The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-10-06
CURING MEAT
ON THE FARM
Useful Recipes For the Economical
and Satisfactory Preservation
Of Beet and Pork

! "eSe way W eat meat Is 10
eat 1t while fresh, for there is no
way Of preserving It that will retain
all the nutrition and all the flavor
II is. nevertheless, frequently desir.
able to cure meat at home, and there
Is no reason why this can not be done
satisfactorily and economically. Salt,
sugar or molasses, baking soda, and
a little saltpeter are the only ingred.
tents necessary.
Ordinarily the curing of meat
should be begun from two to thirty.
six hours after the animal is slaugh.
tered. This allows sufficient time
for the animal heat to leave the meat
entirely, but not sufficient to, permit
decay to set in. Once the meat Is
tainted, no amount of preservatives
Will bring its proper flavor back On
the other hand, If the salt is applied
too soon, obnoxious gases will be re.
tanned and the meat will possess an
offensive odor. 1t is also impossible
to obtain good results when the meat
is frozen.
Three useful recipes for popular
forms OF cured meat are given be
low. The only equipment necessary
for them are the ingredients already
mentioned and clean hardwood bar.
rel, or large stone jar or crock. In
considering these recipes it is well to
remember that, on the whole, brine
cured meats are best for farm use.
They are less trouble to prepare ana
the brine affords better protection
against insects and vermin. A cool,
moist cellar is the best place for
brine curing. The cellar should be
dark and tight enough to prevent flies
and vermin.
Receipts For Curing
Corned Beef-The pieces common.
ly used for corning are the plate,
rump, cross ribs, and brisket, or, In
other words, the cheaper cuts of
meat. The loin, ribs, and other fan.
cy cuts are more often used fresh
and since there is more or less waste
of nutrients in corning this is well
The pieces for corning should be cut
into convenient sized joints, say five
to six inches square. 1t should be the
aim to cut them all about the same
thickness, SO that they will make an
even layer in the barrel.
Meat from fat animals makes
choicer corned beef than that from
poor animals. When the meat is thor.
oughly cooled 1t should be corned as
soon as possible, as any decay in the
meat is likely to spot, the brine dur
ing the corning process. Under no
circumstances should the meat be
brined while it is frozen. Weigh out
the meat and allow eight pounds o!
sat to each one hundred pounds
sprinkle a layer of salt one quarter of
an inch In depth over the bottom OF
the barrel; pack In as closely as pos
sible the cuts of meat, making lay
er five or six inches in thickness;
then put on a layer Of salt, following
that with another layer of meat; re.
peat until the meat and salt have all
been packed In the barrel, care being
taken to reserve salt enough for a
good layer over the top. After the
package has stood over night, add for
every one hundred pounds OF meat,
four pounds of sugar, two ounces OF
baking soda, and four ounces of salt
peter dissolved in gallon OF tepid
water. Three gallons more OF water
should be sufficient to cover this
quantity. In case more or less than
one hundred pounds of meat is to be
corned, make the brine in the pro-
portion given. A loose board cover
weighted down with heavy stone or
piece of iron, should be put on the
meat to keep all Of 1t under the
brine. In case any should project
rust would start and the brine would
spoil in a short time.
1t is not necessary to boil the
brine except in warm weather II
the meat has been corned during the
winter and 1t would be well to water
the brine must be kept into the sum
mer season, closely during the sprini
as 1t Is more likely to spoil at ina
time than at any other season !
! the brine appears to be ropy or doe
not drip freely from the finger whel
immersed and lifted, 1t should b
turned off and new brine added, a
ter carefully washing the meat Tn
sugar or molasses in the brine ma
tendency to ferment and unless tn
. brine is kept in cool place there
sometimes trouble from this source
L.. hrtt,