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.

ICE WATER.

Never use the drip water of melted ice from a cooler for making Pickle, as it contains many impurities, and therefore should never be used.

PUMPING MEATS.
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PUMPING MEATS

We highly recommend pumping Hams, Shoulders and other kinds of Cured Meats. It is a safeguard in Hams and Shoulders against shank and body souring, should they, through some carelessness, be insufficiently chilled all the way to the bone, and is a protection against sour joint, and insures a uniform cure. It is also of great advantage to pump Breakfast Bacon, Corned Beef, Dried Beef, Dry Salt Meats, etc. Packers and curers, who do not use a pump and the Freeze-Em-Pickle Process, are suffering losses from sour meats, which during a year’s business would mean a large profit to them.

There is a mistaken idea among many butchers and packers that pumping Hams and Shoulders is injurious to the meat. The facts do not warrant such a belief, as the best cured and the best flavored meats are those that have been pumped. When Hams and Shoulders are not pumped, it requires weeks for the pickle to penetrate through to the bone, which is the vital spot of a Ham or Shoulder. If the joints, tissues and meat around the bone are not wholly and thoroughly cured, the entire Ham or Shoulder is inferior and no good; because it furnishes a favorable seat for the development of the germs of putrefaction, which render the meat unfit for human food.

In order to always have a mild cure, sweet flavor at the joints, and uniform color, they should be pumped. Pumping with the Freeze-Em-Pickle Process is a safe-guard against shank and body souring; it gives the inside of a Ham or Shoulder a delicious flavor, a good color, and insures a uniform cure; it cures the joints and the meat around the bone thoroughly, and greatly reduces the period of curing. The secret and principal feature in pumping Hams and Shoulders, is to have the right kind of pumping brine. When common brine, or ordinary sweet-pickle is used for pumping, the Hams or Shoulders usually become pickle-soaked, and if the refrigerator under such conditions is not the very best, or if the Hams or Shoulders are not thoroughly chilled, the smallest degree of animal heat which may be remaining in them will start fermentation, causing the meat to sour next to the joints. It is, therefore, plain to be seen that pumping, under such conditions, instead of doing good, will in reality result in injury, and this is the reason why so many who have tried pumping meats have failed. On the other hand, when the pumping brine is made as shown herein, all of these objections are overcome, and the meat will not be pickle-soaked, nor will it become soft and flabby. The brine will be absorbed by the meat around the bone and joints so thoroughly as to leave no trace of it after the Ham is cured; it also gives the inside meat a fine red color, and a delicious flavor. Hams that have been pumped with Freeze-Em-Pickle and cured by the Freeze-Em-Pickle Process, will not dry up and become hard when fried or cooked; when sliced cold they will not crumble, but will slice nicely and have a delicate and pleasing flavor.

DIRECTIONS FOR PUMPING.
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One gallon of pumping brine is sufficient for pumping one tierce, or 285 lbs. of meat. Make the pumping brine as follows:

½ lb. of Freeze-Em-Pickle.
1 lb of Pure Granulated Sugar.
2 lbs. of Salt.
1 gal. of Water.

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 and would spoil the meat in two weeks. Stir the above thoroughly before using. As this will make a thick brine which is more than saturated, it will precipitate when left standing, therefore, when mixed in large quantities, it should be stirred occasionally. Meats should never be pumped with anything but a solution that is thoroughly saturated.

HAMS

SHOULDERS

Pump the Hams or Shoulders just before they are packed, and if it is desired to rush the cure, pump them every time that the meat is overhauled. The pumping solution must be cold when pumped into the meat. Ordinarily, three insertions of the needle in the Hams are sufficient; once at the shank to the hock joint as shown at A, once to the thigh and along the bone, Fig. B., and once from the butt end to the joint under the hip bone and into the fleshy part, Fig. C. Solid lines show needle up to point of insertion and dotted line shows direction taken by needle after insertion. In a very heavy Ham as many as six insertions should be made, and the same with very heavy Shoulders. Three insertions of the needle into a medium size Shoulder are sufficient; one at Fig. D, one to the shoulder joint at Fig. E, and one under the blade from the end, or diagonally from the back of the shoulder toward the end at Fig. F. More insertions may be made without injury to the meat, but the above are all that are required for good results. One cubic inch of solution is enough for each insertion, and after withdrawing the needle, the hole must be squeezed shut with the thumb to prevent the solution from oozing out. Stir the solution well before starting to pump. The Pumper must be careful not to pump air into the meat. Never allow the Pickle to go below the end of sucker of pump.

