20 



BULLETIN 928, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The same quantities of salt, sodium nitrate, and sugar were used 

 in each box at a single establishment, correction* being made for the 

 impurities present in the cerelose. At establishment A the boxes 

 were stored during the curing period in a curing cellar at a tem- 

 perature of 36°-37° F. The cured bellies were soaked one hour in 

 water at 70° F. and were smoked 30 hours at 130°-135° F. At estab- 

 lishment B the boxes were stored in a curing cellar at a similar tem- 

 perature and the cured bellies were soaked 10 minutes in water at 

 70° F. and smoked 18 hours at 100° F. At establishment C the 

 boxes were stored in a curing cellar at a temperature of approxi- 

 mately 40° F. and the cured bellies were soaked one hour in water 

 at 60° F. and were smoked 20 hours at 116° F. 



Table 16. — Record of box-cured bacon experiments at establishments A, B, and C. 



Establishment A. 



Item. 



Box 1, 

 granu- 

 lated 

 sugar. 



Box 2, 

 dex- 

 trose. 



Box 3, 

 cere- 

 lose. 



Number of bellies 



Curing period days. . 



Weight of green bellies. , pounds. . 



Weight of cured bellies do 



Gain in weight : do 



Condition of smoked bellies 



Establishment B. 



Number of bellies 



Curing period days. . 



Weight of green bellies pounds. . 



Weight of cured bellies do 



Gain in weight do 



Condition of smoked bellies 



Establishment C. 



Curing period days. . 



Weight of green bellies pounds. . 



Weight of cured bellies do 



Loss in weight do 



Condition of smoked bellies 



21 



625 



627 



2 



Normal. 



21 



625 



630 



5 



Normal. 



83 



21 



625 



627 



2 



Normal. 



46 



48 



24 



24 



300 



300 



303 



304 



3 



4 



Normal. 



Normal. 



46 



24 



300 



305 



5 



Normal. 



24 



24 



575 



575 



571 



572 



4 



3 



Normal. 



Normal. 



24 



575 



572 



3 



Normal. 



COMPOSITION OF BOX-CURED BACON. 



The composition of the smoked bacon is shown in Table 17. Atten- 

 tion is called to the relatively low salt and high sugar and nitrate con- 

 tent of this bacon at establishment A, as compared with the sweet- 

 pickle bacon cured in the same establishment. (See Table 14.) At 

 establishment B may be noted the relatively high sugar content of the 

 three lots of bacon, the average percentage of sugar being twice as 

 great as that present in the box-cured bacon cured at establishment A, 

 and over eight times as great as the average percentage of sugar pres- 

 ent in the sweet-pickle bacon cured at the latter establishment. The 

 figures for establishment C show a low salt and sodium-nitrate con- 



