The modern packing house

by F. W. Wilder

Overhauling and Piling.

—The sides are always piled hollow side up so that pickle made by solution of moisture purging from the meat is contained on the meats. The piles are overhauled at regular intervals so as to insure the meats being subjected to salt at all points. Overhauling should be made: first, eight to twelve days; second, eighteen to twenty-five days; third, forty-five to fifty-five days.

Green meats should not be piled to exceed three and one-half feet in height until the third overhauling when they can be stacked higher to make room.

FIG. 138.—JOWL (DRY SALT BUTTS.)

Smoking Dry Salt Meats.

—The following table shows the age, in days, at which dry salt meat should be cured in order to smoke safely; also at which to ship safely; also the cuts that should and should not be pumped:

TIME REQUIRED FOR CURING.

Product		Average wt. lbs.		Days to smoke	Days to ship	Pumped
Extra short clears		...		25	15	Yes
Short clears		45-55		50	40	Yes
Extra short ribs		...		25	20	Yes
Short ribs		45-50		55	55	Yes
Short ribs		50-80		75	70	Yes
Bellies		15-17		25	25	Yes
Bellies		18-21		30	27	Yes
Bellies		18-22	and over	35	32	Yes
Bellies fancy		4- 6		20	20	No
English bellies		...		15	20	No
Shoulders		...		30	30	Yes
Shoulders English		...		25	30	Yes
Cumberlands		...		20	30	Yes
Dublins		...		20	20	Yes
Long cut hams		...		20	25	Yes
Fat backs		...		20	25	No
Jowl butts—
10 days in brine	}	...		20	20	No
10 days in salt
Backs		...		25	25	Yes
Plates		...		10	10	No

Meats put into a smoke house before they are sufficiently cured develop a condition known to the trade as “puffy,” which means that the meats being insufficiently cured when submitted to the heat of the smoke house, decompose and a gas forms which produces the condition referred to.