USE ONLY PURE SUGAR
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It will be noted that, in all of our directions for the sweet pickling of meat, we lay great stress upon the importance of using only pure sugar, free from adulterations. The very best and purest of granulated sugar should always be used, if the best results are expected. Sugar, as is well known is a great nutrient and, as a food, possesses practically the same value as starch; it is however, much more readily digested. Therefore the use of pure sugar assists in making meat food products more digestible. In preparing a sweet brine, the one great object sought to be attained is that the brine shall have the highest possible penetrative quality. Any adulterant in the sugar tends to prevent the penetration of the sweet pickled brine and lessens its efficiency in proportion as adulterants are contained in the sugar. It is only by the use of pure granulated sugar that a well-keeping brine can be produced. Many adulterants, even though they are natural adulterants, resulting from lack of proper refining of the sugar, tend to create fermentation in the brine producing a slimy and ropy condition. As is well known to those best experienced in the sweet pickling of meat, ropy and slimy brine is almost always sure to cause meat to sour.

Impurities in sugar used for producing sweet pickle will prevent the proper coagulation of the albumen in the meat juices. Coagulation does and should take place in all well cured meat. The impurities and adulterants, in other words, positively counteract the effect of the curing agents in the brine. Therefore use only the best pure granulated sugar in making all sweet pickle. The general conditions for obtaining pure granulated sugar at the present day are very much improved over those of a number of years ago, prior to the passage of the Food and Drugs Act of 1906. For instance, you can form a good idea of the purity of your sugar by dissolving a quantity in water to make a fairly thick syrup, but not using more than the water will take up. Cork this tightly and place in a dark room over night. We have seen tests made in this way, which in twenty-four hours would show a deposit of blue coloring at the bottom of the bottle, and also a considerable quantity of insoluble salts. This comes from what is known as “bluing” the sugar, but where you purchase one of the well known manufacturers products marked, “pure granulated sugar”, these difficulties are seldom met with at the present time. There was a time also when sugar was frequently adulterated with crystallized glucose or as is commonly known “grape sugar.” This was a very serious adulterant from the view point of the sweet pickle curing of meat, as glucose tends to ferment in brine very quickly and consequently the brine would become ropy and slimy within a very short time. This resulted in sour and soggy hams, bacon, etc., so that the purchase of cheap sugar containing impurities was never a saving, but proved very costly to the manufacturer who was persuaded to purchase low grade sugar.

It has been a common practice with some butchers in preparing sweet pickle to use molasses or syrup. This method we strongly urge our friends not to adopt. The saving will be many times lost by meat which will have to be thrown away because of ropy, fermented and sour pickle. We cannot urge upon our friends too strongly that they use only pure granulated sugar. Not only from the standpoint of keeping sweet pickle brine in good, clean condition, but from the view point of flavor and thorough cure, the use of pure granulated sugar is absolutely necessary for producing the proper kind of finished meat food products.

Sugar is considered as a natural preservative, but it must be borne in mind that sugar is used in the sweet pickle method of curing meat, not only as a preservative, but also as a flavor. Pure sugar has the property of combining with the other curing agents and by its penetrative property carries the other curing agents into the cells of the meat tissue more thoroughly. This results in the uniform action of the curing agent, producing even flavored meat as a result of the cure. Another peculiar property of pure sugar is that by its combination with the salt used in the brine it has a great tendency to prevent fermentation, thus keeping a clean, clear, sweet, penetrative brine, which will do the largest amount of work with the smallest amount of material, in producing evenly cured meat. To sum up, we will state that pure granulated sugar should take the place of molasses, syrup or any other form of sweetener because it imparts a better flavor and assists in making the brine more penetrative, thus producing best results.

HANDLING CALVES’ STOMACHS OR RENNETS
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The calf’s stomach is divided into four compartments. The first one is known as the paunch; the second as the honeycomb stomach; the third is called the many-plies stomach and the fourth is known as the rennet bag.

