Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-12-29
How to Cure Hams on the Farm.

When the meat is cooled rub each
piece with salt and allow it to drain
overnight. Then pack it in a barrel,
with the hams and shoulders in the
bottom, using the strips of bacon to
fill in between or to put on top. Weigh
out for each 100 pounds of meat eight
pounds of salt, two pounds of brown
sugar and two ounces of saltpeter.
Dissolve all in four gallons of water,
and cover the meat with the brine.
For summer use it will be safe to boil
the brine before using. In that case
it should be thoroughly cooled before
it is used. For winter curing it is
not necessary to boil the brine. Bacon
strips should remain in this brine four
to six weeks, hams six to eight weeks.
This is a standard recipe and has given
the best of satisfaction. Hams and
bacon cured in the spring will keep
right through the summer after they
are smoked. The meat will be sweet
and palatable if it is properly smok-
ed. and the flavor will be good. Picked
and cured meats are smoked to aid in
their preservation and to give flavor
and palatability. The creosote formed
by the combustion of the wood closes
the pores, to some extent excluding the
air and is Objectionable to insects.
The smokehouse should be or 10
feet high to give the best results and OF
a size suited to the amount of meat
likely to be smoked. One six by
eight feet will be large enough for
ordinary farm use. Ample ventilation
should be provided to carry off the
warm air in order to prevent over.
heating the meat. Small openings un.
der the caves or chimney in the roof
will be sufficient if arranged so as to
be easily controlled. A firepot outside
of the house proper, with a flue
through which the smoke may be con.
Quoted to the meat chamber, gives
the best conditions for smoking.
When this cannot well be arranged a
fire may be built on the floor of the
house and the meat shielded by a
sheet of metal. Where the meat can be
hung six or seven feet above the fire
this precaution need not be taken. The
construction should be such as to al
low the smoke 70 pass up freely over
the meat and out of the house, though
rapid circulation is at the expense of
fuel
Brick or stone houses are the best
though the first cost is greater than if
they are built of lumber. Large dry.
goods boxes and even barrels may be
made to serve as smokehouses where
only small amounts of meat are to be
smoked. The care of meat in such sub.
stitutes is os much more difficult and
the results so much less satisfactory
that permanent place should be
provide if possible. The best fuel for
smoking meats is green hickory or
maplewood. Smothered with sawdust
of the same material. Hard wood OF
any kind is preferable to soft wood
Resinous woods should never be used
as they are likely to impart bad flavors
to the product. Corncobs are the best
substitute and may be used if desired
Soft wood and corncobs give off large
amounts of carbon in burning, and this
is deposited on the meat, making it
Clark in colr and rank favored. Juni
per berries and fragrant woods are
sometimes added to the fire to favor
the meat
Meat that is to be smoked should
be removed from the brine two or
three days before being put in the
smokehouse. If it has been cured in
a strong brine it will be best to soak
the pieces in cold water overnight to
prevent crust of salt from forming
on the outside when drained. Wash.
ing The meat in tepid water and scrub.
bling clean with a brush is a good
practice. The pieces should then be
hung in the house. All should be sus
pended below the ventilators and
should hang SO that no two pieces
come in contact, as this would prevent
uniform smoking.
A slow fire may then be started
warming up the meat gradually. Dur
ing the winter months in cold climates
it is best to keep the fire going continu
ally until the smoking is complete
holding the temperature at about the
same point. If the fire is allowed tc
die down the meat becomes cold and
the smoke does not penetrate readily
This results in heavy smoke on the
outside end very little oil the inner por.
tions of the meat. During the spring
months and in the su rn.*f a light
fire may he started every second or
third day for a couple CT weeks, the
cleat being allowed u hang in tue
smokehouse until sufficiently colred.
When the fire is kept going steadily
and an even temperature Is maintained
"a TO SO house will be required TO
finish one lot of meat. Smoke will not
penetrate frozen meat and ii will be
necessary to extract all frost from it
before filing the house. The house
hould be kept dark at all times to pre-
vent flies entering. As soon as
smoked sufficiently the meat should be
cooled by openig the ventilators or
doors. When hard and firm it may be
90 al e.