The Preservation of Food in the Home. — Part III 1315 



Squash requires a warm place for storage. A temperature of 50° F. 

 or more is good. Shelves or bins in a house or dry cellar are preferable 

 to burying for storing squash. 



THE KEEPING OF MEATS* 



Andrew Boss 



( University of Minnesota) 



While it is almost impossible to get the best conditions for handling 

 meat on the farm, a knowledge of the best principles may aid in get- 

 ting a better quality of meat. It is very important that the carcasses 

 be cooled soon after slaughtering, and yet that they be not allowed to 

 freeze. While the temperature cannot well be controlled on the farm, 

 it is possible to slaughter when the weather is favorable to the proper 

 cooling of the carcass. If during the winter season, choose a day when 

 there is a prospect for cooling the carcass before the surface freezes. The 

 most desirable temperature for cooling meat is 34° to 40° F., and an 

 approach to these temperatures will give good results. 



In summer seasons it is best to dress the animal in the evening, leav- 

 ing the carcass in the open air over night and carrying it to a cool, dark 

 ce^ar before the flies are out in the morning. Very often a cool room 

 in the barn can be used for the purpose if made dark. There should 

 be no fresh paint, tar, kerosene, or like substance around, however, as 

 freshly killed meat absorbs such flavors readily. Cooling is often hastened 

 by splitting the carcasses into halves or even into small pieces. It is 

 best, however, not to divide the carcass until the meat is firmly set unless 

 absolutely necessary to prevent it from souring. Stripping out the leaf 

 lard materially aids in quickly cooling the hog carcass. For the best 

 results in cooling meat, the air should be dry, as well as of a low tempera- 

 ture; and free circulation aids greatly in carrying away foul odors and 

 mold spores. 



It is also important that flies and insects be kept away from the meat. 

 If it is flyblown, maggots will soon appear and it will be very difficult 

 to save the meat. 



KEEPING fresh MEAT 



Cold storage 



Meat used while fresh is more nutritious and palatable than salted 

 or cured meats. It is therefore desirable to use as much of it 

 uncured as possible. It is very difficult to keep meat fresh during 

 the summer months without the use of ice, and even then but little can 



* The material on the keeping of meats is from Farmers' Bulletin i8,?, United States Department 

 of Agriculture, and is here printed by courtesy of the Department and of the author. 



