The cure of the ham has much to do with the shrinkage and it is therefore preferable to use fully cured hams instead of old cured hams, as the shrinkage is greater on over-cured meats. It is also advisable to sort the hams as to size, having each vat or tank of hams uniform. If not uniform in size there is an excessive shrinkage on small hams which are overcooked. In all cases the hams should be soaked, removing the surplus salt. The length and time of soaking depends altogether on the age of the meats. The hams should be thoroughly washed and if they are to be branded this should be done before they are boned or cooked.
Rules for Boiling Hams.
—When hams are boned (if desirable) and wrapped, they should be put into a vat of water, temperature about 212° and the temperature regulated until it reaches 155° to 160° F. The hams are held at this temperature until they are cooked, which requires somewhat longer time than when they are cooked, by steam at a higher temperature. A twelve-pound ham will require from four and one-half to five hours. After the hams are cooked they should be allowed to cool in the water in which they were cooked; not taken out, or drained, or set in the cooler, for in the water in which they are cooked are juices which are absorbed by the hams as they cool, and the shrinkage is much less than if taken out immediately. The hams should then be taken to the smoke house, laid on racks and given a very light smoke, then to the cooler.
Shrinkage in Boiling Hams.
—Hams taken out of pickle and drained for twelve hours to shipping weight, will show the following shrinkages under favorable circumstances:
| Per cent. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hams not boned, smoked after cooking | 9 | to | 12 | |
| Hams with bone out, including the shank bone, skin on, not fatted | 12 | ¹⁄₂ | to | 18 |
| Hams with bone out, skin lifted, fat removed | 18 | to | 23 | |
| Hams with bone out, the skin and fat removed | 33 | to | 40 | |
| Hams skinned, fatted, bones left in | 28 | to | 35 | |
| Skinned shoulders, bone out | 30 | to | 35 | |
CHAPTER XXVI
DRIED SAUSAGE
Summer Sausage — Preservatives — Cooling Room — Stuffing — Hanging Room — Smoke House — Dry Room Treatment — Dry Room Caution — Shipping Ages — Storage — Preparation of Casings — Trimming Meats — Formulas for Sausage.
Summer Sausage.
—Under the head of “Summer Sausage” we take up an entirely different article, a sausage that is dried and smoked (not cooked), during which time the ingredients used for seasoning effect a cure. This sausage will keep for months if properly handled. It is necessary, however, that every detail be very carefully watched, as a slight omission or error in its manufacture causes immense losses at times.