—It is more difficult to describe the saving of hog casings. The first item is the removing of the bung which should be pulled carefully, and be as long as possible. The removal of the bung without scoring, breaking or cutting is a part of the slaughtering work and requires skillful knife work to accomplish it properly. As soon as the bung gut is pulled it is stripped and trimmed carefully so as to not destroy the crown. The clinging fat is removed and the bung is then turned, after which they are classified and salted over night in a pickle for the purpose of curing. The following day they are bundled and packed in second-hand hardwood tierces. The grading is difficult to describe since the standards vary slightly. They are usually classified as No. 1, medium primes, and No. 2 quality.
The grading of hog bungs for export and medium primes require that they shall be full crown, free from cuts and scores, pulled full length, and when wind tested and blown to about the distention when stuffed, are measured eighteen inches from the crown:
| Exports | 1 | ¹⁵⁄₁₆ | inches diameter and over |
| Medium Prime | 1 | ³⁄₄ | inches diameter and over |
| No. 2 | Less than 1³⁄₄ inches diameter | ||
Small Casings.
—The small casings are pulled from the set stripped and soaked over night to allow a fermentation or decay of the slime and muscle on the tissue. The length of time for the soaking and the fermentation are controlled by the workman. Soaking too long or too much heat rots the casing. Too little makes it difficult to properly clean. Water test each gut. This is an advantage since it washes each piece and locates all holes. At the same time the casings are selected for width. After selecting and cleaning in this manner the casings are put in bundles of equal size measured as to quantity. They are then well salted and placed upon draining benches to cure. After a period of from three to five days they are shaken free from salt, rubbed with new finely ground salt and packed in hardwood barrels. These barrels should be cloth lined after soaking several days, the water being changed every forty-eight hours.
The salting process is the trick in the casing business. Casings are usually sold on a free of salt basis, and are supposed to contain forty per cent salt, this quantity being allowed. On shaking, at times, they will show sixty per cent, therefore it behooves the buyer or seller to be on guard.
Machines are used for passing the casing through for removal of muscle and slime. In these, rapidly revolving knives or scrapers fitting closely to a roller, perform the process. The casings after passing through the machines are handled by hand, each piece being scraped while on a board and any holes that may appear being cut out, as well as ragged ends cut square.
The average yield in hog casings is usually one-quarter pound per hog. It takes close attention to develop this quantity.
CHAPTER XVIII.
BEEF MISCELLANY
Beef Miscellaneous — Livers — Sweetbreads — Beef Hearts — Tails — Weasand Meat — Beef Tongues — Washing — Hanging — Trimming — Curing — Freezing — Surplus Rounds — Stripping Beef Hams — Formulas for Curing — Smoking — Tests — Glass Jar Beef — Beef Trimmings — Barrel Beef — Tripe — Cleaning Tripe — Pickling — Cost of Production.