SECRETS OF MEAT CURING AND SAUSAGE MAKING TEXT

substance in your brine, and the brine will therefore keep much longer. The brine in which hams have been cured can be used a second time for curing breakfast bacon, and the breakfast bacon will be even better than if put into fresh brine. As your vats are large, the meat will pack very tight on the bottom, and we wish to caution you to be sure and overhaul your meat promptly five days after it is packed and continue overhauling as per directions in our book on curing meats and making sausage. If you follow these directions you will not have any ropy brine or any spoiled meat, but all your meat will come out uniform and will have the proper flavor. TOUGH AND SALTY CORNED BEEF. _Query.--E. W. G. writes: I have had complaints from several large institutions I serve that my corned beef is tough and too salty. I would like to know about what proportions of salt and saltpetre to use. It is only recently that I have had these complaints, in fact, I have been in the retail business for about ten years and have been very successful with my corned beef._ Ans.--If you will use the following in curing plates, rumps, briskets, etc., for corned beef, you will have no trouble. Use for 100 lbs. of meat: Five pounds of common salt, 1 lb. of =Freeze-Em-Pickle=, 2 lbs. of best granulated sugar, 5 gallons of cold water. Cure the meat in this brine fifteen to thirty days, according to weight and thickness of the pieces. If you are taking pieces out of the brine from day to day and adding others, you should keep up the strength of the pickle to sixty degrees by adding a small quantity of =Freeze-Em-Pickle= and salt from time to time as you withdraw and replace the meat. One of the first essentials to producing first-class corned beef is to be careful about the temperature during the curing period. An even temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit is always the best for coolers and for curing meat. If maintained at this degree, there will be no trouble from taking on too much salt, provided, of course, the meat has been properly chilled through before placing it in the brine for curing. In order to produce a good cure, all the animal heat must be extracted from the meat before it is packed, otherwise it will become soft and spongy in the brine, and pickle-soaked. KEEPING HAMS AND BACON SIX MONTHS. _Query.--A. J. M. writes: I would like to know how to keep hams and bacon in first class shape for the next six months without their getting mouldy and with the least possible shrinkage._ Ans.--There is no practical method for keeping hams and bacon for so long a time after they are smoked without their getting mouldy. There is a method for keeping them in sweet pickle for any length of time, provided you have cold storage facilities. All kinds of pickled meat if stored in a cooler in which the temperature is kept down to 28 degrees can be kept in this cooler for a year or even longer, and when removed will come out like fresh cured meat. Hams and other meats are often purchased when the market is low and stored in a freezer and kept here until such a time that they are in greatest demand and will sell at the highest price. At a temperature of 28 degrees the meat will not freeze after it is cured, and the brine, of course, does not freeze at that temperature. When meat is taken out of such cold storage to be smoked, it should be first soaked from three to five hours in fresh water, and then washed and smoked the same as regular fresh cured meat. Farmers often bury their smoked meats in their oat bins, and are enabled to keep them in good condition for some time, but this is a method which, perhaps, does not suit your purpose. It is best to keep the meat in sweet pickle until you are ready to smoke it, as this will insure a much better article. USES FOR DRIED BEEF ENDS. _Query.--C. E. C. writes: “Can you inform me the best and most profitable way for disposing of my Dried Beef ends? I am in the sliced Dried Beef business and have no way of using up my ends. Thanking you in advance.”_ Ans.--There are three ways for disposing of beef ends to advantage and profit. They may be ground up in an Enterprise Chopper and sold to hotels and restaurants for use as Minced Dried Beef to be prepared and served in cream. They can also be sold to concerns engaged in the baked bean business, where the ends can be cut up and baked with pork in the beans. Restaurants can also use dried beef ends to excellent advantage by putting them in soup. They will give a delicious flavor to all kinds of soups, if boiled at the same time with other soup meats. HOW TO PREVENT HAMS FROM SOURING IN THE HOCK. _Query.