is sold and the various uses
for which it is intended. but in all cases
the am ought to be to have it in such
form as will pack closely. Never pack
down until thoroughly relieved of ami
NAL heat throughout. Meats are cured
with best success on the farm in ordi-
nary seasons from December until about
the middle of February, this season, as
rule, afforling the indispensable con-
ditions of cool weather and immunity
from insects. T. World.
Chicken Jelly.-Cut half of an un-
cooked chicken into small pieces and
break the bones: pour over it quart
Of cold water and boil slowly until it is
reduced to less than half; season with
salt and a little pepper, if the latter is
allowed the invalid. Strain through a
colander, then through a Jelly bag into
. mold or q bowl. II the chicken is
quite tender boil carefully the breast of
the other halt of it: cut it into dice and
put it into the mold or bowl and cover
it with the liquid. When the jelly has