Practical Instruction in Ham and Bacon Curing.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 19 August 1890, Page 2

Practical Instruction in Ham and Bacon Curing.

«. THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT EXI'KKT AT WO UK. ' The QwHshind r publishes an ac count ofa p-actical 'es<on m Ham and bicon cv ing given by Mr Watson, the *'iovevnment *--\]> vt. As the article is too long for us to reproduce, we h-ive made the following precis. Mr Watson advises all farmers first to stun their p ; gs before killing and to strike the skull between (he the proper to 'Is to do this with is a blunt heavy hammer or a po'e axe. Tha pig knocked down, ami lying on his 'i«ht fide, in ha f a second Sanmioi's (tin assistant) limcl its throat cut, Mr Watson explaining to those about that the popular n >tion that in sticking a lig th»j knife must be driven right to 'he heart was a »reat mistake, and was the fruitful cause of " shouldering " — til t is, driving the knife into tli c shoulder, with the consequent pr 0 . bahility that that shoulder will pr o bably not euro well. All that j^ required is to cut the main arte rv of the throat, ju^t as is d no in kip' ing a, bullock. Ont>ide of the building was the lnlf of nn ordinary 400 ua l"n iron tank with a fire ithlt it, contain ; ng hot water Tnside was a similar half nearly fill- d with water heated to 145 drg., and the dead pig ws dragged by willing hands a'>d tumbled into this tank. Just here comes in onnnf Mr Watson's wrink'es for he explained that everything depended on having the water th<° right heat to cause gool and quick work in removing the bristles I 1 a 'o-s heat then the hair will not come off 'iih^r, and the pier is what technically termed "burned." If the anima' i« a coarse b>ute with thick hide nnd superabundance of course bristle", then a bent of 150 d«g. can beusfd. but never over that. Al>'o he stated that farmers shou'd be careful when adding a bucket of hot water to keep np the h«fit that this water is not poured on th» pig for if so it will assuredly " set " the hair on the part it touches. In five minutes Founders who vyth rt -bve is amaznigly expert at )vh work, had the h;iir nil serai id oft' and t\\« h^ofs removed. This scrapi it; opention is dmo wi'h a to 1 exactly 'ike a common garlon boo j rounded a littlt on ita top, just where

the eye for the handle is, is a small strong iron hook, by means of which the hoofs are palled easily and qn ok - ly. The scalding done, she pupil* lifted the now c can animal and suspended it by the hocks from two hooks ; t en to the incense astonishment and amazement of his farming spectators in less than half a minute Saunders had the whole of Hie interior organs removed. The pigs I were nut up and salted the next day. A few hints on sa ti'^g and smoking may be further stated : — First Mr Watson wishes to disabuse the fiirmiug community of the popular notion that the salt must be " well rubbed in," as common'y taught. This, he says, is not only unnecessary, but absolutely injuriout, as the friction of the hand creates considerable extra heat, and destroys external tissues of the meat. He nevor uses Australian salt ; he has tried all the maker* in Victoria, and had to discard them all. The brand he prefers is the " Black Horse." He uses ha'f fine and ha f coarse mixed and l^oz. sa'tpetre dissolved in a little hot water to be added to every lewt. of pork. The brine is rr ade of cold water andstrong enough to float an egg or potato. The shoulder-blade i^ removed but not the bone nf the hnm. on y the knob or protruding end of this being siwn off. 7he si'es are left in pickle from six to ten days according to the weather, their size &c, being taken out and reversed in their position in the tank every other dny. They are then taken out, soak«d in cold watar driprf, and when thoroughly dry, smoked For Bmoking he insists on having a tal 1 room (say, 12ft high), and plenty of ventilation at the top, so that the smoke and heat can escape. The be'-t material for smoking is pine sawdust. This is placed in an iron vessel en the floor, and once lighted smoulders slowy airay.