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To Corn Beef

Mrs. A. M. Gibbs.

To each gallon of cold water, put one quart of rock salt, one ounce of salt-petre and four ounces of brown sugar, (it need not be boiled), as long as any salt remains undissolved, the meat will be sweet. If any scum should rise, scald and skim well; add more salt, salt-petre and sugar; as you put each piece of meat into the brine, rub over with salt. If the weather is hot, gash the meat to the bone, and put it in salt. Put a flat stone or some weight on the meat to keep it under the brine.

Or this: To every four gallons of water allow two pounds of brown sugar and six pounds of salt, boil about twenty minutes, taking off the scum ; the next day turn it on the meat packed in the pickling tub; pour off this brine; boil and strain every two months, adding three ounces of brown sugar and half a pound of common salt. It will keep good a year. Sprinkle the meat with salt the next day, wipe dry before turning the pickle over it. Let it entirely cover the meat; add four ounces salt-petre. Canvas lids are excellent for covering, as they admit the air and exclude flies. Mutton and beef may be kept sweet several weeks by simply rubbing well with dry salt and closely covering. Turn the pieces whenever the vessel is uncovered.