24 



BULLETIN 928, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



before being sold to the consumer, who purchases the product as 

 " chipped beef." High-grade " chipped beef " should be bright red 

 in color, mildly salty, sweet, and of pleasing flavor. When properly 

 cured, dried beef, either in the ham or chipped, should keep in good 

 condition for a considerable time at ordinary temperatures. 



PLAN OF WORK. 



The experimental work was conducted at establishments A and B, 

 five tierces of hams being cured at each plant. Granulated sugar, 

 dextrose, cerelose, TO per cent corn sugar, and refiners' sirup were 

 the sugars used. The hams were cured according to the usual prac- 

 tice at each establishment except as regards the kind of sugar used. 

 One tierce of hams was cured in pickle made up according to the 

 formula regularly followed in the establishment, while each of the 

 other tierces of hams was cured in pickle of like composition except 

 that an equivalent amount of corn sugar, or of the sugar found in 

 refiners' sirup, was substituted for the sugar regularly used. 



The chilled beef hams (" insides ") were packed in tierces which 

 were then filled with pickle, but at establishment B 5 pounds of 

 salt was sprinkled over the hams in each tierce when packed, and 

 the tierce was then filled with pickle. The tierces were stored in a 

 curing cellar at approximately 37° F. and were rolled on the fifth,, 

 fifteenth, and thirtieth days after packing. At establishment A the 

 cured hams were soaked 9 hours in water at 70° F. and were smoked 

 6 days at 135° F. At establishment B the cured hams were soaked 

 20 hours in two changes of water at 65° F. with four overhaulings. 

 The hams were smoked and dried five days at a temperature of 

 100°-110° F. 



The smoked hams were inspected for soundness by a Government 

 inspector. Two hams from each tierce were selected for test pur- 

 poses. A brief record of the experiment is presented in Table 19. 



Table 19. — Record of beef-ham experiments at establishments A and B. 



Establishment A. 



Item. 



Number of hams 



Weight of green hams pounds. 



Weight of cured hams do. . . 



Gain in weight do 



Quantity of pickle gallons. 



Condition of smoked hams 



Tierce 1, 

 granu- 

 lated 

 sugar. 



29 



330 



362 



32 



13 



Normal. 



Tierce 2, 

 dextrose. 



27 



330 



355 



25 



13 



Normal. 



Tierce 3, 

 cerelose. 



27 

 330 

 375 

 45 

 12J 

 Normal. 



Tierce 4, 

 70 per 



cent corn 

 sugar. 



27 



330 



374 



44 



15 



One light 



sour. 



Tierce 5, 



refiners' 



sirup. 



27 

 320 

 354 

 34 

 17J 

 One light 

 sour. 



Establishment B. 



Number of hams 



Weight of green hams pounds. . 



Quality of pickle gallons. . 



Condition of smoked hams 



