PREFACE

ADOLPH HELLER

Adolph Heller, the father of the members of the firm of B. Heller & Co., was a scientific and practical Butcher and Packer and a Practical Sausage Manufacturer. He studied the causes of failure in the handling of meats, with the aim of always producing the best and most uniform products that could be made. He was so successful in his business that his products were known and recognized as the best that could be made.

His sons were all given practical training in all departments of the business, from the bottom rung of the ladder to the top. The problems of the Packing Industry were kept constantly before them in their school and college days and influenced them in the investigations and study which developed into the present business of B. Heller & Co.

Under these circumstances, the Science of Chemistry naturally claimed the sons of Adolph Heller. Naturally, too, the Chemistry of the Meat Industry overshadowed all other branches of the fascinating profession. With their habits of study and investigation, they soon discovered that one of the great causes of failure in the curing and handling of meat products was the lack of materials which were always uniform, pure and dependable. This led to the founding of the firm of B. Heller & Co., whose aim has always been to furnish to the Butchers, Packers and Sausage Makers such materials as could be absolutely depended upon for purity and uniformity. They also early found that even with good materials to work with, the lack of fixed rules and formulas contributed largely to the lack of uniformity in the finished goods. This led to the publication of “Secrets of Meat Curing andSausage Making,” in which definite rules were given for handling all kinds of meats and making all kinds of sausage.

The enactment of the National Pure Food Law, the National Meat Inspection Law and the various State Pure Food Laws has made a great change in the Butcher, Packing and Sausage Making Business. The use of Chemical Preservatives is now prohibited under these various food laws, making it necessary to preserve meats and manufacture sausage without the use of many agents which were in general use.

The firm of B. Heller & Co. anticipated the enactment of the various food laws, and already had completed investigations which enabled them to assist packers, butchers and sausage makers at once by giving them curing agents which were free from the Antiseptic Preservatives which these laws prohibited, and yet would produce cured meats, sausage, etc, of the highest quality without the use of the Antiseptic Agents. The underlying principles for handling meats and making sausage with the antiseptic agents and without them are very different, and it became absolutely necessary that the firm of B. Heller & Co. should furnish their friends and customers such information as would enable them to cure their meats and make their sausage so as not to incur losses from goods that would not keep, and to turn out goods of fine quality and appearance. This book istheresult. In its pages are formulas and rules for the handling of all kinds of meat and the manufacture of all kinds of sausage which are the results of many years of experience as Packing House Experts and Chemists who have made a life-time study of the business in all its phases. If the directions and rules are followed, anyone can produce the finest of cured meats and sausage, whether they have had previous experience or not. Furthermore, the products made according to these directions will comply with the requirements of all the Food Laws at present in force in this country.

Hoping the following pages will be found instructive and helpful and thanking the Butcher Trade for their support and patronage in the past, we beg to remain,

Very respectfully,B. HELLER & CO.

BENJAMIN HELLER

ALBERT HELLER

JOE HELLER

EDWARD HELLER

HARRY HELLER

PRIVATE OFFICEofBENJAMIN HELLER

PRIVATE OFFICEofALBERT HELLER

VIEW IN GENERAL OFFICE

The Board of Food and Drug Inspection of the Agricultural Department, at Washington, has permitted the use of certain Curing Agents, by not objecting to their use; but, at the same time, has ruled out, for curing purposes, such chemicals as come under the heading of Antiseptic Preservatives. As a consequence, certain chemical preservatives are prohibited in meats and meat food products if they are to be sold in the Territories or are to be shipped from one State to another, or from any State or Territory into any other State or Territory.

For that reason, we have changed some of our former preparations and have also placed on the market several preparations that will take the place of some of our former products. These new products are Freeze-Em-Pickle, “A” Condimentine and “B” Condimentine. They contain nothing that has been ruled out by any of the rulings or regulations under any of the Food Laws in this country.

The Antiseptic Preservatives that have been ruled out are: Borax, Boracic Acid, Fluoride of Ammonia, Formaldehyde, Benzoic Acid, Sulphurous Acid, Sulphite of Soda, Salicylic Acid, Abrastol and Beta Naphthol.

The use of some of these Preservatives is considered by many high authorities of the world to be harmless. However, as the majority of the Food Commissioners of this country object to their use, and have recommended to the State Legislatures and the Congress of the United States that the use of these Preservatives be prohibited by law, and the State Legislatures and United States Congress have passed laws to this effect; these laws are now in effect and it is, therefore, the duty of every citizen of this country to obey these laws, strictly and to the letter.

