Bologna Varnish.
—Where it can be used and not conflict with Food regulations bologna varnish can be used to advantage. It improves the appearance and decreases shrinkage. As considerable water is used, in addition to the natural moisture in meats there is, after it is manufactured, considerable shrinkage, and if allowed to hang for any length of time, the casings become wrinkled on account of the evaporation of this internal moisture. The varnishing of the sausage creates a covering on the outside which prevents this wrinkled appearance, improving its looks, and retarding the evaporation of moisture from the sausage. The formula is as follows:
| 6 | pounds white shellac, |
| 1 | pound boracic acid, |
| 2 | pounds aqua ammonia, |
| 14 | pounds of water. |
The mixture should be put into a vessel and heated to a point where the shellac is well dissolved. When this is accomplished, add four gallons of water. This varnish, in order to be ready for use at any time, must be kept lukewarm. It should, therefore, be kept in a jacketed pan, surrounded by either hot water or steam, to hold it at the proper temperature. The sausage should be immersed and immediately hung up to dry.
This varnish can be used without any detrimental effect whatever on all kinds of smoked Bologna sausage or smoked cooked pressed ham. It preserves the sausage, keeps it from molding, and is especially effective where it is necessary to pack Bologna in boxes for shipment long distances.
Where the dipping pan is used, it is only necessary to dip the sausage in the above solution a few seconds before hanging on racks to dry. The sausage is usually ready for shipment in one hour after it is dipped, if the preparation is properly made, where a large amount of Bologna is being dipped it is, of course, necessary to have a larger dripping pan and a larger quantity of varnish. The proportions should be increased accordingly.
It is also important that, after the varnish has stood from one period of dipping to another, to skim the grease off the top of the varnish before again using it, and the Bologna should always be dipped immediately after it is taken from the cooking vats; in other words, while hot.
Boiled Ham.
—Boiled ham and shoulders, also cooked meats, are usually included as a sausage product. There is nothing that determines the cost of the finished product as much as the shrinkage, hence the method that will produce the least loss in weight from original to finished product is the process desired.
There are two methods of cooking hams, one is to steam them in a retort or some receptacle where they are cooked by the heat generated by steam; another is to cook them in water. The latter process, from careful observation, seems to be the one that gives the best results as regards the shrinkage, although steaming perhaps makes the ham more palatable. The hams before being cooked should be bound and wrapped with twine to hold them in shape. A form made of galvanized iron, clamping plates which are put into a press, with the ham tightly clamped on the inside should be used. The ham is cooked and chilled in this mold.