The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-12-02
Curing on--The Best Way.

MEssRs. EDITORS: In your issue Of
the 18th inst. I notice several recipes
for curing bacon. I propose to give
my way of managing the raising and
curing of bacon for the last thirty
years. My stock is of the No Bone
and Berkshire, which is close, round,
well formed hog. I have a good oak
woods pasture, and a lane leading
from barn to pasture, so that the hogs
can come up and be fed night and
morning. In this pen raise a guam
tity of manure which goes largely to
pay expenses Of raising them. For
killing hogs, I have them as old as l
can, not to 60 through two winters. l
put them up to fatten about the mid
die Of October, and kill about the
middle Of December. The pen to fat
ten them in has a good floor, and good
shelter and kept well Uttered; troughs
to feed them in, and one so arranged
that they can be watered from the
pump, by any member Of the family,
without soiling their fingers. Feed
them plentifully with the best corn,
hickory ashes, charcoal and salt occa-
sionally. 1t pays to have everything
plentiful and convenient. | kill one
day, and cut out and salt the next.
Cut the hams just above the hock
joint, and the shoulders just above
the knee joint; as you cut out, spread
the pieces to allow to drip and cool
off; be sure the meat and bone are
perfectly cool; wash the heads and
joles before sailing, as they are gen.
orally bloody; and salt them to them
selyes-have the saltpetre finely pow
dered and placed convenient to the
salter-put on the hams and shoul-
ders about as much saltpetre as you
can hold between the finger and
thumb; regulate according to size Of
joint, rub it in. then put on and rub
in the salt, and put on each piece as
you pack it down salt enough to cover
it entirely, say about one inch thick
of the best Liverpool salt. Pack in
a close box, first hams, then shoulders
and middlings. l have box used for
the purpose over thirty years. Salt is
no item Of cost; one joint Of ten
pounds will pay for sack, and what
the meat does not require or take in,
can be used by the stock. Let re-
main in salt about six weeks, take it
up, knock off the salt, and hang up
for smoking. Use only sound hickory
wood, have a good supply in place;
have regular smoke for some eight
or ten days, and then occasionally in
wet or warm spells make smoke and
put few pods Of red pepper on the
fire. Hogs about twenty months old
have usually attained their full size,
and then to be fattened with sound
corn makes firm, solid bacon, and the
lard will be firm and good all through
the summer months. / claim this
process to be as simple, least costly
and as good as any for curing bacon;
and, judging from such persons as |
am in the habit of selling my hams to
in Richmond, they stand equal to any
With an experience of over thirty
years, I have never failed to have
good bacon. AS to hanging up, I use
white oak splits as most convenient
for farmer; on the collar beams in
the roof of the house, l put sticks as
long as is convenient to use, and suffi-
GENTLY strong; put two side by side
one or two inches apart; between them
run the string and have short stick
to catch the string; each end of the
short stick will rest on the long sticks;
do not let the joints touch one anoth-
er. I mention this because / notice
one of the writers used nails for the
purpose. Now, Messrs. Editors, l
make this proposition, if can get
second, that each one Of us whose re-
cipes are before you, send you ham
to test the matter. All ask is fair
shake and if bacon (the best) can be
made without sugar, molasses, black
pepper, brine, repacking and rehand-
ling, &c., let it be known.
N. B. CLARKE.
Atlees, Hanover.