In this book we are giving to the Butchers and Sausage Manufacturers the results of much study and experiment, so as to enable the Butchers and Sausage Makers and Packers to produce goods which will meet the requirements of the various food laws and yet avoid the danger of loss from turning out meat food products that might not keep the necessary length of time. Our methods are original, and will produce most excellent results.

It must be remembered that meat must be handled at the proper temperature and according to certain rules, which must be followed to the letter if the Butcher desires to turn out products of the best quality and of appetizing appearance. No detail mentioned in this book is too small to merit strict attention.

All the materials mentioned for use in these pages are in strict accordance with the various food laws. Nothing is recommended or suggested that would come in conflict with the application of the regulations under the existing food laws.

We invite the correspondence of our customers and whenever they are in any doubt it will afford us much satisfaction to hear from them and to give them full information concerning any feature of their business upon which they desire our advice.

B. Heller & Co.

Thousands of pounds of Hams, Shoulders and Sides are spoiled annually before the hog is killed. Overheated hogs, or hogs that are excited from overdriving, should never be killed until they are cooled off or have become perfectly quiet. When the temperature of a hog is above normal, the meat always becomes feverish. This is especially true of large fat hogs, and when the meat becomes feverish, it will never cure properly, but nine times out of ten will sour. The meat of feverish hogs can never be chilled as it should be, and unless the meat is properly chilled, it cannot be properly cured. Before hogs are killed, they ought to be driven into a cool place and if necessary, sprayed with cold water until they are thoroughly cooled off. This precaution is necessary only in hot weather; in winter, they simply need plenty of rest.

If it is necessary to hold the hogs for several days in the pen before they are killed, they should have an abundance of water and also a little feed. This prevents shrinkage and will also keep them from getting nervous from hunger.

(Copyrighted; Reprint Forbidden.)

Up to a comparatively few years ago, all Pork Packing was done in the winter. Packing Houses would fill their plants during the winter months, and in the spring would smoke out the meats. In this way, most of the meat had to be sold oversalted, the shrinkage and loss to the Packer was greater and meats, therefore, had to be sold at a much higher price, besides, they were of very inferior quality.

At the present time, due to improved methods, packing can be done all the year around, and meat can be sold as fast as it is finished. In this way, cured meat can be produced at a much lower price, the money invested in it can be turned over four, five or six times a year, and the meat will be much better, taste better and more of it can be eaten because of the fact that it is more wholesome and more easily digested.

Great care should always be exercised when hogs are hoisted before sticking. When hogs are hoisted alive to be stuck, very often when a very heavy hog is jerked from the floor, the hip is dislocated or sprained, and blood will be thrown out around the injured joint, so the Ham will be spoiled. Great care should also be exercised in driving the live hogs, as hogs are the heaviest and weakest and easiest injured of all animals.

Special pens should be provided for them, so they are not crowded, and so they have plenty of room when they are driven to the killing pen. They should be handled very carefully, and piling up and crowding should be avoided as much as possible. Many hams are injured by overcrowding the hogs in the killing pens, for when hogs smell blood they become excited and nervous, and unless they have plenty of room, they will pile upon each other and bruise themselves so thatthere will be many skin-bruised hams, and the flesh will be full of bruises. Men driving hogs should never use a whip. The best thing to use in driving hogs is a stick about two feet long, to the end of which is fastened a piece of canvas three inches wide and two feet long. By striking the hogs with this canvas, it makes a noise which will do more towards driving them, without injury, than the whip which will injure and discolor the skin.

Men sticking hogs should be sure to make a good, large opening in the neck, three or four inches long, in order to give the blood a good, free flow. It is very necessary to sever the veins and arteries in the neck, so as to get all of the blood out of the hog. The man who does the sticking must be careful not to stick theknife into the shoulder, for if the shoulder is stuck, the blood settles there, and the bloody part will have to be trimmed out after the hog is cut up. In large Packing Houses, there is a report made out every day, of the number of shoulder-stuck hogs, and the sticker must sign this report before it is sent to the office. This shows the sticker the kind of work he is doing and makes him more careful. In small houses, most butchers stick the hogs on the floor and let them bleed there. Those who can possibly do it should hoist the hog by the hind leg before it is stuck or immediately after it is stuck, as the case may be, so as to allow the hog to properly bleed. When the hog is properly hoisted by one hind leg, alive, and then stuck while hanging, it will kick considerably and the kicking and jerking of the hog will help in pumping out all of the blood, making a much better bled carcass than if the hog is first stunned with a hammer and stuck on the floor. The better the hog is bled, the better the meat will be for curing.

