The Portland daily press., 1892-12-17
PACKING PORK AND HAMS.
One Method for Insuring Good Sweet Pork
A Pickle for Hams and Shoulders.


A Pickle for Hams and Shoulders.
There is difference in the methods of
packing pork; but the one here given is
vouched for by American Cultivator as
sure to result in sweet pork if the hogs
are well fattened on good food. Have
the pork barrel perfectly clean and
sweet, scalding and washing it i'll hot
water made strong with soda until 1T IS
SO, and see that it is we'll hoped and the
bottom braced so that it will not break
out. Get the best of clean broken rock
salt, and to half bushel of salt add one
ounce of saltpeter, or from two to four
ounces of baking soda, mixing it well
with the salt. After the animals are
killed, allow them to remain in a cool
place, but not where it is cold enough to
freeze, for about twenty-four hours, for
the animal heat to get out. If the out
side freezes before this heat is all gone,
the inside, especially against the bone IN
the thick part of the ham and shoulder,
will surely be tainted, and salt cannot
save it. 1t is best to guard against any
chance of freezing.
Cut off the head, hams and shoulders
and remove the sparerib and other. de-
sirable lean pieces. Ii not accustomed
to doing this work or to seeing it done,
it will pay to get some butcher or old
farmer to show you just how to do 1T.
You will then have before you the broad
side of pork. Cut each end off squarely,
and then proceed to cut into strips of
about four inches in width, having all
of one width, and begin packing by COW
ering the bottom of the barrel with salt.
On that place layer of pork, beginning
at the outer edge and laying the rind OF
the pork next the barrel and keeping
right around the barrel in that way,
making snug stowage as possible, and
fill the last space in the center with a
piece or pieces cut to fit snugly and
driven into place with a wooden maui.
On this place another layer of salt and
begin anew, going on until the cask is
full or the supply of pork is exhausted,
after which cover with salt and put a
cover down upon the pork, and either
press it down or weight it with heavy
stone. Put in no water, as in short
time, if the packing is we'll done, the
water in the pork will make a brine that
will cover the pork entirely. In using
always keep brine enough in the barrel to
cover the pork and keep it pressed down.
Some cut off the belly strips, OF thin
and partially lean part of the side, and
put it in pickle with the ham, to be
taken out and smoked as breakfast bacon,
and it is much better in that way. For
these and for the hams and shoulders we
have used pickle made by using eight
pounds of salt, four pounds of brown
sugar, one ounce of baking soda and one
half ounce of saltpeter. Some would use
more saltpeter, and some would use
molasses instead of sugar. Add water
enough to dissolve, and put it over the
fire to scald, carefully skimming off any
scum or dirt that rises to the top. It
need not boil at all, but should be made
scalding hot. Set away until cold again,
and while it is cooling pack the Shout
ders, hams and bacon strips in per-
fectly clean cask as snugly as possible.
This preparation is for 100 pounds of
meat, and if there is not water enough
to cover it more cold water maybe added.
Those who like their meat smoked will
find the shoulders and bacon strips salt
enough in three or four weeks, but a
large ham may need to stay there six or
eight weeks. Those who like it without
smoking can leave it in the pickle, as it
will not get too salt or get hard. This
pickle should keep sweet all summer in
cool cellar, but if any signs of spelling
are noticed the meat should be at once
taken out and washed in water in which
is a little soda to remove the tainted
brine, and the brine can be scalded over
again and little more salt added, or a
new brine may be made. Wash out the
cask before replacing the meat, and put
the brine in cold as before. In smoking
| use corn cobs or hickory wood.