The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-07-16
Questions of the Feed Lot
frotsssor Herbert W. 8vufor1
Rh1oi5 csners Of AsrIestgyJ
Brine for Curing Hams

HEOR several years have experienced
L unfortunate results In curing hams
During the two preceding years about 80 per
cent OF the hams showed putrefacton after
brine curing and smoking. This year two
out OF eight we're bad. though tho groatcst
care was exercised In cooling. curing and
smoking. The hams cooled IN clean
cellar Tor over Two days. care being taken
TO prevent freezing The brine was made ac-
c0rdng 10 standard recipes and tho meat
was kept In II slightly over flyc weeks Mo.
lnsses and sugar were applied To the hams
before putting them into the brine The
smoking was continued for about two weeks
green hickory being used. \ barrel contain
ing tho brine was new one IL never having
been used Tor meat before. The person who
directed the curing had had seven years ex-
perloncc and had never before lost n ham
A strange feature in the spelling OF the two
hams this year is that they larger
than the good ones. Hence II would seem
that they were as thoroughly permcatcd by
the brine the good ones. No signs OF
brusing or disease were observed At the time
OF Killing. The butcher shop had been cleaned
and whitewashed by spraying to prevent pos
sibic contamination by fungi and other In
furious elements. In short all precautions
known TO US were used To insure success
Can you suggest the cause OF the spoiling7
Can It be due To diseased condition OF the
pigs"
As you do not state tho formula you are
using. IL is possible the brine Is not SUM-
clcntly strong About s pounds salt
pounds sugar and 10 4 ounces s1ltpetcr
should be used TO 100 pounds of meat Five
weeks is not long enough for large hams
and six TO eight weeks Is the minimum that
can be safely allowed In very cool cellar
twelve pound hams can be LEFT In brine
sixty days IT Is well to salt meat as quickly
as possible after It Is chilled out In cool
which the hams should be well rubbed with
salt Stand them tho shank end over
night so that the salt viii run into the pores
OF the meat as 1t mets Rub out tho blood
from tho large vein on tho face OF the ham
or shoulder before sailing The meat can
be put into brine one or two days after the
salt is put on. The brine should be stirred
or agitated every ten days In order To keep
the meat In contact with the salt. If the
water is very hard skim of tho foam after
each stirring, az this contains the lime which
separates from the water and the salt Two
weeks is much longer than Is necessary for
proper smoking Smoking does not have n
curative effect and the curing should be
completed before putting In the smokehouse.
-Four or FIVE days Is sufficient smoking 10
give IL proper flavor and color The fact that
two out Of eight hams spoiled this year in
dicates that something was probably wrong
with one OF the pigs II may have been dis
cased or oNorheateu just before slaugnterlhs'
or In a fcVerish condition. l suspect the
cause OF your so per cent loss during the
two preceding years was mainly due 10 an
insufficient length OF time allowed Tor curing
In the brine.
RI am Indebted to Professor L. d Hall
for the above information.l
Intensive farming Is the most profitable
| and the best soils