Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-03-13
Eos Curing Hams.
Veil oureS hams bav ),

| ueiicacleb. - CuiluBi charm0d the
most criticsl taste OF Rome with Ills
hams and the old Saxcns learned the
method from the Roma ans, carrying
their knowledge with them to Eng
land, and in the course of time send
ing with their best blood across the
ocean.
In this country Virginia has long
boasted Of having the finest hams
that money and taste could produce.
some of them being kept for 25 years
before being eaten. That they cure
a fine ham goes without saying, for
except for . painful ignorance Of the
virtues of rice and how to cook it,
the virginians are highly civilized
people.
There are certainly more ways
than one to cure q ham, although /
have not been attracted by the Ger
man method of boring into the bone
and putting in saitpetre, nor by the
Holland custom Of curing hams in
the ashes. nor by the packing house
way of evaporating them.
These things have their uses and
the packing house would hardly be
able to pursue the method in vogue
among South Carolina's most highly
educated farmers. Too much time
is required for this.
My father, Hon. James III. Rice,
at Ninety-Six, has given me the
following receipt, which is the result
of his 40 years. experience in curing
fine hams. sThere are notifications,
of course, and there are other good
methods, which ought to be published
also for the information of the pub
lie. Such information would do vast
good.
l might take an aside just long
enough to say that the hog alone
possesses ham-true, one speaks of
venison hams, but this is figure of
speech, mere poetic license. The
razorback has only hind leg, not q
ham. OF all hams the Berkshire
leads in this country. Other strains
find favor in Ireland, England, Ger
many and France.
COL. RIcE's REoEIpT.
After hogs are killed cut off the
heads (split heads and take out brains
at once). Take out the backbone
and spread meat on floor of SMOKE
house (grcund floor) with paper and
cloth under it for the first night.
Sprinkle ealt freely over meat.
Next day cut up. Rub a teas
poonful of saltpetre on each joint,
then rub thoroughly with salt and
pack in box or trough very closely.
1t is we'll to put good weight over
the meat to make it lie olose, spread.
ing fret good strong cloth over the
meat.
In 21 days, if the weather is clear,
take meat out of box and hang up,
hooks down. Smoke freely with
hickory smoke. Sprinkle red pepper
several times over the fire. Some
people rub a teaspoonful of borax
over each joint when they hang up.
Next make a large pot of strong red
pepper tea and dip each joint in it,
while boiling, to kill insects before
hanging up.
After dipping joints in red pepper
tea, rub with black pepper, made
sticky with molasses. Then wrap in
oiose wrapping paper, tie with
strings, put in sacks and hang up.
This ham reaches perfection after
it is three years old, although it
makes very fine ham at one year.
1t is hoped THAI this information
may lead to an improved country
ham all over tie State; and it is
also hoped that others may send in
their own receipts for curing hams to
add value to rich subject.
James Henry Rice, Jr.
Orino Laxative Fruit Syrup In n nev