The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-04-05
Freah llaat TSf tle Farm.


One of the greatest banes to the prop
er enjoyment of country life is the al
most constant use of salt meats. It is
ham for breakfast salty, oh, how salty!
Then for dinner it Is saltpork, boiled or
fried. Then for supper cold slice OF
ham, or boiled cold shoulder, varied a
little by Clipped dried beef, which is
within itself a ..pillar Of salt Then it
is drink. drink, from morning to night
without abatement.
Now. know the great difficulties that
lay in the way of q farmer, located miles
from city or town, to procure daily
supply Of fresh meat from the markets,
to say nothing of the unbearable cost of
such a proceeding to those who live
close enough to market to procure a
daily supply. just think Of it; we sell
our beef cattle to the butcher for, say
three cents on foot, and pay for the ar
tic.e on the hook from twelve and half
to twenty cents per pound, and our
mutton and pork in the same ratio. 1t
is not my purpose, in this article, to show
the relative losses and profits in these
transactions, but to show my brother
farmers how they can have fresh neat
on Their tables every day of the year,
and every meal Of each day If they will,
and that at their own first cost prices.
This plan of mine is not new; yet, am
safe in saying that it is not practiced by
one per cent. OF the farmers in the ma
ton. Why is thisp Ignorance Of ii Q
way to do it. It can be nothing else.
For there is less labor and work attend
ing tie process Of preserving the meats
put up for home consumption, by keep
ing them fresh, than there is by sailing,
smoking, wrappingin canvas, and pack
ing away, as now practlced. A second
great advantage is, that the curing OF
meats In fresh state can be accom-
plished at any season of the year, no
matter how hot, and that without ice.
Then, a third consideration is the saw
ings of labor to the farmers family dur
ing the hot sweltering summer months,
in fact, all through the year.
To enable any person to understand
the matter, will explain by Lrietiy
stating what we are now doing in the
way Of preparing our fresh meat for
next summers use. In the first place,
we have as many lard or pork barrels
rs will be necessary to hold supply of
meat for the family. These barrels are
clean, sweet, and tight, one end taken
out. They are arranged on bench in
the cellar, open end up. TIE pigs are
killed and cooled in the usual way.
When the animal heat is all out they
are cut up, cutting of tho sausage meat
and lard, thelard cutup ready to be rend-
cred out The shoulders and sides are
then cut up into such sized pieces as
may be convenient for table use. These
pieces are washed clearly, and boiled
in large kettles. seasoned with salt and
pepper TO make palatable, and when
sufficiently boiled for table use they are
placed in a barrel closely together, hut
not pressed or mashed, thus leaving
each piece as near in the shape cnt IS
possible. When the barrel is filled
within two inches of the top, we then
pour in warm lard until all the crevices
between the pieces of meat are filed
up, covering the top with one or two
inches Of the warm lard. Next day we
find that the lard has settled down; we
fill up again to the top and keep filling
until all has become a solid mass 81
meat and lard. This is the whole So
cret. You can fill any tight vessel from
a one gallon jar to a forty-five gallon
barrel in like manner, and If properly
done, and kept ia a cool place the meat
will keep fresh and sweet the year
round
The advantages of this process OF
keeping meat are manifold You can
kill q fat hog at any season Of the year,
and its own Eat can preserve it, and the
fat can be used for culinary purposes
just the same rs when put up In cans
for home use. The shoulders can be
thus prepared, and when cold are far
superior to salt meat, even after tc.ng
boiled, The sides when cut in square
pieces with tho ribs on, are Just as good
as when cooked fresh in the fall OF the
year. Hams, whole, when we'll cooked
and seasoned, retain all their sweetness,
and that without being impaired by the
excess of salt necessary to keep them.
Then there Is no trouble with flies, bugs
or shippers; the meat remains sweet,
wholesome and palatable until the last
piece is taken from The bottom. All the
care necessary in taking the pieces from
the barrel Is to press the lard down
closely over what Is lett and thus ex-
clude the air.
There are two great advantages in
this mode Of keeping meat; ono Is it is
fresh, easily digested and consequently
more healthy and decidedly more pleas
ant TO the taste; and it does not create
that burning thirst that is SO hard to
quench on hot harvest day. Then II
is always ready for table use, and that
without requiring your wives, daugh-
tiers and house help to melt over hot
stove when the mercury Is up among
the nineties, no small saving in thresh.
ing time.
The only great drawback that have
found to this plan is that can eat twice
the amount that can of sailed meats;
and, therefore, II requires double the
quantity for family use than under tho
sailing process; but / am persuaded
that the difference is made up in better
health and smaller doctor bills. Try it
on small scale and you will always
follow it. ~. RI, ia Prairie Farmer.
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