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Beef Pickle, and an Excellent Plan of Keeping
Sweet and Juicy.
For 200 lbs., or a barrel of beef,
the best, pure salt, 15 lbs.; saltpeter, 4 ozs.;
molasses, 1 qt, and brown sugar, 3 lbs.; soft water
to fill the barrel, ft to 8 gals., if well packed.
Directions—The beef, having been properly cooled
and cut into sizable pieces, of 5 to 8 lbs., rub a
little salt on the cut edges, that has 1
table-spoonful of powdered saltpeter to 1 qt of salt,
and lay them, singly, upon a table or bench over
night to draw out the blood. In the morning put the
water and saltpeter, as above, into a large kettle
and bring a boil And now, having a suitable wire
hook or two, dip each piece of beef into the boiling
water and hold while you count 20 naturally, i. e.,
not hurrying, nor being slower than usual in
counting, which closes the pores against the
escape of the juices of the meat into the pickle
when barreled; on the same principle that meat
should be put into boiling water when to be
cooked for the-table, and into cold water for soups,
so the juices will flow out into the soup. When this
is all done, put in the other ingredients, as above,
to the water and dissolve, and as it begins to
simmer begin to skim before it boils, pouring in a
little cold water, if needed, to allow all the skum to
be taken off before it boils; then let stand till cold;
the beef having, in the meantime, been packed
with a little salt in bottom of the barrel, and
between the layers, strain the cold pickle upon it
through muslin. If the blood was properly drawn
off, as first directed, it will seldom be necessary to
scald the pickle before May 1st to 15th, then adding
2 or 3 lbs. more of salt, skimming well, repacking
with a little more salt, patting on the pickle cold,
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