The proper way to handle the rennet bag is to remove it from the balance of the stomach, turn it inside out, and clean with fresh water so as to remove the adhering contents. Great care must be taken not to scrape off or in any way remove the mucous membrane (by this is meant the many folds of thin skin) as this is the part of the stomach which has a market value. Of course the stomach must be gently and carefully washed to remove the undigested portions of food which may be contained therein, as otherwise it would very quickly decompose and become putrid. It would then be of no value whatever for any purpose. After cleansing them, dust the rennet bags all over with finely ground salt, and blow them up after having turned them inside out. Then hang them in a dry place in a current of air so that they will dry as quickly as possible.

ROPY OR STRINGY BRINE
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ROPY BRINE

Occasionally brine that has been made with sugar will become ropy and thick like jelly, but yet will be somewhat stringy. This is called “Ropy Brine,” and can always be traced to either the use of unsuitable sugar or improper temperature of the curing room.

Yellow or brown sugar and glucose sugar will never do for curing meat. It must be Pure Sugar, and the Refined, Granulated Sugar is the best, because the impurities have been taken out.

However, even if Pure Granulated Sugar is used and the temperature of the Curing Room is too high, the brine is liable to turn “Ropy” anyway. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary for anyone who intends to cure meat in sweet brine not only to use the proper kind of sugar but also to cure in the proper temperature. Otherwise, the results will not be satisfactory, no matter what kind of a curing agent is used.

In buying sugar for curing purposes, it is advisable to order it from the wholesale grocers or from the manufacturer, and have it guaranteed to be Pure Granulated Sugar put up Especially for Preserving Purposes. This grade of sugar is on the market and is used for preserving fruits, and is the best kind of sugar to use for curing meats.

If brine has become ropy in a curing package and it is desired to use that package again, it is absolutely necessary to thoroughly scald out such package, and it is well to use Ozo Washing Powder for that purpose so as to prevent the possibility of fermentation. Otherwise, the unclean package will cause the fresh brine to turn “Ropy” even though it is made with the right kind of sugar and kept in the proper temperature.

BOILING THE BRINE
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BOILING BRINE

Boiling the brine improves it some, but not enough to pay for the extra trouble it makes. We recommend boiling the water, if one has the time, as it purifies it. When there is reason to believe that the water is impure, or when it is known to be tainted with vegetable matter, the brine should always be boiled, and the impurities will then float on the surface, and can be skimmed off.

CLEANSING CURING PACKAGES
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All curing packages should be taken out of the cooler after the meat has been cured in them, and scalded and washed thoroughly clean with hot water and Ozo. Soda or Soda-ash may also be used, but we strongly recommend Ozo, which is a thoroughly reliable Washing Powder. When packages have been thoroughly cleaned, they should be put out in the sun and allowed to remain there for a day or two. The sun will thoroughly dry them and the fresh air will sweeten them.

SOME CAUSES FOR SOUR HAMS.
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Sour Hams are sometimes caused by hanging warm meat in the same room in which the meat is cured. This should never be done. The warm carcasses raise the temperature of the curing room, thus causing the brine to get too warm. Under such conditions the meat is liable to sour in the brine. Furthermore, the brine is liable to absorb the odors from the warm carcasses, which of course is very objectionable.

Many suppose that Hams sour from getting too much smoke, but such is never the cause, as Hams will not sour from over-smoke. Smoke aids to preserve Hams and cannot cause them to sour. When Hams sour in the Smoke House the cause must be traced to the fact that they are not properly and fully cured before going into the Smoke House, and the portion that has not been thoroughly cured, which is generally close to the bone, has not been reached by the brine. In many cases, souring comes from imperfect chilling of meat before putting it into the brine; then again, the meat may not have been overhauled at the proper time and with the frequency which good curing requires.

In order to prevent souring of Hams the various stages of curing must be carried out with the utmost care. In the first place, hogs should not be killed when overheated or excited, and after they have been scalded and scraped, they must be dressed as quickly as possible, washed out thoroughly with clean water and then split and allowed to hang in a well ventilated room until partly cooled off. They should then be run into a cooler or chill room as quickly as possible and the temperature should be reduced to 32 to 34 degrees Fahrenheit. They should be allowed to thus chill for 48 hours. When hogs are properly chilled after curing, the temperature of the inside of the Ham or Shoulder will not be more than several degrees higher than the cooler. After being thoroughly chilled, the Hams must undergo the various processes which will be found in other pages of this book which give directions for the curing of Hams and Shoulders. When these directions are closely followed, there will never be trouble from sour Hams.

