A pickle for pork which is to be eaten soon.
YOU must take two gallons of pump-water, one pound of bay-salt, one pound of coarse sugar, six ounces of salt-petre; boil it all together, and skim it when cold. Cut the pork in what pieces you please, lay it down close, and cover it close from the air, and it will be fit to use in a week. If you find the pickle begins to spoil, boil it again, and skim it; when it is cold, put it on your pork again.
To make veal hams.
CUT the leg of veal like a ham, then take a pint of bay-salt, two ounces of salt-petre, and a pound of common salt; mix them together, with an ounce of juniper-berries beat; rub the ham well, and lay it in a hollow tray. with the skinny side downwards. Baste it every day with the pickle for a fortnight, and then hang it in wood-smoke for a fortnight. You may boil it, or parboil it and roast it. In this pickle you may do tow or three tongues, or a piece of pork.
To make beef hams.
YOU must take the leg of a fat, but small beef, the fat Scotch or Welch cattle is best, and cut it ham-fashion. Take an ounce of bay-salt, an ounce of salt petre, a pound of common salt, and a pound of coarse sugar (this quantity for about fourteen or fifteen pounds weight, and so accordingly, if you pickle the whole quarter) rub it with the above ingredients, turn it every day, and baste it well with the pickle for a month: take it out and roll it in bran or saw-dust, then hang it in wood-smoke, where there is but little fire, and a constant smoke, for a month; then take it down, and hang it in a dry place, not hot, and keep it for use. You may cut a piece off as you have occasion, and either boil it or cut it in rashers, and broil it with poached eggs, or boil a piece, and it eats fine cold, and will sliver like Dutch beef. After this beef is done, you may do a thick briscuit of beef in the same pickle. Let it lie a month, rubbing it every day with the pickle, then boil it till it is tender, hang it in a dry place, and it eats finely cold, cut in slices on a plate. It is a pretty thing for a side-dish, or for supper. A shoulder of mutton laid in this pickle for a week, hung in wood-smoke two or three days, and then boiled with cabbage, is very good.
