It has been incontestably proved by Baron Liebig and other Professors
of Chemistry, that the albumen and gelatine constitute the leading
nutritive ingredients in the different kinds of flesh and fish used as
food; and I have arrived at the conclusion, that any mode of curing
which deprives them of these valuable properties, is opposed to facts
in science and to common-sense, and cannot therefore be tolerated.
On the nutritive properties of animal food, Professor Brande writes:
“When the muscular parts of animals are washed repeatedly in cold
water, the fibrinous matter which remains, consists chiefly of albumen,
and is, in its chemical properties, analogous to the clot of blood.”
In mutton, the albumen or fibrin amounts to as much as twenty-two
per cent., and of gelatine to seven per cent., giving a total of
twenty-nine per cent. of nutritive matter. In beef, the albumen is
twenty, and the gelatine six per cent., yielding a total of twenty-six
per cent. of nutritive matter.
When a piece of meat is covered with salt, or immersed in brine, the
salt penetrates the whole fibre of the flesh, and the juices contained
within are drawn out, and mix with the brine; the salts of potass
contained in it, are exchanged and superseded by those of soda, derived
from _the salt_ with which it has been cured; now, as a constant supply
of potass is required in the system to renew the muscular fibre, it is
quite clear that the want of it must be attended with some derangement
of the health; and hence the benefit derived from the taking of
vegetables, which by supplying potass, make up for the want of this
alkali in the meat.
Albumen is coagulated by heat, and is drawn out by cold water; this
fact is referred to in Note, No. 11.
* * * * *
No. 1. The coating of small articles, of the better sorts, excludes
the air. It is a mixture of gelatine with treacle, applied when hot,
and which when exposed to the air becomes hardened, yet elastic as
india-rubber. See Note, No. 12.
No. 2. The smoking with different sorts of fuel exerts a considerable
influence on the flavour and preservation of the articles so treated;
for example, the mutton of the Ardennes forest, Belgium, which owes its
superiority to the juniper bushes with which it is dried and smoked.
And again, kippered salmon smoked with cedar-wood, at the request of
some of our wealthy Jew families, is excellent, though rather expensive.
No. 3. The spicing of bacon was adopted some years since, and chiefly
in Ireland, to hide the inferior quality of the meat.
No. 4. Bay salt is far preferable to common salt for curing meats and
fish, but the expense deters many persons from using it, except in
small quantities. The rock, or mineral salt of Cheshire, is equal in
all respects to the bay salt of commerce, and I have long used it with
the greatest success. Common salt leaves a _bitter_ smatch on all food
cured with it after being long kept. See Note, No. 12.
No. 5. There is no remedy for over-salted provisions. You may, indeed,
cut them into slices and lay them in water, but this only affects the
outsides of large pieces, as hams, &c. If I had a ham that I suspected
of being over salted, I should put it in an old bag, and bury it in my
garden for a week or more, according to size.
No. 6. Rubbing large joints of meat over with a profusion of common
salt, and letting them lie, to “draw out the blood,” as it is termed,
is contrary to all reason, for away goes the chief part of the flavour
and nutriment.
No. 7. Sprats are so different in their animal construction as to be
easily detected from genuine fish――Gorgona anchovies. The Armenian
bole, often made use of to colour the sauce, has very properly been
exposed and condemned.
No. 8. Pure olive oil will preserve meat and fish, after it has been
cured, for a long time; but oils drawn from lard and other spurious
imitations, will not fail to hasten their decay. The oil should never
be heated, when used for this purpose.
No. 9. Subjecting meats to a water-bath is not to be resorted to. I
was shown a specification previous to the taking out of a patent (in
France, by a French gentleman) to cure the more expensive sorts of
fish. The first part of the process proposed, was subjecting the fish
to a water-bath, first for three hours, and, changing the water, then
to two hours further immersion in warm water. I, of course, entered
my protest against such unreasonable treatment. I am sure I could not
conjecture what became of both flavour and nutriment after so long
immersion.
No. 10. Meats to be boiled, and particularly fish, must be put into
_boiling_ water, and after being kept up to the boiling point fifteen
minutes or so, let them only simmer until done.
No. 11. The albumen is drawn out from both meat, fish, and vegetables
by cold water; how, then, can we reconcile ourselves with the foolish
old practice of laying the heads, for instance, and other parts, in
pails of water, and leaving them for hours in that state, to lose all
their goodness. Vegetables for pickling, too, are often treated in this
way. Lying in water cannot possibly _clean_ anything. Wash well, and
hang up to dry, is more reasonable.
No. 12. A very effective _coating_ for small cured articles is made
thus: To four pounds of hard, compact gelatine, add as much soft or
rain-water as will just cover it, and stir it about occasionally for
six hours. When it has stood twenty-four hours, and all the water is
absorbed, submit it to the action of heat in a water-bath, and the
gelatine will be quickly dissolved. Take it off the fire as soon as the
froth is perceived to rise, and mix with it three and a half pounds
of molasses, which has previously been made thoroughly hot. Stir the
composition well together while in the water-bath over the fire, not
suffering it to boil. After it has been thus subjected to heat for half
an hour, and well stirred all the time, it should be taken off the
fire and allowed to cool a little; it is now ready for use, and to be
applied to the article of food with a soft brush. Set it in a current
of air to harden quickly. A second paying-over with the composition may
be done with advantage sometimes. For larger articles, as hams, &c.
&c., the best transparent glue may be used instead of gelatine, adding
to the composition, when a little cooled, a few drops of essence of
nutmegs or pimento. If when cold the coating is found to be not firm
enough, the proportion of gelatine or glue must be slightly increased,
and when, on the contrary, it is too brittle, the quantity of molasses
may be increased.
No. 13. For the accommodation of parties residing at a distance, peat
or bog-earth, rock salt from the Cheshire mines, charcoal, &c. &c.,
may be had, ready for immediate, use, on application to Mr. Robinson,
provision curer, Runcorn, Cheshire, and on very moderate terms.