845. - To Melt Lard

Take the inner fat of a newly killed pig and strip off the skin completely and carefully, slice it and put it into a jar, a sprig of rosemary may be placed with it, and set the jar in a pan of boiling water; let it melt, and when perfectly fluid pour it into dry clean jars, and cover them closely; it may be kept some time in a dry place, and when used may be mixed with butter for pastry, for frying fish, and many other purposes in cooking.

846. - Hog's Lard

Should be carefully melted in a jar put into a kettle of water and boiled: run it into bladders that have been extremely well cleaned. The smaller they are the better the lard keeps, as, after the air reaches it, it becomes rank. Put in a sprig of rosemary when melting-

This being a most useful article for frying fish, it should be prepared with care. Mixed with butter, it makes fine crust for tarts.

847. - Hams-Boiled Ham

The ham should be soaked about twelve hours, then wrapped in a clean cloth, and laid upon stone flags for two days, the cloth being kept moistened with clean soft water; this will render it tender when cooked; let it be thoroughly scraped and cleaned, and placed in the kettle, which in small families will be found the most convenient mode of cooking it; they should be put in sufficient water to cover them, which water, when the ham is cooked, will be found of the greatest service in making stocks for soups; the time it will require to boil will depend upon the weight of the ham: a small one three hours and a half, which may progress according to the weight to six hours; when it is done remove the skin, if possible, without breaking it, it prevents the ham when cold becoming dry; spread over the ham bread-raspings, the dish should be garnished with sliced boiled carrots.

848. - To Cook A Ham

An excellent manner of cooking a ham is the following: Boil it three or four hours, according to size; then skin the whole and fit it for the table; then set in the oven for half an hour, cover it thickly with pounded rusk or breadcrumbs, and set back for half an hour longer. Boiled ham is always improved by setting it in an oven for nearly an hour, until much of the fat dries out, and it also makes it more tender.

849. - Ham, To Boil In A Superior Way

Parboil the ham. then allow it to re-main in the water all night, and finish boiling the next day, so as to be in time for dishing up; skim, and dust with raspings, the same as directed before, and you will have a more tender ham than one dressed almost any other way.

850. - Economical Dish

Cut some pretty fat ham or bacon into slices, and fry of a nice brown; lay them aside to keep warm; then mix equal quantities of potatoes and cabbage, bruised well together, and fry them in the fat left from the ham. Place the mixture at the bottom, and lay the slices of bacon on the top. Cauliflower or broccoli, substituted for cabbage is truly delicious, and, to any one possessing a garden, quite easily procured - as those newly blown will do. The dish must be well seasoned with pepper.