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Ham, Cured

Do not let the pig be killed in either damp or frosty weather, and remember that if it is not fully twelve months old, the ham will not be good. Let the ham hang a day or two after it is cut up, sprinkle a little salt over it, and let it drain for another day. Rub over it very thoroughly a quarter of a pound of saltpetre, two pounds of salt, and a pound of the very coarsest sugar. Lay it, rind downwards, in a dish, put the salt on the fleshy parts, baste it frequently with the brine which runs from it, and turn it every other day. It must remain for four weeks; at the end of that time drain it, and throw some bran over it. It is now ready to be either smoked or hung. If smoked, oak, green birch, or juniper should be burnt under it; pine shavings would spoil the flavour. If it is to be hung, let it be in a cool place; watch it carefully, and if any part should get rancid and yellow, scrape it off, and rub the place with pepper, salt, and flour, mixed together in equal proportions. Three months should elapse before the ham is cut. If it is hung in a hot place, the ham will be hard and dry; if in a very cold one, it will be a longer time before it is ready to cook. If hams, when hung, seem not likely to keep well, they should be put into the pickle again, and kept there till wanted, and used as soon as convenient. If the brine should become slimy and disagreeable, it should be boiled, or, better still, a fresh pickle made. Probable cost of ham, 1s. per pound.