Secrets of meat curing and sausage making / how to cure hams, shoulders, bacon, corned beef, etc., and how to make all kinds of sausage, etc. to comply with the pure food laws

by B. Heller & Co.

Heavy Hams, 18 to 24 Lbs. Average.

Use for 100 lbs.
Heavy Hams. { 9 lbs. of Common Salt.
{ 1 lb. of Freeze-Em-Pickle.
{ 2 lbs. of Granulated Sugar.
{ 5 gals. of Cold Water.
{ Cure in this brine 75 to 80 days.

First:—Sort the Hams, separating the Small, Medium and Large.

Second:—Take enough of any one size of the assorted Hams to fill a tierce, which will be 285 lbs.; then thoroughly mix together in a large pail or box the following proportions of Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt:

More than 285 lbs. of Hams can be packed in a tierce, but this never should be done, as it requires a certain amount of brine to a certain amount of meat, and by placing 285 lbs. of fresh Hams in a standard tierce, the tierce will hold 14 to 15 gallons of brine, which is the proper quantity of brine for this amount of Hams. If too much meat is put into the tierce, it will not hold enough brine to properly cure the meat.

The Sugar used must be Pure Granulated Sugar. Yellow or Brown Sugar must not be used.

Use, for 285 lbs. of Small Hams, 3 lbs. of Freeze-Em-Pickle, 6 lbs. of best Granulated Sugar and 21 lbs. of Salt.

For 285 lbs. of Medium Hams, 3 lbs. of Freeze-Em-Pickle, 6 lbs. of best Granulated Sugar and 24 lbs. of Salt.

For 285 lbs. of Heavy Hams, 3 lbs. of Freeze-Em-Pickle, 6 lbs. of best Granulated Sugar and 27 lbs. of Salt.

How To Cure Hams in Open Barrels.
(Copyrighted by B. Heller & Co.; Reprint Forbidden.)

When the tierces or barrels in which these Hams are cured are not to be headed up, but are left open, use half of the Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt dry by rubbing it over the hams in the following manner:

First:—After mixing all of the Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt together, sprinkle some of the dry mixture over the bottom of a perfectly clean tierce.

The Sugar used must be Pure Granulated Sugar. Yellow or Brown Sugar must not be used. When adulterated sugar is used, the brine becomes thick in two weeks; but when Pure Granulated Sugar is used it will last quite a while, depending upon the conditions under which the brine is kept.

Second:—Rub each Ham well with some of the mixture of Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt and pack them nicely in the tierce. Put clean boards over the tops of the hams and weight or fasten these boards down so as to keep them under the brine.

Third:—Take all of the mixed Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt that is left after the rubbing and use it in making the brine; it will require 14 to 15 gallons of brine, as tierces vary some, for each standard size tierce of Hams. Make the brine by dissolving in about 14 gallons of cold water all of the mixed Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt that is left after the rubbing. Stir well for a minute, until it is dissolved, then pour this brine over the meat. As tierces vary so much in size, it is always best to dissolve the Freeze-Em-Pickle in a little less quantity of water, say about 14 gallons for a tierce. After this brine is added to the meat, should the tierce hold more, simply add cold water until the tierce is full. The right amount of Salt, etc., has already been added; now simply add sufficient water to well cover the meat.

When curing a less quantity than a full tierce of Hams, cut down the amount of Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt and the quantity of water, according to the quantity of Hams to be cured, using all materials in the proportions given on [page 50].

QUANTITY OF BRINE TO USE FOR CURING 100 LBS. OF HAMS.
(Copyrighted; Reprint Forbidden.)

Five gallons by measure, or forty-two pounds by weight, is the approximate amount of water to use for every 100 lbs. of Hams.

A tierce, after being packed with 285 lbs. of meat, will hold about 14 to 15 gallons of water. When curing Hams in vats, or open barrels, whether in small or large quantity, always use no less than five gallons of brine to every 100 pounds of meat, as this makes the proper strength and a sufficient brine to cover the meat nicely.

THE USE OF MOLASSES AND SYRUP BARRELS IN CURING HAMS.
(Copyrighted; Reprint Forbidden.)

Never use old molasses barrels, or syrup barrels for curing meat, unless they have been first thoroughly scoured and steamed, and cleansed with our Ozo Washing Compound. It is best to use oak tierces, and always be sure that they are perfectly clean and sweet before putting the meat into them to cure.

