Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-02-14
AGRICULTURE,

CURING MEATs.-Hams, shoulders and
breakfast bacon can be sugar-cured IN
tight or open vessel. The open vessel Is
best. Psck the meats closely in the vessel
ana after preparing the pickle, pour II
over the meats, ard If the vessel be open,
put weight on the meat 10 hold II under
the pickle. If the vessel is tight, turn II
half over every third day for twenty
days. The vessel must be kept full OF
pickle.
The pickle is made as follows: For each
500 pounds of meat placed in tIerce or
hogshead, put in "a pounds of salt. three
quarts of good syrup. II ounces of saltpe-
tire, and fill the barrel with wafer Ii cur
ing IL an open vessel, take the meats out
of the vessel and repack as often as you
would turn the vessel if tight. This is
done TO change the position OF the pieces,
that the pickle may reach every part. 1t
Is best TO let the meats remain in the pick
lie until taken out to smoke. The tenn
perature should be kept below fifty de-
grees while the pickle remains on the
meats.
Picked pork (mess or clear pork is
made by sprnkling rock salt at the bot
tom of the barrel, aud packing the pieces
closely, placing them on edge, sprlnkling
salt between the layers, using so pounds
| of salt TO 100 pounds OF meat. A BRINE oi
/ full strength should then be made and the
barrel filed. See that the barrel is kept
full of pickle. or if the vessel Is an open
one, that the pickle covers the meats. II
the pickle should begin to ferment at any
time more rock sat should be added. When
meats cured IN this manner are TO be
smoked, put them in vessel OF cold wa
Ter TO soak for six or ten hours 10 remove
the surplus salt: then wash in rain water,
rubbing well with scrub-brush or cloth,
then hang fo- "a hours before supplying
SMOKE. Sweet picked meat should no'
be soaked IN water before smoking. but
should lie washed in ram water the SAINT
as IN dry salt-cured meats. The meal
should be hung. for smoking, as high above
the fire as possible. The meat should be
smoked from ten DAYS TO two weeks.
Sugar-cured meats should be scrubbed OF
placed In dalk room before the fly ap'
pears in the early spring.
A Kentucky method of curing ham:
and bacon is furnished by a gentleman
from that State, who knows it TO be geoC
and absolutely proof against skIppers,
Leave the meat in q strong brine for sever
or eight weeks, then wash it IN luke warn
water, ard dry. When dry, roll it IN 1
mixture OF equal parts of pepper and salt
petre, rubbing it thoroughly with thu
hand. Hang In the smoke house under {
slow fire, Only partially smoking IT. In th'
spring, before the flies come, paint th'
meat with New Orleans molssses, thel
smoke thoroughly.
Another method: The following meth
cd of curing hams is recommended: Ru'
the flesh side Of the hams with fine salt
using no more than will adhere 10 1t. LIE
them remain IS hours, then put them int
cask, sink down, and cover With pick
lie made by dlssolvIng 10 POUNDS of sal
and two and half ounces crude Eas
India saltpetre in 10 gallons of water, ant
adding three quarts of molosses. Keel
them weighted down. They will cur
ready for smoking in 40 to 80 days.
Still another: A well recomnlendet
pickle for curing hams is made of one an,
one malt POUNDS Of salt, one half pound o
sugar, one-half ounce of potash. Boil to
gelher till the scum has risen 10 the top, an,
then skim. After cooling, pour it over tn
meat and leave the latter in the solution
four or five weeks.