Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-01-22
ADVICE ID FARMERS
 0N CURING 0F MEAT
More Meats Are Lost By Improper Chilling Than From Any
 Other Cause.
By Lawrence Foot, Meat Curing Spe. cialist. Extension Div, U, of A,
 and t. <. Dept Of Agriculture.

By Lawrence Foot, Meat Curing Spe.
 cialist. Extension Div, '. of A,
 and |. $. Dept Of Agriculture.
 In order to have the best quality of pork products for the twelve months home needs and d surplus for the market. hogs ahouid be hard finished. Before killing, they should be put in a pen or lot where they will be kept quiet and fed on water alone for 24 hours. A barrel 10 scald the hog in is good. X shovel of wood ashes or some soft soap or a tablespoonful of lye should be put in the scalding va ter 10 help remove the scurf. Hogs should be killed i'll cool, but not freezing weather; frozen meat will not cure. The carcass must be well chilled. not only to the bone. but through it; more meats are lost by not being so chilled than from any other cause. These are some of the suggestions made by Major Foot in his recent bulletin on the Home Cur ing of Meats" This bu.lehn gan be secured by any resident of the state by writing to the Extension Division of the University of Arkansas, at Fay etteville. Major Foot says further. on the curing of meats:
 Curing Meat.
 The pickle should consist of pure water, ordinary good salt (do not use salt that will not maxe clear brine), and sugar (granulated cane sugar is best). To every five gallons of cold water add ten and one half pounds of salt and two and one-hals pounds of sugar (no saltpetcr); mix well. The brine should be boiled, skinned. strained and chilled before putting it on the meats whenever the salt or water contains impurities but if the water is pure and the salt will make a clear brine. boiling is unnecessary. Five gallons will cover and cure 100 pounds of meat, Then in barrel or other vessel. which has been we'll cleaned With hot water (and only use those barrels that are new or have held only vinegar, molasses. cottO- lene or lard). place your hams, pie nics Cor sloulders) and sides with the skin side down, except the top layer. which should be skin side up. Per haps it may be more convenient for you to put the hams and shoulders in one vessel or barrel and the sides in another. When all through, place over the meat two or three strips or plank Gree of nails), and not of pine or cedar. as they are apt to spoil the flavor of the meat. then weight down with six to eight burned bricks or stone. Use no iron weight. as the action of the iron and salt will ruin the pickle. Stir the pickle well and pour same on meat until it is three to four inches above the meat. this will allow for loss. Endeavor always to have the temperature of the meat and brine the same when packed. Diff ferent curing periods are necessary for different weights of meat, for you can readily see that the proper period to cure 20-pound ham. if used to cure compound ham. will make the latter too salty. The same rule holds good for a seven-pound piece of bacon and four-pound piece. Therefore, the writer gives you the following tn- ble:
 For breakfast bacon, to 5 pounds.
 when cut 6 to s inches wide and
 IS to IS inches long g,....,..........l2 days SNv fo Ao
 when cut 6 to s inches wide and
 15 to IS inches long days For breakfast bacon, 6 to 2 pounds.
 when cut 6 to 8 inches wide and
 15 to IS inches long s................1S days For medium bacon. 10 to 12 pounds.
 when cut 6 to s iAches wide and
 15 to IS inches long g.......,..23 days For medium bacon. l2 to 15 pounds
 when cut 6 to s inches wide and
 15 to Is inches long. days For hams and picnics, 5 to pounds,
 days For hams and picnics, s to 10 pounds.
 days For hams and picnics, 10 to l4 pounds,
 ......................... days For hams, 15 to Is pounds...45 days For hams. IS to 20 pounds Do days For hams. 9 pounds and over........
 days For jowls, according to size...........
 to 20 days
 This table holds good for the meats that will be used in the spring. If desired to keep later in the summer or fall they should be kept in the pickle 20 per cent more days than the table calls for. and handled lit tie differently Instructions will be given on request. The curing period table. as given, is based on the weather being about forty degrees