6
RECIPE FOR A PICKLE.
Take 2 gallons of good water, in which dissolve 2 lb. of sugar, (molasses will answer,) 1 oz. of salt-petre, and 3 lbs of bay or comman salt. Put the whole into a clean pot, let it boil, and be carefull to take off all the scum as it rises. When no more scum comes up, put the liquor aside to get quite cold. Having put the meat into the vessel where it is to be preserved, pour the liquor over the meat till wholly covered. In this state it must be kept. If you intend to preserve the meat for some length of time, it will be necessary to boil the pickle over again once in two months, throwing in during the boiling 2 oz. of sugar and ½ lb of salt, and removing all the scum as before. Thus the same pickle will last good for twelve months.
This pickle is excellent for curing corned or hung beef, hams, tongues. When the meat is taken out of the pickle, it should be cleaned and wiped, covered with paper, and hung up in a very dry place.
If you want to make the meat salter, use greater quantities of the stuffs than as directed above. Before putting the meat into the pickle, in hot weather rub it well over with salt, and let it lie about three hours until all the blood run out. If the meat be in the least tainted before it is put into the pickle in hot weather, it will be spoiled in two days time.
Corned beef requires to lie in pickle only about a fortnight. Sugar is seldom used in making corned beef.
HAMS.
To each ham allow ½ lb. of bay and ½ lb. of common salt, 2 oz. of saltpetre, 8 oz. of sugar, 4oz. of allspice. Rub in the half of the salt and salt-
