The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-12-11
Sugar Cured Bacon For the Farmers

One thing that almost invariably
impresses the city man, who goes
to the country for a visit is the
fine flavor of the meat found on
the farmers table. II is 80 un-
like the ordinary packing house
product that it is hard to realize
such a difference is possible in
meat coming from the same kind
of animals. Take IN old country.
cured ham for instance. Can you
imagine anything finer in flavor?
1t smells good and tastes better.
Such meat if once eaten is never |
forgotten. No wonder that the !
old-time country darkies had al
saying, "sweet as ham bone >"
Now that "hog killing time" is
again at hand the following from
George B. Ellis, Secretary of the
Missouri State Board of Agricul-
ture, will be of interest to every
farmer, who likes sugar cured
meat, Mr.. Ellis writes:
"For thirty years l have used a
method for sailing and curing
meat, that has been very satisfac-
tory and our meat has been COM
plimented by great many people
who have eaten at our table. l
do not think this is the only way
but it is surely a good way and l
will give it to you for what it is
worth. Some people prefer dry
sailing, but l prefer the brine
method, and it keeps the meat
cleaner and 1 think safer in a very
warm spell of weather.
"It is necessary to have good
healthy and we'll fattened hogs to
start with, and to know how to
properly divide and trim the
c~arcass-but that phase of the
question, I will not take up. 1
would prefer to butcher when
the weather is only moderately
cold, and when it is just a little
below freezing. If the meat is
allowed to be frozen hard before
it is put into the brine, it will not
take salt readily. After the ear
casses are cut up spread the hams,
shoulders and sides, upon a table
or boards in the smoke house, but
f where they will mot freeze-do not
| pile them up. Rub a little salt on
3 each piece, particularly the hams
9 and shoulders and let the meat
cool out from twenty-fou- to
q thirty-six hours. Then pack
closely in a clean barrel and COW
# er with brine made as follows
n soft water, three gallons, good sal,
two pounds; brown sugar or a
good quality of sorgum, one
pound. Make this proportion
sufficient amount to cover the
: meat we'll. The brine should b.
v boiled and SKINNED and put or
the meat after it is thoroughly
u cooled. 1t will require from foul
d to six weeks, owing to the size o
the hams, for the meat to be sailed
properly. The sides require less
time-usually four weeks is sufi
cient for them, but the propei
time to take the meat out of the
brine can be determined by
Oh sampling it.
Oh "For curing, 1 use clean corr
cobs or hickory and maple wood
= I hang the meat in a dark, tigh
closet, made in the coolest corne
of the smoke house. l put thu
fire for the smoke in a stove anc
conduct the smoke into the close
through a pipe, thus avoiding toe
much heat under the meat. 1t i
best to allow plenty of time t
allow the meat to Ire aud
would like to have smoke unde
the meat about half the time eac
day, and it will require abou
three weeks-then the mea
should have a nice straw colo,
and be sufficiently cured that il
may be Immediately sacked ant
hung back in the same place.
"The butchering should b
done early so that the meat ma,
be sailed and cured before tn
warm weather in March sets in.
prefer meat cured in this name
to any of the packing house pro
ducts on the market.