--C. F. G. Co. write: “We have a lot of hams that we put down in dry salt to cure about six or seven weeks ago, and we have discovered that they have become tainted in the hock, while the balance of the piece of meat is all right. Can you tell us any way to rehandle or overhaul these hams to save them? The front or butt end of the ham is sound and all right and sweet; the bad part is in and around the hock end or leg end. Could this taint and odor be removed and the meat made sweet by putting these hams down now in a strong salt brine and punching holes in the hock end of the pieces so that the brine could quickly get into the tainted part? Would salt brine save them now? We will thank you for any advice or plan of action that will help to save us from loss.”_ Ans.--It is more difficult to cure hams by the dry salt process than it is by the brine process. If these hams had been pumped before packing them in the salt, there would not have been so much danger of shank sour. Hams being very thick, it takes a long time for the salt to draw through them; therefore, if they are first pumped and packed in dry salt, you can readily see that the salt draws through quicker and thus gives them a chance to cure from the inside as quickly as they would cure from the outside. Only under one condition can you pump these hams, make them sweet and save them. For instance, if the hams are taken from the salt and upon trying them with a ham trier they are found to be sweet but turn sour when they are placed in the smoke house, then you can save them. Such a condition would show that the hams are not fully cured around the bone and around the shank joints. In that event, they can be pumped with pickle and fully cured around the bone so that they will not sour when placed in the smoke house. It is necessary to explain that meat is frequently perfectly sweet when it comes out of cure, but it is not fully cured. In such a condition when it is placed in a warm smoke house, it will sour in the smoke house. This, of course, can be avoided by fully curing the hams. If, on the other hand, the hams are already sour and tainted when they come out of the cure, whether it be dry salt or sweet pickle, then nothing can be done with them to make them sweet. Meat once spoiled, remains spoiled. If the hams are sour when they come out of the cure, but sour only in the shank, then the proper thing to do is to cut off the shank; in other words, cut off all the sour or tainted meat and use the butt ends for boiled hams. You can boil and slice them and sell them in your store. You must be careful to cut off all the tainted parts because any of the tainted meat which is left will taint all the rest of the meat when the butt is boiled. You, of course, understand that during the process of boiling, the good meat will absorb the taint from the bad meat. We regret that you did not write us for advice before you began curing the hams, as we would have advised you to cure in brine. We will send you by mail, free of charge, our book, entitled “Secrets of Meat Curing and Sausage Making,” which covers every point that its title indicates. The advice given in this book as to the handling of meats, you will find very valuable and covers the whole ground, from the condition of the animal before killing to the handling of the meat through the chill room and through the entire curing process. We call your special attention to the various articles for curing meats, which will give you the temperature for curing, how to overhaul the meat, how to pump the meat and how to make the brine for pumping. Full directions for curing the hams you will find carefully indexed. By following the advice given in these pages, you will have no loss from the souring of meats, but on the contrary, will be enabled to turn out meat of the highest quality possible. BUILDING A COOLER. _Query.--W. G. H. writes: I have about completed a cooler except the floor and am undecided whether to make it of plank or cement. I thought you could give me the desired advice. One room is 16 feet square inside; 7 feet to joist with 7 feet of solid ice above, or about 50 tons capacity. The walls are 2 feet thick; 8 inches sawdust, 4 inches dead air space, 8 inches sawdust, with four thicknesses of one-inch boards, thus making the 2 feet. The building has these walls on all sides and partitions. I expect to use the drip from the above to cool another room, 8 feet by 16 feet inside, and will have the water run around this room in gutters (sheet iron) fastened to the wall. I want this as dry and as free from mould and dampness as possible and, therefore, am not sure as to whether a cement floor will be what is needed, though it was my intention to use cement. There is a 2-foot stone wall under the cooler which sets on sand--this sand having been washed up at times past by the lake. There are now fifty tons of ice over the cooler and back of this is an ice house, 16 feet square, inside filled with ice 14 feet high. This makes the building 20 feet wide by 48 feet long, by 20 feet studding. For ventilation a four-inch square flue will run from the bottom in one corner and from the top in the opposite corner of the cooler to the top of the roof, and above it, acting as chimneys. I want to use these coolers for fresh meats, packing hams and bacon, storing eggs and most anything that there is any money in, which requires to be kept in good condition. Your advice will be appreciated._ Ans.