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Vinegar, Pickles, and Pickling: Rinse

Pickled Tripe. - Empty the paunch by turning it wrong side out, taking care not to let any of the contents get on the outside. Rinse with cold water. Tie or sew up the openings tightly with strong cord so that the lime water cannot get inside, and immerse it in a tub of cold fresh slaked lime about as thick as whitewash.

Let it stand 15 or 20 minutes, or until the dark outside skin is loosened and can be readily pulled off. Pass through 3 or 4 rinsing waters. Tack up on a board and with a dull knife scrape off the dark surface until it looks clean and has no offensive odor.

Soak for half an hour in hot water, then scrape with a dull knife and repeat until perfectly white and clean. Immerse in strong brine and let stand 3 or 4 days, changing the water each day. Cut into pieces a foot long and 6 inches wide, and immerse in buttermilk for 3 or 4 days to whiten. Rinse and lay down in a suitable cask. Cover with pure white wine or cider vinegar, or spiced pickling liquid as preferred. PRESERVATION OF COOKED MEAT In addition to the preservation of fresh meat in various ways, cooked or partially cooked meats may be preserved for considerable periods of time by canning or taking other means to exclude the air. Meats to be canned are first cut into suitable pieces, boiled until tender and packed in glass jars surrounded bv PRESERVATION OF MEAT AND VEGETABLES 703 boiling water. The meat jelly, or "aspic," in which they have been cooked, is then seasoned to taste and poured over them, boiling hot, until the jar is filled to the brim, and they are then sealed while hot. The addition of the aspic, which is, of course, melted when the cans are sealed, but which solidifies on cooling, not only assists in preserving the meat, but also improves its flavor.

Or suitable tin cans may be used.

The cans, surrounded with hot water, are packed with the cooked meat, and the meat jelly poured over them.

The cover is then soldered in place, a small hole is punctured in it and the water surrounding the can is boiled until steam escapes from the aperture. The opening is then closed with solder. The condensation of the steam inside the can on cooling produces a vacuum by which the sides of the can are made slightly And if at any time this concavity disappears, or the sides of the can swell so as to become convex, it is a sure indication that the contents were not properly preserved and have become putrid. concave.

Or to preserve pork chops or sliced ham for summer frying, pickle fresh pork about 10 days or 2 weeks and fry it until about half done.

Or remove the hams from the brine in April, slice, trim, and fry them until half done. Pack the chops or hams separately in solid layers in stone jars. Let them cool, and when entirely cold, pour over them their own fat with the addition of a little melted lard, so as to cover the surface with a layer ½ inch or more thick. Place over the top of the jar a layer of cotton batting. Put on the lid tightly and store in a cool place until required for use. After taking out a portion of the meat for use, remelt the lard and pour back over the meat to exclude the air. Lamb or veal chops, beefsteak or sausage meat may be laid down in the same manner.

Preserving Cooked Sausage.-Pack sausage in cases, or sausage meat, into a small crock or bean pot about full. Place in a baking oven and bake about fifteen minutes for each pound of sausage, i. e., for 6 pounds of sausage bake an hour and a half.