PUMPING HAMS.
(Copyrighted; Reprint Forbidden.)

We strongly recommend the pumping of Hams, full directions for which are given on [page 76].

SHAPE OF VATS IN CURING HAMS.
(Copyrighted; Reprint Forbidden.)

Sometimes, vats of certain shapes require more brine to cover the meat than others, and in such cases, a proportionate amount of Freeze-Em-Pickle, Sugar and Salt, should be added to the necessary amount of water to make sufficient brine to cover the meat.

HOW TO OVERHAUL HAMS WHEN CURING IN OPEN PACKAGES.
(Copyrighted; Reprint Forbidden.)

HOW TO OVERHAUL HAMS
WHEN CURING IN OPEN PACKAGES

On the fifth day after packing each lot of Hams, it is necessary that they should be overhauled. This must be repeated seven days later; again in ten days; and a final overhauling should be given ten days later. Overhauling four times while curing, and at the proper time in each instance, is very important and must never be forgotten, especially when curing with this mild, sweet cure. Overhauling means to take the Hams out of the brine and to repack them in the same brine. The proper way to overhaul is to take a perfectly clean tierce, set it next to the tierce of Hams to be overhauled, pack the meat into the empty tierce, and then pour the same brine over the meat.

HOW TO CURE HAMS IN CLOSED UP TIERCES.
(Copyrighted; Reprint Forbidden.)

Large packers, who employ coopers, should always cure Hams in closed up tierces, as this is the best method known.

HOW TO CURE HAMS
IN CLOSED UP TIERCES

FIRST.—

First:—Mix the proper proportions of Freeze-Em-Pickle, Sugar and Salt for the different size Hams to be cured. These proportions are given in the table on [page 50], under the heading, “Small Hams, Medium Hams, Heavy Hams.” If the tierces are to be headed up, use half of the Freeze-Em-Pickle, Sugar and Salt for rubbing the Hams, and the half that is left over, after the Hams are rubbed, should be dissolved in the water which is to be used to fill the tierces. Rub each Ham well before packing; put only 285 lbs. of meat in each tierce, and then head them up.

SECOND.—

Second:—Lay the tierces on their sides and fill them through the bunghole with water in which the half of Freeze-Em-Pickle, Sugar and Salt left over after rubbing, has been dissolved.

THIRD.—

Third:—Insert the bung and roll the tierces. This will mix and dissolve the Freeze-Em-Pickle, Sugar and Salt rubbed on the meat. Where the pieces of meat press tightly against each other or against the tierce, the brine does not act on the meats; but if the meats are properly rubbed with the mixture of Freeze-Em-Pickle, Sugar and Salt before being packed in the tierce, such surfaces will be acted upon by the undissolved mixture, so that curing will be uniform, and no portion of the piece will be left insufficiently cured even if the brine does not come in contact with it. For this reason, it is important that each piece should be carefully rubbed with the mixture of Freeze-Em-Pickle, Sugar and Salt before being packed in the tierce.

OVERHAUL
FIVE DAYS AFTER
PACKING

FOURTH.—

Fourth:—Overhaul five days after packing; again seven days later; again in ten days, and once more ten days thereafter. At each overhauling, examine each tierce for leaks; if any of the Pickle has leaked out, knock the bung in and refill. Remember to overhaul four times during the period of the first thirty-two days.

Fifth:—Overhaul the Hams in closed up tierces, simply by rolling the tierces from one end of the cooler to the other. They ought to be rolled at least 100 feet.

Sixth:—See paragraph on temperature for curing meat, page 46.

SHOULDERS AND PICNIC HAMS

DIRECTIONS FOR CURING SHOULDERS.
(Copyrighted; Reprint Forbidden.)

New York Shoulders:—Have shank cut off above knee, trimmed close and smooth, and square at the butt.

California or Picnic Hams are made from Medium and Heavy Shoulders, well-rounded at the butt, and trimmed as near to the shape of a Ham as possible.

Boston Shoulders are made from Light Shoulders, well-rounded at the butt, similar to California Hams.

California and Picnic Hams and Square Cut Butts, are cured in the same way, and with the same brine, the only change being in the strength of the brine and the time of curing, which must be made to suit the size of the Shoulder.