689 



never practiced it nor ever lost a joint.— 

 And now having trespassed thus far on 

 the gentleman's province we nnay as well 

 say that when the pork is ready to hang, 

 the. raw side should be well sprinkled with 

 cayenne. About the bones especially a 

 good supply should be laid on. The hams 

 should be hung highest, because there they 

 are least liable to the attacks of insects. — 

 A fire place on the outside, comnmnicating 

 with a smoke flue, is preferable for a meat 

 house to any internal arrangement, be- 

 cause it does not heat the room, which, by 

 the way, is the best if lofty, cool and dark. 

 We give a receipt for pickle for pork, and 

 the English method of curing bacon, and 

 then retrace our steps clear back to the 

 slaughter house, as possibly, you may have 

 to direct some novice there. 



PICKLE. - 



One gallon of water, one and a half 

 pounds of salt, one-half pound of sugar, 

 or a half pint of molasses, one-half oz. of 

 salt ])etre, and (one half ounce of potash 

 often omitfed.) Boil and skim thorough- 

 ly, and pour over the meat perfectly cold. 

 It must remain a month if for bacon ; and 

 if to keep pork all the year, should be 

 boiled over two or three times in the warm 

 months with an additional cup of salt and 

 sugar. 



ENGLISH BACON. 



So soon as the meat comes from the 

 butcher's hand, rub thoroughl}" and fill 

 every crevice with fine salt. Next day 

 scrape off the salt not absorbed, cleanse 

 out the vessel, salt the pork as the da}' be- 

 fore, repeat this three days. The fourth day 

 use pulverised salt-petre mixed with a 

 handful of common salt, (1-4 lb. of salt-petre 

 to 70 lbs. of meat.) Then mix 1 lb. of 

 coarse brown sugar and 1 pint of common 

 mola!5ses, and pour over the salt-petre — 

 repeat this four times a day for three days 

 and afterwards twice a day for a month. 

 Then sm.oke it with maple or hickory, or 

 clean corn cobs. 



And now to begin with the beginning of 

 our own proper womanly labor. There 

 should be ready an abundant supply of 

 clean hot and cold water, tubs, buckets, 

 cloths and so on. A long stout table for 

 ridders to stand by and a trayrn which to 

 receive the entrails as they fall from the 

 cavity of the animal's body. The opener 

 44 



should hang the livers, &c., on a pole to 

 cool for purposes, hereafter mentioned. 

 The lidders should proceed as quickly as 

 possible to their business ; it is easier 

 done while the intestines are warm. The 

 melts and sweet breads are cut off and 

 thrown into some convenient vessel, then 

 clear the maw of fat, next strip the intes- 

 tines, being careful not to cut them and so 

 soil the grease. The thin gauzy parts 

 called the veils should be thrown together 

 in one vessel of cold water. The capes 

 into another and the strippings into a third. 

 The maws and large intestines should be 

 opened, emptied, washed clean and put to 

 soak, to be afterwards used for chitterlings 

 or soap grease. The small intestines are 

 saved and cleansed for .stuffing sausages. 

 Close your day's labor by having your fat 

 washed again and put in fresh water to 

 soak ; do the same office for your sausage 

 skins and chitterlings. 



Your first care after this is the lard. 

 Render up the gut-fat first ; having v/ashed 

 it clean, put ii into your ke-tles, separated 

 as the day before, because being of une- 

 qual bulk it will render up unequally, or 

 else cut up the thick parts very small. 

 You may use a brisk fire until the water is 

 out nearly, when the cracknels are brov/n 

 and crumble easily, or when the lard will 

 sputter when water is dropped in, it is 

 done. Strain it off into a kettle and when 

 cool put it in what vessel you choose-— (hot 

 lard will melt tin or leak through the best 

 wooden vessels.) Leaf lard should be so 

 handled as not to require washing, as water 

 increases the chances of its spoiling. It 

 should be rendered up slower than gut fat, 

 as it is easier scorched. Always put a 

 ladle of melted lard in the bottom of your 

 kettle instead of water. Cut up your leaf 

 lard into thin pieces and render it to itself. 

 The strip which comes off the back bone 

 and other trimmings should be skinned 

 and cut up small ; they make good lard 

 but render up slowly. The practice of 

 putting ley in lard which begins to prevail, 

 bleaches but im.pairs its quality. When 

 you have finished your lard throw all your 

 skins and the fat from around the kidneys, 

 which is usually wormy, into a kettle, and 

 render it up as dirty grease. Subject your 

 cracknels to the strongest available pressure; 

 a patent cider press answers well. Save 

 your cracknels carefully. They shorten a 

 favorite corn bread, make the best of soap 



