Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-11-07
Sister Mary Tells
How To Cure
Ham And Bacon

Do you ever cure ham or shoulder
or bacon yourself? 1t may sound
like quite an undertaking but it's
really easy to do and very much
worth while. A fresh ham is never
as expensive as a smoked one at the
bvteher shop and if you can buy
direct from a farmer the saving will
amount to much.
Most butchers have smoking facil-
tiles for their own use and are will
ing to take care of the smoking of
meat for their customers.
While the cured hams and bacon
on the market are very good you will
enjoy some home-sugar-cured ham.
To Sugar Cure Ham or Bacon
Five pounds salt, ) c pepper,
1 ounce saltpetre, l pint molasses.
This rule will cure 100 pounds of
pork.
Rub one tablespoon table salt
around the bone of the hams and
shoulders. Rub meat well with mo-
lasses. Mix salt, pepper and salt
petre and rub on the meat. Use
about one-third of the whole amount
the first time. Let stand three days.
Repeat twice with an interval of
three days each time. Let stand in
a cool place for from four to six
weeks. Smoke.
This method does away with fuss
ing with a brine, but it's sort of
messy rubbing the molasses into
the meat, and the meat must be put
into tubs while standing. Perhaps
you will prefer the use of brine.
Personally l think the lea runs
less risk Of being hard when a brine
is used.
To Cure Pork with Brine
First rub each ham with 1 tea
spoonful of powdered ~saltpetre. Rub
around the bone with 1 teaspoon of
pepper.
For so pounds of meat-Mix one
and one-half pounds brown sugar
with two cups salt and rub meat
thoroughly. Put a layer of salt in
the bottom of a large tub, put in
meat, skin side down and sprinkle
with salt. Add more meat, cover and
let stand for eight days. Then taxi
out, wipe off all the salt and wash
the tub.
Take five ounces saltpetre, eight
cups molasses, eight cups salt, two
gallons water. Boil and skim. When
cool pour over meat in the tub. The
brine should completely cover the
meat. Turn the meat once a week
to be sure it is curing evenly. Let
stand in the brine four or five weeks.
The bacon will cure in three weeks.
Then take Il and smoke.
The who must use any
large amoun of lard during the
winter will find she can save money
if she will buy the fat and try out
the lard at home.
Buy leaf lard at the butcher
shop and try out the fat. This will
insure superior lard for pies and
cookies.
To Try Out Lard
Cut the fat into small pieces. Put
in a big smooth kettle with Just
enough water to cover the bottom.
The water is added to prevent
%scorching when the fat is put over
the fire. Cook slowly, stirring FIRE.
quently, until the pieces of fat are
crisp and crackly. When these settle
TO the bottom of the kettle the lart
is done. Remove from the fire ant
strain into a sterilized stone jar
When cold tie a clean cloth and sew.
eral thicknesses of paper over thu
top.
In the good old days these little
crisp bits of fat were made into q
sort of porridge. They were know
as "~cracklins" and were considered
a treat.
Put craeklins into boiling water
add salt and sift in corn meal tc
make a thick mush. Cook, slowly
stirring often. just as you do plain
corn meal mush. Turn into a mold
and when cold and firm cut in thir
slices. Fry a golden brown and serve
with maple strip.
This is a really delicious luncheon
dish on a cold day.
Copyright, 1928, NEA Service, Inc.)