PICKLING AND BARRELING.
For salt pork, one of the first considerations is a clean barrel, which
can be used over and over again after yearly renovation. A good way to
clean the barrel is to place about ten gallons of water and a peck of
clean wood ashes in the barrel, then throw in well-heated irons, enough to
boil the water, cover closely, and by adding a hot iron occasionally, keep
the mixture boiling a couple of hours. Pour out, wash thoroughly with
fresh water, and it will be as sweet as a new barrel. Next cover the
bottom of the barrel with coarse salt, cut the pork into strips about six
inches wide, stand edgewise in the barrel, with the skin next the outside,
until the bottom is covered. Cover with a thick coat of salt, so as to
hide the pork entirely. Repeat in the same manner until the barrel is
full, or the pork all in, covering the top thickly with another layer of
salt. Let stand three or four days, then put on a heavy flat stone and
sufficient cold water to cover the pork. After the water is on, sprinkle
one pound best black pepper over all. An inch of salt in the bottom and
between each layer and an inch and a half on top will be sufficient to
keep the pork without making brine.
When it is desired to pickle pork by pouring brine over the filled barrel,
the following method is a favorite: Pack closely in the barrel, first
rubbing the salt well into the exposed ends of bones, and sprinkle well
between each layer, using no brine until forty-eight hours after, and
then let the brine be strong enough to bear an egg. After six weeks take
out the hams and bacon and hang in the smokehouse. When warm weather
brings danger of flies, smoke a week with hickory chips; avoid heating the
air much. If one has a dark, close smokehouse, the meat can hang in it all
summer; otherwise pack in boxes, putting layers of sweet, dry hay between.
This method of packing is preferred by some to packing in dry salt or
ashes.
[Illustration: FIG. 16. BOX FOR SALTING MEATS.]
RENEWING PORK BRINE.
Not infrequently from insufficient salting and unclean barrels, or other
cause, pork placed in brine begins to spoil, the brine smells bad, and the
contents, if not soon given proper attention, will be unfit for food. As
soon as this trouble is discovered, lose no time in removing the contents
from the barrel, washing each piece of meat separately in clean water.
Boil the brine for half an hour, frequently removing the scum and
impurities that will rise to the surface. Cleanse the barrel thoroughly by
washing with hot water and hard wood ashes. Replace the meat after
sprinkling it with a little fresh salt, putting the purified brine back
when cool, and no further trouble will be experienced, and if the work be
well done, the meat will be sweet and firm. Those who pack meat for home
use do not always remove the blood with salt. After meat is cut up it is
better to lie in salt for a day and drain before being placed in the brine
barrel.
A HANDY SALTING BOX.
A trough made as shown at Fig. 16 is very handy for salting meats, such as
hams, bacon and beef, for drying. It is made of any wood which will not
flavor the meat; ash, spruce or hemlock plank, one and a half inches
thick, being better than any others. A good size is four feet long by two
and one-half wide and one and one-half deep. The joints should be made
tight with white lead spread upon strips of cloth, and screws are vastly
better than nails to hold the trough together.