--You are building your cooler on very good plans. However, we would advise the use of cement for the floors. It will be found much better than wood, much purer and cleaner, and withal much drier. You speak about putting two ventilators in your cooler, which is all right, but you should be sure to provide these ventilators with slides, so you can shut them off and regulate the ventilation according to your wishes. Of course, you understand that it is not well to have the ventilators open all the time, as it would result in quite a loss of ice. The ventilators should be open only when the room needs ventilation, which will be at well-defined periods, or varying according to the amount of material in storage. Your plan of using the drip water of the ice and running it in pans will work all right. We have seen this method applied, and it was always satisfactory. Be sure to use galvanized iron gutters for the pans, not sheet iron, as it will rust easily. WHY BOLOGNA “TAKES WATER” IN COOKING. _Query.--H. P. writes: “Sometimes I have bother with my bologna taking water when cooking them. Can you tell me what to do to prevent this trouble?”_ Ans.--The difficulty you mention is caused by the sausage not being properly boiled. Ordinary round or long Bologna should be boiled in water of 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit for about thirty to forty minutes, and thick, large Bologna should be boiled in water of 155 to 160 degrees for from three-quarters to one hour, according to the size. If the sausages are very large, it will take from one and one-quarter to one and one-half hours to cook them properly. After sausage of any kind have been cooked, they should be handled as follows: Pour boiling water over them to wash off all the surplus grease that adheres to the casings, and then pour cold water over them to shrink and close the pores of the casings. This is very important and should be closely observed by all packers and sausage makers who wish to have their sausage look nice and keep their fresh appearance. The shrinkage and quality of cooked Bologna depends considerably upon the temperature in which they have been boiled. It is very necessary for every man who cooks sausage to use a thermometer. WHY BOLOGNA SHRIVELS. _Query.--T. B.: Can you tell me the reason bologna shrivels when it is taken from the hot water? It looks fine until it gets cold._ Ans.--There are several reasons why your bologna might shrivel when taken out of the boiling water. First, it might be that you do not cure your meat right before the bologna is made, and second, you probably do not use the right kind of a binder, and third, you probably boil the bologna in too hot water. If when the meat is cured properly and you do use the right kind of a binder, the bologna shrivels when taken out of the boiling water, it is because you are boiling it at too high a temperature. Before making bologna you should sprinkle =Freeze-Em-Pickle= over the meat and leave it for a few days. We refer to our instructions for preparing bologna trimmings, which will be found in our book, “Secrets of Meat Curing and Sausage Making.” ADVICE ON CURING HAMS AND BACON. _Query.--E. A. S. & Co. write: I have taken a barrel of meat, hams and shoulders, which I cured in my ice box after your instructions, and I wish to say that it is as fine as was ever produced by anyone. My ice box holds well, standing at from 38 to 39 degrees, but it is small and only has room for one barrel in it. I have made arrangements to try packing in the house this winter. I have a closet made of brick on both sides and by proper ventilation in cold weather so as to keep it from 35 to 40 degrees, I think I can save hams all O. K. in tierces. I have about ten oak tierces for the purpose. (Is that all right?) I have an old ice box in the rear 8×8 feet with a good roof on it, walls filled with sawdust. I would like to know if I can fill this with hams and shoulders when the weather gets cold and just dry salt them. Can I save them by just letting them stay there all winter until next spring? I can put in a layer of hams and cover them with salt, then put in another layer and cover with salt, and so on until I fill it. I would like your opinion and advice as to these methods. I kept side meat this way last winter just leaving it in salt._ Ans.