362. How To Cure Hams

In Loudon this is a knowledge scarcely required, hams are brought thither in such vast, numbers that it is scarcely worth the trouble, to cure them, the more especially as the. hams are generally cured with considerable skill and with advantages not possessed by a private family. As, however, in many families it is preferred to cure at home-, and as in many parts of the country, where this work, it is hoped, will find its way, it becomes almost a matter of necessity„ we subjoin the following receipt.

Place the ham in a deep pan, cover it with treacle, and rub it well with it for three days; then mix together in a mortar one pound of common salt, half the quantity of bay salt, an ounce, of black pepper, and three, ounces of saltpetre, these quantities have been found to answer most successfully; beat them well together, and rub well into the ham, continue this for a month, turning and rubbing every day, then drain the pickle from the bam, allowing it after being removed from the pan about sixty hours to drain effectually,, it may then be washed with a little white: vinegar and hung up to dry.

363. How To Cure Hams

Pound some bay salt, saltpetre, and common salt, and some coarse brawn sugar, mix it all well together, then put it all to get hot, and while hot rub the hams well with this, repeating it every morning for a week, let them lie in the brine for another week, until all well incorporated in the meat; then take them out to drain on dishes, flour them and hang them up to dry; you must be guided a good deal by the size of the hams.

364. Tongues

You will first lay in salt, first then use the same hot preparations daily, about ten days will do for the tongues; sheep's tongues_may be done the same, but less time.

365. Another Receipt To Cure Ham

Let the ham hang for three days, sprinkle it well during the time with salt. Make a pickle of eight ounces of bay salt, an equal quantity of common salt, two ounces of saltpetre, the same of black pepper, half a pound of common brown sugar, and a quart of beer; boil it, pour hot upon the ham, turn it every day in the pickle for three weeks, wipe it as dry as possible, and bury it in bran. Smoke it for a month over wood smoke; it must be sewn in a coarse strong wrapper.