The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-06-27
Arlnln and Easy way u q curing Hams.

The principal thing In cnring hams -
10 get them Just salt enough TO keep
them and not so salt as to inlure the
flavor and cause them TO get hard.
Hams should be neatly trimmed and Gus
rounding, TO initiate as close as possible
the hams of commerce. =.
U Trim closely, so there shall be no
masses Of fat left at the lowest extremity
Of the hams. y The shoulders may be cut
in shape convenient for packing, ana
thew should be sailed in separate pack
ages from the hams.
Hams are cured by both dry sailing
and brine. When dry sailing Is en-
ployed the hams are rubbed often with
salt and sugar. Between each rubbing
thew are punched up on platforms or
tables, the surface of which is spread
with a LAYER of salt, and each ham Is
also covered with salt. When taken up
to rub, which is usually done five or six
times, a shallow box is at hand in which
to do the work.
When brine is used, prepare pickle
strong enough to float an egg and str
into Il sufficient amount of sugar and
molasses to give it a sweetened TASTE
Some add a little saltpeter 90 color the
meat, while Others claim it tends TO
I harden the nest. In moderate quanti-
ties, it is generally accepted as bene-
y fetal. Cover the hams with pickle and
! place the packages where the tempera-
/ ture is uniform and above freezing.
For hams of twelve pounds four weeks
| will be sufficient; large hams must re-
main in brine a longer time. In gen.
\ eral, three 70 seven weeks embraces the
| extrerne of time required for domestic
curing of hams, varying as to size oil
hams, temperture and time when they
will be required for use. When 1t Is
designed to preserve hams through the
summer they must not be removed from
the pickle too soon.
Shoulders require much the same
treatment as do hams, and both shoulc
be carefully smoked. The preservatlye
principle Of smoke is known as creosote
Smoke made by burning corn cobs 1
highly esteemed, but those engaged II
curing meat on q large scale prefer thu
smoke obtained from dry hickory tina
has been stripped Of It's bark. Fhl
smoking process must not be too. mucl
b, hurried or the creosote will not hav'
time to penetrate the entire substanceo
the meat. Ten days smoking Is usual.
sufficient, unless the pieces are yer,
J large and thick.
A process in ham curing pracdeed b.
| some of the leading packing houses con
K sists in creating the smoke in an ovel
] foutside OF. the smoke house and passe'
: through underground pipes into it. Th
, smoke, rising from the floor to the to
of the house, encounters two opposit
currents OF air drawn from the outside
These currents cause the smoke to forr
into a rapidly revolving horizontal Co
unn which passes among the hams
The smoke is not warm, and there IS n
heat to melt the hams or hot air Z
! blacken them. The hams under TIL
! process are smoked in very much les
! time than by the old method.
While canvassing hams has nothing
lido with their flavor it is q protectio
! from insects, ard will pay the farme
! for the extra labor. 1t should be don
!, before warm weather Wrap each har
IN coarse brown paper and then sew
up in cotton cloth cut to suit the siz'
following the shape of the ham. dWhe
! covered as described, dip them in was
made of lime water and colored wit
Fellow ocher. Hang up in a cool plae
> 70 dry. The wash closes the interstic'
# the muslin, and the whole forms
: lA,erfeot projection against insects. III
J oom in which any kind of cured me-
il stored should be dry and cool, an
I e darker the better.- Western Rltrd