--If you keep the temperature of the small room which you mention at from 35 to 40 degrees it will answer the purpose for curing. The oak tierces for curing are all right provided they are new. We advise that you wash them out with scalding hot water, so as to get rid of the oak taste. If the tierces are not new, then you must make doubly sure that they are scalded out thoroughly and at the same time you should use our Ozo for cleansing them. The old ice-box which you mention can be used for dry salting hams and shoulders when the weather gets cold, provided you do not let the meat freeze. You must not let the temperature get below 35 degrees, because at a lower temperature, meat will not take on salt. Hams can be dry salt cured just the same as side meats, but when hams are very thick, we would advise that you pump them. Our book, “Secrets of Meat Curing and Sausage Making,” will give you full information as to the pumping process and a formula for making the pumping brine. Hams are very seldom dry salt cured; they are nearly always sweet-pickle cured. A sweet pickle or sugar cured ham has a much finer flavor than the dry salt cured ham. If you pack side meat properly and overhaul it regularly until it is fully cured, and if you keep the temperature of the curing room at about 38 degrees, you will have no trouble in keeping dry salt meat in salt all winter. Of course if you keep it in salt too long, it will get very salty. Our book on curing meats will give you full directions for dry salt curing. Hams, after they are fully cured in brine, can be rubbed with salt and kept in a cooler for several months, and if desired, all winter, but the shrinkage will be great and they will take on salt and might become too salty for your trade. WHY OIL SEPARATES FROM LARD. _Query.--E. & W.: We are having trouble with our lard; the oil separates from the lard during the warm weather so part of the lard is really oil, and we cannot use it in that condition. Our business is too small to justify us in employing a practical man to take charge of our lard. We ask you for your advice._ Ans.--To keep the oil from separating from the lard, you should carry out the following directions: First, you should provide yourself with a lard cooler with an agitator attached, as the lard after it is rendered and when it begins to cool should be agitated until it becomes thick like cream, before it is run into the buckets. If lard is not agitated, when it is cooled the stearin crystallizes and the oil separates from the stearin, but by chilling the lard and by agitating it while it cools, the stearin does not get a chance to crystallize and the oil will not separate and the lard will keep better in this condition. Lard that is put up in winter for summer use is much improved by adding about ten per cent of tallow, but when this lard is sold, it should be sold as lard with ten per cent of tallow added. If you wish to treat the lard that you have on hand, we advise you to treat it as follows: For every 100 lbs. of lard, put 100 lbs. of water in your lard kettle; add to it four ounces of our Lard Purifier, and throw 100 lbs. of lard into this water. Start the fire and gradually heat it until the lard is melted and is as hot as it will stand without boiling over. Keep on stirring the lard until it begins to melt, so as to thoroughly wash it. After the lard is thoroughly washed, you will find a certain amount of scum will come to the top, skim this off and then allow the lard to settle for about two hours, so that all the water will separate from the lard and settle down at the bottom. Skim the lard off the top of the water and then let it cool, but keep on agitating it or stirring it while it is cooling, until it is thick like cream. COATING BOLOGNA SAUSAGE NOT NECESSARY TO PREVENT MOULD. _Query.--E. D. writes: I would like to ask you if you have anything to coat bologna with after making? I think it is called Gloss or Lustre; have seen it used, but have not been able to find out where to get it._ Ans.--What you refer to is Bologna Varnish. The use of such a preparation has been practically discontinued as it does not conform to pure food laws; it is not proper that a varnish should be put on the outside of food of any kind. Bologna Varnish is made from shellac, and shellac is used in all kinds of furniture varnish, so you can readily see that it is not the proper thing to use on Bologna. In former years, the use of varnish was quite general, but it was finally discontinued, and is now practically a thing of the past. If you want to prevent your Bologna from getting mouldy, you should make them as follows: First, cure the meat with =Freeze-Em-Pickle= as directed in our book, “Secrets of Meat Curing and Sausage Making,” and add Bull-Meat-Brand Sausage Binder to the meat, as this absorbs the moisture. Bologna made by the =Freeze-Em-Pickle= Process keeps fine and will not mold for a reasonable length of time. MAKING SOAP FROM TALLOW. _Query.--F. B. writes: We have a little meat business and quite often have on hand a surplus of tallow. Now we have been thinking probably we could put this into a soap, something cheap that would not cost us too much to put on the market. Can you kindly give us any information in the matter, and if the idea is a practical one for a small shop like ours?_ Ans.--It would not pay you to undertake to make a hard soap in a small