Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-10-25

The process of smoking helps to pre-
serve the meat. Smoking also gives
Il desirable flavor to the meat, if it is
smoked properly and with the right
kind of fuel.
The smoke house can be made any
size and of the kind of material suit
able to the demands of the owner. If
a very small quantity of meat is to be
smoked once a year, a barrel or box
will answer. On the other hand, if
a considerable quantity of meat is
smoked and the house is TO be perlna-
nent, it should be built of brick, con-
crete, or stone to be fireprOOf. A small
outlwelling can be used if care is TAX
en- to- confine the fire to the center of
the room in an iron kettle. The saf
est method is to construct fire pit
smoke into the house. The pipe run
ming from the pit to the house should
| be buried to prevent crushing.
! A smokehouse 6 by feet, 10 feet
high, will give best results for general
farm use. Ventilation should be pro-
| v
prevent Overheating of the meat.
Small openings under the caves or a
chimney in the roof will control venti-
latiOn. If arrangements cannot be
made to have a fire pit outside the
house, it can be built on the floor and
1 Il metal sheet constructed to shield
the meat. If the meat can be hung
.,l1 4I,. Al. -l,:- IL
will not be necessary. At this height
the meat will get the benefit of the
thick smoke and still hang below the
ventilItOr.
The Fuel.
Green hickory or maple wood is the
Fest fuel for smoking. Hardwood is
| preferable to soft wood. Resnous
woods should never be used. as they
give an Objectionable flavor to the
meat. Corn cobs may be used, but
they deposit carbon on the meat, Civ
ing it a dirty appearance.
Smoking.
brine when it is cured and not allowed
to remain in the brine overtime. Wher
the meat is removed from the brine
it should be soaked for about half ar
hour i'll water. If meat has remained
in the brine longer than the allotted
time, soak each piece half an hour anC
three minutes extra for each day over
time. The meat should then be wash
ed in lukewarm water. strung, anC
hung in the smokehouse. Do not han!
the meat so that the pieces touch Th,
space between the meat, is necesSur,
to insure good circulation of slnok,
| around the meat. Permit the meat t,
hang in circulation of smokehouse fo
p hours before beginning to smoke
A slow fire should be started, so tha
the meat will warm up gradually. D,
moi get the house too hot. The fire cal
he kept going continuously until tn,
smoking is complete, holding the tenn
pcrature as even as possible Q20 de
greeS F.). Thirty-six to 4S hours il
the time required to smoke Il lot o
meat, but if the meat is intended t
nc kept for any length of time Slowe
ana longer smoking is desirable. Dun
ing warm weather it is better to star
the fire every other day rather thai
heat up the meat too much. In tn
winter. however. if the fire is not kep
going the meat may cool and til
smoke will not penetrate properly. A
soon as the meat is thoroughly smoked
open the doors and ventilator. so tina
the n.eat can cool. When the meat i
smoked it can hang in the smokehoust
hut for absolute safe keeping it shoul
be wrapped or packed away.
Preserving Smoked Meats.
Smoked meat after it is hard an
iirm should be wrapped in heavy pape
and put into muslin sacks. 1t is yer
important that the top of the sack b
tied properly so as to keep out insect!
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