HAMS AND SUPERIOR HAMS.
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There seems to exist some doubt in the minds of butchers as to whether one Ham can be cured to better advantage than another, basing their opinion upon the fact that all packers have two grades of Hams, one of which is called of superior quality. Doubt has been expressed as to whether one piece of meat taken from the hog will make any better pork than that taken from another. This doubt should not obtain and could hardly exist in the minds of anyone who has carefully investigated the modern methods of packing. If such a person were to stand by the side of a Ham trimmer in a packing house and examine each Ham as it comes from the trimmer, he would be at once convinced as to the error of his opinion. There would be noticed a vast difference in the quality of Hams, even in their fresh state. Many Hams are of very coarse grain, especially those that come from boars, stags and old sows, while many other Hams are large and too fat. Those that come from poor, scrawny hogs are too small and thin, and this differentiation exists regardless of the grade or the experience in buying different lots of hogs. Perhaps there is no animal which varies so much in quality and condition of meat as the hog, and he fully represents or reflects the quality of the food from which he is made, or the results of wise or unwise feeding. Furthermore, Hams will vary in quality even after they have been graded; some medium size Hams, which is the size usually picked for the finest cure, are of much better quality than others. This will be readily admitted when it is remembered that a Ham may be of proper weight, but it can also be too fat for its weight, it can be too lean, it can have a coarse thick skin, the meat can be coarse in grain or it may be properly graded as to size, but come from an old, worn-out sow. Under such circumstances, it is not only necessary to cull the Hams, but to recull them, until the different grades are divided as to quality.

A fourteen to sixteen pound Ham from a young barrow with a fine, thin, white skin which is not too fat or not too lean, and possessing a nice, fine grained meat is fully up to grade and is taken for the superior quality of Hams. Therefore, a Ham of this description is superior in quality even before it goes into the brine for curing, and it is very easy to understand that when such a quality of Ham is carefully cured, for just the proper length of time, it will be far better than the ordinary run of Hams. Furthermore, the quality of the Hams may be deteriorated in many ways. For instance, the fourteen to sixteen pound Ham is fully cured in from sixty to seventy days, but if a packer has put up a large quantity of better grade Hams which gives him a surplus, he will hold them in the brine from ten to twenty days longer after they have been fully cured, and if they are thus kept in the brine for this additional period, they may become too salty and their fine flavor is lost. Under such circumstances the Hams must be taken out of the brine and smoked, or must be stored in a low temperature for ten or twenty days longer, but the moment they are kept beyond the full curing time they are not as good as when taken out of the cure at the moment they are fully cured. Furthermore, if a large quantity of the superior quality of Hams have been smoked and they are not disposed of rapidly enough, they begin to lose in appearance, and must again be culled and sold with the cheaper grade of Hams. If they are kept in brine longer than is necessary, they must also go into the cheaper quality.

It is, therefore, plain to be seen that what is known as the superior quality is the best Ham that the packer can turn out. As stated, the Hams are superior before they are cured. They are properly kept all through the process of curing, and the moment they are fully cured they are taken out, smoked and sold. It is only by handling Hams in this manner that it is possible to maintain a grade of superior quality. All Hams cannot be handled in this way, owing to the fluctuation of supply and demand, but the packer aims to keep them fully up to superior grade by a frequent and discriminating culling. This should convince anyone in doubt upon this question that they are erroneous in supposing that all hams are alike, and that all hog meat is high grade pork, when, in fact, it has various grades of quality.

