The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-01-20
FARMER AND PLANTER.
HOG KILLING TIME.
A Few Ideas ON sIaushtering Hogs and
Handling the Product.

A Few Ideas ON Strengthening Hogs and
Handling the Product.
If there is a time in the year when
country housekeeper feels mere beset
and overrun than usual. it is at hog
killing time. The Strengthening OF hogs
brings about so much work (mVch OF
it both troublesome and disagreeable),
that it would be an intolerable
nuisance if they were not such service
able animals 1t is a remarkable fact
that every scrap of the hog can be
utilized; from the dainty hams, which
form its browning excellence. down to
the gatherings" which are eaten by
negroes, and considered quite deli
cacy, but which are generally made in
to soap by white people.
In reference to Strengthening hogs,
the question arises, is it best to kill all
at once or only few at time? On
this point no absolute rule can be laid
down because circumstances alter
cases. My own experience, however,
leads me to prefer having few killed
at time, say two or three. BY this
plan you can use up the parts not in
tended to be sailed and put away be-
fore there is danger of their spelling
on your hands / mean the liver,
chine, spareribs and scraps. If. how
ever, you live near town, boarding
house or boarding school, where you
can meet with a ready sale for your
surplus fresh meat it is probab bly, better
to kill ALL or the greater part of your
hogs at once.
1t is not desirable to fatten hogs to
an enormous extent for family use; it
makes the meat too gross. A $50
FOUNDER is a good weight if you desire
nice and delicate meat. To secure this
you must also guard against having
your hogs too old. Do not let them at
tain more a year in age. Their flavor
hinges considerably on what they eat.
A swill fed hog does not have as fine a
flavor as one that feeds on mast, clover
or grass and corn.
In handling pork, the most import
ant point is to manage the hams right.
First, rub the fleshy part of the ham
with powdered salt petre to give it
pretty red color. Then salt it thorough
ly, and next rub it well with mixture
OF molasses and black pepper. Some
people use sugar, but the molasses
penetrates better into the pores of the
meat Pack the hams away in bulk.
skin side down and leave them undis-
turbed for six weeks. Then hang them
up and smoke them six weeks by
smouldering fire of chips, hickory
chips preferred. At the end of. this
time you may either bag the hams Tin
stout, unbleached cotton) and hang
them up. or you may pack them away
in hickory ashes. The latter plan was
followed by many persons in Old vir-
ginia, and in those days, we had the
finest hams in the world. do not re-
member that our hams were infested
with the shippers and other insects of
which we hear SO much clamorous
complaints nowadays, SO / can
but think that these were kept
off by the thorough smoking
ham underwent in those days. Ireally
do not think that smoking is essential
to the flavor of hams, as have tasted
SO many well-fiavored ones, not smoked,
since the war, smoking having fallen
much into disuse with us, in the last
twenty-five years, but can but think
it important as a preservative against
insects Shoulders may be treated in
exactly the same way as hams.
Whether you hang them up or pack
them away, it is desirable to keep
them in cool, dry place, in spring and
Another thing l think we had better
In old slavery times than now and that
was sausage chopped by an ak, instead
Of the modern machine sausage. To
this day, know a fastidious old
gentleman who will not touch
sausage unless he can get it, made
In <the old-fashioned way. Memory
calls up pleasant picture of a Draw
ny, stalwart negro man, chopping sau-
sage with his ak, in my childhood, the
foremost negro man ON the plantation
who always led the row of wheat Grad
lers and indeed, took the lead, in all
plantation work. But / must confess
the modern way of grinding sausage in
, mill is more convenient and suits the
times better. 1t is our best policy now
10 substitute machine work for hand
abor, whenever possible Be careful
70 remove all bones and skin from the
scraps intended for sausage-meat,
IS these clog and injure the
machine. One-third fat to two
thirds of lean meat is good proper
Jon for sausage. Season with salt,
black pepper and sage Put the sage
caves in a baking pan and let them
stay in the stove till crisp. Then break
hem up as small as you can and run
hem through q sitter. which will re-
luce them to q fine powder, suitable
'or putting in the sausage. If you de-
lire to keep sausage till spring pack it
;losely in a stone jar to within an inch
'r two of the top, and fill this vacuum
with melted butter. In old times we
xept sausage by putting it up in shucks,
putting it in the places that had been
by the ear of corn, and tying
Up the shucks tightly at the bottom. =