24 BULLETIN 928, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
4 
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, 70 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 185° 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. 
Tierce 4, 
= Tierce 5 
nu- | Tierce 2, | Tierce 3,| 70 per 7 
ae Tae dextrose. | cerelose. | | cent corn a 
sugar sugar. eee 
Neamber of ams = 2225! 023s So) ye ees. 27322 = Se 29 27 y.{ fa 27 27 
Weight of green hams . <2. . 22-95-52 sae pounds. 330 | 330 330 330 320 
Weight of cured hams.--.-......-----..-----=-- do:z.- 362 355 375 374 354 
Gain in weight....-5- --.5- . 2522255 <r do _.. 32 25 45 t4 34 
Quantity of Pickle A6 NS OR eee Cree i 3 ee gallons... 13 13 | 123 | 15 173 
Conditionjoi smoked hams >= = 2). 22 sssaee oe eee eel | Normal. | Normal. | Normal. | One light One light 
sour sour. 
ESTABLISHMENT B. 
Nouniber pihams: 2 i. 2-25 = ct tn 27 | 27 7 27 | 27 
eight of preen hams $2: 2. 2-22. ose pounds.. 320 320 320 320 320 
Ouality "Lilt bl cs rae SS a ne eyes ee gallons... 15 14 15 16 | 15 
Condition of smoked hams oes 22 2 |N ormal. | Normal. | Normal. ON ormal. | Normal. 
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