HOW TO SMOKE PICKLE-SOAKED MEAT.
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It sometimes happens that butchers leave their Hams in brine too long and they become pickle-soaked. Once in this pickle-soaked condition, it is well known that it is a very difficult matter to smoke the Hams, because, even though they are sweet when they go into the Smoke House, they will come out sour. Hams should not be left in brine over ninety days, and at the very outside not more than one hundred days, unless they are put into a freezer and kept at a temperature of 28 degrees, at which they can be kept as long as desired. But it is frequently the case that they are left in pickle five or six months in an ordinary cooler. Hams thus over-pickled cannot fail to cause trouble in the Smoke House, and we would advise that all Hams that have been left in the brine for such a long time should be washed off in warm water after first letting them soak in cold water 2 to 4 hours. They should then be hung up to dry and kept in a well ventilated room where the temperature is not too high. A room in which the circulation of air is good and which can be well ventilated by opening the windows and doors, and which does not rise in temperature above 60 to 70 degrees, would answer the purpose for drying out. It will do no harm to let the Hams hang two or three weeks before smoking. They can then be put in the Smoke House and smoked gently, using as little heat as possible. For the purpose of this light smoking, it is best to use sawdust instead of wood, or mostly sawdust, and a small amount of wood, in order to reduce the heat. The Smoke House should also be constructed in such a way that it can be sufficiently ventilated to let cool air into it and thus make sure of a cool smoke. If Hams are smoked under such conditions, they should come out of the Smoke House without souring.

The souring of pickle-soaked Hams is due to the brine fermenting in the Hams when they are placed in the warm Smoke House. Hence the advisability of drying out the Hams well before placing them in the Smoke House, and of smoking them in a cool smoke. When Meat has been in brine a very long time and has become pickle-soaked, and is afterward soaked in cold water, the greatest of care must be taken not to keep it in cold fresh water too long, otherwise the meat will absorb more moisture. It is also a good plan to soak Meat that has been in brine 60, 70 or 80 days in cold water. When Hams are fully cured, the strength of the brine may be reduced somewhat, after which the Hams may be permitted to remain in the brine about 30 days longer. Hams are fully cured in 70 days, and may be allowed to remain in a weaker brine 30 days longer, but no longer. After 30 days they must be taken out of this reduced brine, and, if it is so desired, they may be kept in a low temperature two or three weeks longer before smoking, but at the end of that time they must be smoked.

CLEANING LARD TIERCES FOR CURING PURPOSES.
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As is well known, Butchers experience a great deal of trouble when they use second-hand lard tierces for curing meats, owing to the fact that the lard soaks into the pores of the wood, where it becomes tainted and rancid. No amount of washing or scalding will thoroughly cleanse such tierces or make them as good as new. The lard is run into the tierces while it is hot and the fat naturally soaks very deeply into the wood. After these tierces are emptied and are used for curing purposes, the old lard remains in the pores and becomes rancid and contaminates the brine and also the meat.

It is a fact that many Butchers use old lard tierces for curing purposes and neglect to thoroughly clean them; and even if they have been well cleaned, it is well known that, notwithstanding every precaution taken, there is still left in the tierces a taint which affects the flavor of the meat.

USE ONLY PURE SPICES
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We strongly recommend our friends to use only Pure Spices for three very good and sufficient reasons. First, for flavor; second, for uniformity, which will insure your sausage always being the same in flavor; third, for economy, as pure spices are cheapest in the final analysis.

Then again, the Pure Food Laws should not be over-looked. In States where the use of cereal in sausage is forbidden, the one safe-guard against prosecution is to use absolutely Pure Spices and avoid so-called sausage seasonings which contain cereals as an adulterant. In our laboratory we have repeatedly found cases where as much as 50% bread crumbs were mixed into spice to cheapen it. The bread crumbs mixed with the seasoning into the sausage meat would be detected by the chemists and microscopists of the various State Pure Food Departments, making the butcher who used such seasonings liable to prosecution for adding adulterants to his sausage.

If you will bear in mind that spices are of value only to the extent that they contain the flavoring principle of the particular Spice, you will readily understand that buying adulterated Spices is just throwing so much money away. For instance, in the case of White Pepper, there is an Oil of Pepper and certain resins. Presuming that you do pay the legitimate wholesale price for the sausage seasoning which contains only the best Singapore White Pepper and do have to pay a few cents a pound more than for one which is diluted down with 50% bread crumbs, the pure and unadulterated Spice is by far the cheapest in the end. You are also assured of always obtaining a uniform flavor in the finished sausage meat.

There is probably no other material in use by the butcher that is as liable to adulteration as Spice. To the average user the adulteration is very difficult to detect, because the aroma of the Spice is there and the adulterant is so cunningly ground and mixed in with the Pure Spice that, to the naked eye, it looks like the genuine article. But once the chemist or the microscopist secures a sample of these adulterated goods one glance through the microscope and a simple test for starch, which comes from the added cereal present, is sufficient. These adulterations not only occur in the largest used Spice like Pepper, but many of the other higher priced Spices like Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Mace, Allspice, Ginger, etc., are equally the subject of adulteration at the hands of unscrupulous manufacturers and jobbers whose only object is to undersell the legitimate importer and grinder of real 100% Spice.

