CURING BACON.

Patea Mail, 31 March 1882, Page 3

CURING BACON.

There are twowwars} r s of curing bacon—by the dry or the pickling process. The former is the most trouble, but does away with the- necessity of a barrel. The bacon should be weighed out into lots: of 100' pounds, and 1 six pounds of salt, one ounce...of saltpetre, and two quarts of molasses should be set apart as the quantity required for curing it. If it is to be pickled, after the ingredients are thoroughly mixed’ a small quantity, should be sprinkled on the bottom o£ the barrel, and a layer of meat placed upon it; riiore of the mixture should be sprinkled on this, to be followed by another course of meat until the whole is firmly and snugly packed, when well-water enough should be put, in to cover it. After remaining for 1 six weeks, the meat should be taken out and smokbd, and then each piece sewn up in. a muslin bag and hung up in a dry place; or if it is designed to keep the bacon for a considerable length of time, it may he packed in dry salt and the barrel headed, up. . ,To .cure by, the dry process, the meat should be spread upon the table, and the mixture rubbed- in on the flesh side, with ! as much adhering'tothe meat as after which it should be piled up'snugly with the flesh side up and allowed to remain in this condition three days, when it should again be rubbed and piled • up; as before. This process should be followed up until the whole amount of the mixture set apart for. the curing is exhausted. After remaining in the, pile \mtjl the salt is absorbed—which may be known by the appearance of the meat—it may bo smoked and treated as mentioned above. The, above receipt is intended for- light bacon ; heavy bacon will ; require a pound or more of salt per ,100 pounds of meat; and a longer time for the salt to be absorbed when cured in the dry state. —New York Tribune. - 1