Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-07-18
FARM AND PRESIDE.
Fresh Meat for the Farm.

One of the greatest banes to the proper
enjoyment of country life is the almost
constant use of salt meats. It is ham for
breakfast. salty. oh, how saltyi Then for
dinner it is slat pork, boiled or fried
Then for supper cold slice of ham, or
boiled cold shoulder. varied little by
| chipping dried beef, which is within itself
| "pillar of SALT" Then it is drink, drink.
from morning to night without abate-
ment.
Now, know the great difficulties that
lie in the way of farmer located miles
| away from either city or town. to procure
daily supply Of fresh meat from the mar
kets. to say nothing of the unbearable cost
of such proceeding to those who live
close enough to market to procure daily
supply. just think of it; We sell our beef
to the butcher for. say three cents on foot,
and pay for the same article. on the hook,
from twelve 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 meat on
their tables every day of the year, and
every meal of the day, If they will, and
that at their own cost prices. This plan
OF mine is not new; yet l am safe in saying
that it Is not practiced by one per cent. of
the farmers in the nation. Why is this ?
Ignorance of the way to do it.
1t can be nothing else. For there is less
labor and work attending the process of
preserving the meats put up for home COR
sumption, by keeping them fresh, than
there is by sailing, smoking, wrapping in
canvas, and packing away, as now prac-
ticed. A second great advantage is that
the curing of meats in q fresh state can be
accomplished at any season of the year,
and that without ice. Then third con-
sideration is the saving of labor to the
farmers family during the hot, sweltering
summer months-in fact all through the
year.
To enable any person to understand the
matter, I will explain by briefly stating
what we are now dong in the way Of pre-
pairing our fresh meat for next summers
use. In the first place. we have as many
lard or pork barrels as 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
a bench open end up. The pigs are killed
and cooled In the usual way.
WheA the animal heat is all out, they
are all cut up, cutting off the sausage and
lard, the lard cut up, ready to be rendered
out. The shoulders and sides are then cut
up into such pieces as may be convenient
for table use. These pieces are washed
cleanly, and boiled in large kettles, season.
ed with pepper and salt to make it pala-
table, and when sufficiently boiled for
table use they are placed in barrel, close
" together, but not pressed. thus leaving
each piece as near the shape cut as pos
sible.
When the barrel is filled within two
inches of the top, we then pour some warm
lard until the crevices between the pieces
OF meat are filled 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 and keep filled I'M
til all has become solid mass of meat and
lard. TIL is Is the whole secret. You can
gil any light vessel from oue-gallon jar
to a forty-fve gallon barrel in like man.
ner; and If properly done and kept in a
cool place, the meat will keep fresh and
sweet the year round.
The advantages of this process of keep
ing meat are manifold. You can kill a
hog at any season Of the year. and its own
fat will preserve it. and the fat can be
used for culinary purposes just the same
as when put up in cans for home use. The
shoulders can thus be prepared. and when
cold are far superior to salt meat even
after being boiled.
The sides, when cut In square pieces
with the ribs on, are just as good as when
cooked fresh In the fall of the year. Hams,
whole, when well cooked and seasoned re-
tain all their sweetness, and that without
being impaired by the excess of salt nec-
essary 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 over
what is left. and thus exclude the air.
There are two great advantages in this
mode of keeping meat; one is, it is fresh,
easily digested, and consequently more
healthy, and decidedly more pleasant to
taste; and it does not create that burning
thirst that is SO hard to quench on hot
harvest day. Then it is always ready for
table use, and that without requiring your
wives, daughters, and house help to melt
over hot stove when the mercury is up
among the nineties-a no small saving in
threshing time.
The only great drawback that I have
found to this plan is that l can eat
twice the amount that I can of sailed
meats; and, therefore, it requires double
the quantity for family use than under the
sailing process; but AN persuaded that
the difference is made up in better health
and smaller doctors bills. Try it on a
small scale, and you will always follow it.
d. Il. IN the Prairie Farmer.
LOBSTER SALAD.-Cut up and season
the lobster the same as for chicken. Break
the leaves from the head of lettuce one by
one, and wash them singly in large pan
of ice water for about ten minutes, and
then shake in wire basket to free them
of water. Place in the ice chest until SER
wing time. When ready to serve put two
or three leaves together ON fiat dish. Mix
one-half of the mayonalse dressing with