Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-06
The Curing of Pork

At this season of the year a large
of farmers are slaughter
ing their hogs and endeavoring to
cure the pork so that it will keep
satisfactorily for use during the
spring and summer. This is a moro
difficult undertaking than many
people suppose, and unless the work
is. done with skill and sagacity dis
aster is likely to ensue. The rela-
lively high price Of food and meat
products makes it essential that the
great waste which would result
from carelesness in curing be obvi-
ated, and to this end endeavor has
been made to summarize some of
the more important facts relative to
which attention may be directed
with propriety at this time.
In the first place, if one expects
to cure meat out satisfactorily, it
is necessary that the carcass after
slaughtering be thoroughly cleansed
and cooled. To this end, Slaughter
ing should be done in the afternoon
of a cold day.. When this practice
is followed the. animal heat will be
driven out of the carcass in the
shortest possible time and injurious
gases permitted to escape which
might otherwise be retained in the
muscles and give the meat very
undesirable flavor and taste. The
meat should not be frozen. To take
freshly slaughtered animal from
which the animal heat has not es-
capped and pile ice around it SO as to
freeze the meat is suicidal policy
and accounts frequently for the
large percentage of loss about which
some farmers complain. Sailing the
meat before the animal heat and
odor have escaped is also to he
avoided. 1t is one of the most cer-
tain ways of producing the offensive
doors to which reference has already
been made, as this practice prevents
the ready escape of the injurious
gases from the muscles, which give
rise to the Objectionable condition
mentioned.
The best temperature for cooling
meat is from "a to 40 degrees, which
is a little above the freezing point.
A carcass held at this temperature
for a few hours becomes thoroughly
chilled without being frozen.
cleanliness GSSenT1al
In curing meat: the utmost care
and cleanliness must be observed.
The best sort of a container is a
barrels made for this purpose, but
clean, hard wood barrel. There are
when they cannot be had, syrup or
molasses barrels will answer very
well. The barrel, should be; thor
cugh1y washed and scalded, and it
should be so tight that there will
be absolutely no leakage. Where
only a small quantity of meat is to
be preserved a stone jar can be
used, and there is no reason why
the same containers should not be
used year after year provided they
are properly cared for. If meat has
spoiled in a barrel or jar it is not
good practice to repack it. Espe-
cia1ly is this true of wood contain
ers, from which all Of the cause of
the previous trouble may not have
been successfully removed.
There are various methods of cur
ing pork which may be followed$ on
the average farm. The two in prime
favor are the brine-curing and the
dry-curing method. The brine-curing
method is most generally followed on
the farm because Of the ease with
which the work may be done ana the
good results which generally follow
this method. 1t is much less trouble
to pack the Nmeat in barrel and
pour the brine over it than to go over
it several times rubbing each piece
with salt. Four treatments with salt
are considered the minimum number
which, meat, should have. There is
another advantage in, the ~brining
method in that it affords better pro-
lection against insects and vermfn-.
an end devoutly to be desired in
handling meat. Of course, the, brine
sometimes proves troublesome, es-
pecially where the water used is not
absolutely pure and where it has not
been properly boiled and cooled be-
fore applying to the meat. Most
people imagine that if they bring
water to the boiling point they have