A ham, weighing twelve pounds, should be cooked four or five hours. Boil it slowly in a plenty of water half the time it should be cooked; then take off the skin and any excrescences that were not removed by washing. Cover the fat side with pounded cracker, and lay it in a dripping pan, or iron basin, and put it into the stove. Let it remain the other half of the time.

The baking roasts out a great quantity of fat, and leaves the meat much more delicate. In warm weather it will keep in a dry, cool place, a long time. If after ten days you perceive a tendency to mould, set it a little while into the oven again. It is often a more agreeable dinner in hot weather than fresh meat.

If a ham is very salt, it should lie in water over night. In baking it, care should be taken that it is not done too much, and thus made dry. If the oven is a brick one and holds the heat a long time, it will do to put it in when the bread is taken out.

The fat which bakes out is good to fry eggs or potatoes, and if not strong, will do to use on the griddle.