A CHEAP TEMPORARY SMOKE HOUSE.
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This illustration will give some idea of how a temporary smoke house can be rigged up with very little trouble, which will answer the purpose nicely.

Very often it becomes necessary for a butcher to re-smoke some bologna that has been shipped to him from a packer, and it is sometimes necessary to re-smoke Hams and Bacon. Also, a butcher will often want to cure a small quantity of meat and would like to smoke it.

When butchers who are not equipped with a smoke house have to do this, they may be at a loss to know what to do.

Take a clean sugar barrel and knock out the bottom; then set the barrel on top of a box about four feet long, one or two feet high and as wide as the barrel. If a box of this shape cannot be obtained, a large dry goods box will answer. Bore auger holes through the box under the barrel, to let the smoke through. Get a large piece of tin, galvanized iron or sheet iron, about one foot wide and 2 feet long and bend it into the shape of a pan, or take an old roasting pan. Dig a hole in the ground at the front end of the box, so fire can be put onto this piece of tin, sheet iron or pan and then placed under the box with the fire on it. After the fire is placed under the box, place a board over the hole. All crevices must be banked with dirt around the box, to keep the smoke in.

The meats to be smoked should be hung on sticks with long strings on them, so as to let them down to about the middle of the barrel. Cover the barrel up with a gunny sack, so as to let a draft pass through and still retain the smoke in the barrel.

This makes a first class temporary smoke house with very little trouble and expense.

HOW TO KEEP HAMS, SHOULDERS, BACON, DRIED BEEF, AND ALL KINDS OF PICKLED MEATS IN BRINE FOR A YEAR OR LONGER.
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All kinds of pickled meat after it is fully cured, 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 similar to fresh cured meat. During the time when Hams and other meats are low in price, they can be stored in a freezer, and kept there until such a time as they are in greatest demand and will sell at the highest price. This enables the packer to reap a larger profit. At a temperature of 28 degrees, the meat will not freeze after it is cured, and the brine of course does not freeze, as salt water will not freeze, at that temperature. When meat is taken out of such cold storage to be smoked, it should first be soaked for three to five hours in fresh water, then washed in boiling hot water and smoked the same as regular fresh cured meat.

WASHING CURED MEAT BEFORE SMOKING.
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WASHING MEATS
BEFORE SMOKING

Hams, Shoulders, Bacon and all cured meats whether dry salted or cured in brine, should be washed in hot water and scrubbed with a brush before being put into the smoke house. This is very important, as the meat thus scrubbed will come out of the smoke looking much better. The water should be as hot as the men can work with. The hotter the water, the better the meat will look after being smoked.

BRINE ABSORBS FOREIGN ODORS
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Warm carcasses of meat should never be put into a cooler where meat is being cured in open vats, as the cold pickle will absorb the impure animal heat, and odors which these carcasses give off. Never allow sour pickle of any kind to remain in the curing room, as cold brine or water will absorb all foreign odors. To demonstrate this, take a glass of cold water, set it on a table next to a glass of tainted brine, and cover both with a bucket or pan; allow them to remain over night, and the next morning the cold water will have the same odor as the tainted brine. This will easily prove how meat can be tainted when curing in open tierces or vats, if anything sour or spoiled is in the cooler; therefore, curing rooms must be kept as clean as possible.

HOW LONG BRINE SHOULD BE USED
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The length of time that brine should be used depends entirely upon the quantity of brine that you have in the barrel and the amount of meat that you put in each week. When the meat is packed solid it takes about 5 gallons of brine to each 100 pounds of meat. On the other hand if you put 25 gallons of brine in a tierce in which you place but a few pieces of corned beef from time to time as the meat accumulates your brine would be sufficient to cure 500 pounds of meat; if the barrel was nice and clean, the meat in good condition when put in the brine, and generally speaking conditions are favorable it will cure a great deal more than 500 pounds.

The brine may be used until it begins to get thick and show foam on the top; then of course it is advisable to make a new brine, at the same time washing the tierce out thoroughly.