Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-03-14
Fresh Meat for the Farm.
One of the greatest h.,a.hAz

one OF the greatest banes to the prop
enloyment of country life is the al
hloso constant use of salt meats. 1t is
nan 1or breakfast, salty, oh, how saltv!.
men tor dinner it is salt pork, boiled or
ifled. Then for supper a cold slice Of
nam, or boiled cold shoulder, varied a
mule by Clipped dried beef, which is
"lthin itself a ''pillar of salt" Then it
IS drink. drink, from morning to. night
without abatement.
NOW. l know the great difficulties that
!ay IN the way of a farmer, located miles
iioih CITY or town, to procure a daily
supply OF fresh meat from the markets,
% say nothing of the unbearablc cost of
sucn a proceeding to those who live
close enough to market to procure a
oally supply. just think of it; we sell
our Deef cattle to the butcher for, say
1nree cents on foot, and pay for the ar
tlcie on the hook fromtwelve and a half
20 twenty cents per pound, and our
mutton and pork in the same ratio. it
IS not my purpose, in this article, to show
Inc relative losses and profits in these
transactions, but to show my brother
farmers how they a have fresh meat
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; vet, I am
safe in saying that it is not practiced by
one per cent. of the farmers in the ma
ton. Why is this? Ignorance of the
way to do it. 1t can be nothing else.
For there is less labor and work attend
ing the 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 practiced. A second
great advantage is, that the curing of
meats in a 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 farmer family dur
ing the hot sweltering summer months,
In fact, all through the year.
70 enable any person to understand
the matter, l will explain by briefly
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
as. will be necessary to hold a supply of
meat for the family. These barrels are
Clean, sweet, and tight, one end taken
out. They are arranged on a bench in
the cellar, open end up. The pigs are
killed and cooled in the usual way,
When the animal heat is all out they
are cut up, cutting off the sausage meat
andlard, the lard 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, but
not pressed or mashed, thus leaving
each piece as near in the shape cut as
possible. When the barrel is filled
within two inches of the top, we then
pour in warm lard until all the crcvices
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; VIC
fill up again to the top and keep filling
until all has become q solid mass OF
meat and lard. This is the whole Sc.
cret. You a fill any tight vessel from
a one gallon jar to a forty-fve gallon
barrel in like manner and If properly
done, and kept in a cool place the meat
will keep fresh and sweet the yeal
round.
The advantages of this process Of
keeping meat are manifold. You can
kill a fat hog at any season of the year,
and it's own fat al 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 be
thus prepared, and when cold are fal
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, 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 dowr
closely over what is LETT and thus ex
clude the air.
There are two great advantages il
this mode OF keeping meat; n 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 Sc hard t.
quench on a hot harvest day. Then i
is always ready for table use, and tina
without requiring your wives, daugh
tiers and house help to melt over q no
stove when the mercury is up among
the nineties, a no small savingin thresh
ing time.
The only great drawback that l have
, found to this plan is that | can eat twice
the amount that l can OF sailed meats
and. therefore, it requires double thu
quantity for family use than under thu
sailing process; but l. am persuaded
that the difference is made up in better
health and smaller doctor bills. Try i
on a small scale and you will Away!
follow it'd. r., IN Prai7ae Farmer.
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