It is impossible to give the exact temperature one should use in scalding hogs, as this will vary under different circumstances. In winter the hair sticks much tighter than in summer and requires more scalding and more heat than in summer. Hogs raised in the South, in a warm climate, will scald much easier than those raised in a northern climate. A butcher will soon learn which temperature is best adapted to his own locality and the kind of hogs he is scalding.

In a Packing House where a long scalding tub is used, the temperature depends entirely upon how fast the hogs are being killed. If the hogs are killed slowly, so each hog can remain in the water longer, it is not necessary to have the water as hot as when they are handled fast and are taken out of the water in a shorter time. It is, however, universally acknowledged that the quicker a hog can be taken out of the scalding tub the better it is for the meat. The hog is a great conductor of heat, and when kept in the scalding water too long, it becomes considerably heated and bad results have many times been traced to the fact that the hog was scalded in water which was not hot enough, and was kept in this water too long in order to loosen the hair. Overheating the hog in the scalding water very often causes the meat of fat hogs to sour and Packers wonder why it is that the meat hasspoiled. We therefore wish to caution Packers against this, and to advise the use of water as hot as practicable for scalding hogs.

B. HELLER & CO’S HOG-SCALDTRADE MARK

To make the hair easy to remove and to remove dirt and impurities from the skin, we recommend Hog-Scald. This preparation makes scalding easy, it removes most of the dirt and filth, cleanses the hog and whitens the skin.

In many localities, where the water is hard, Hog-Scald will be found of great value, as it softens the water and makes it nice to work with; it cleanses the skin of the hogs and improves their appearance. It is a great labor saver and more than pays the cost by the labor it saves, as it assists in removing the hair and leaves the skin more yielding to the scraper.

The skin of all hogs is covered with more or less greasy filth, which contains millions of disease germs and these extend down into the pores of the skin. If this germ-laden filth is not removed, and if it gets into the brine when the meat is being cured, it injures both the meat and the brine in flavor, and also spoils the flavor of the lard if it gets into that. Hog-Scald removes most of this filth and cleanses the skin, and for these reasons alone, should be used by every Packer and Butcher. Hams and Bacon from hogs that have been scalded with Hog-Scald are, therefore, cleaner and will be much brighter after they are smoked than when the filth of the hog remains in the pores of the skin.

Those selling dressed hogs will find Hog-Scald very valuable, as hogs that have been scalded with it are cleaner and look whiter and much more appetizing.

The use of Hog-Scald is legal everywhere. It does not come under the regulations of the Food Laws, as it is simply a cleansing agent. Hog-Scald costs very little at the price we sell it, and everyone can afford to use it. Butchers who once try it will continue its use.

As much of the hair as possible should be scraped from the hogs, instead of being shaved off with a sharp knife, as is often done. If the hog is not properly scalded and scraped and the hair remains in the skin, such hair is usually shaved off with a knife before the hog is gutted, and sometimes after the meat is chilled and cut up. After the meat is cured, the rind shrinks and all the stubs of hair that have been shaved off will stick out and the rind will be rough like a man’s face when he has not been shaved for a day or so. Hams and Bacon from hogs that have been shaved instead of properly scalded and scraped, will look much rougher and much more unsightly than if the hogs are properly scalded and scraped. Therefore, Packers should give close attention that the scalding and scraping is properly done. The scraping bench should be provided with a hose right above where the hogs are being scraped and this should be supplied with hot water, if possible, so the hogs can be rinsed off occasionally with hot water, while being scraped. The hot water can, however, be thrown over the hogs with a bucket.

After the hog has been gambrelled and hung up, either on a gambrel-stick or on rollers, it should be gutted. After it is gutted, it should be washed outthoroughly, with plenty of cold, fresh water. As every Packer understands how to gut a hog, it is not necessary to go into details.

We advise the cutting of the hind shank bone after the hog is dressed, so as to expose the marrow, as shown in cuts A and B. It is the best thing to do, as it helps to chill the marrow. The chunk of meat that is usually left on the hind foot, above and next to the knee, if cut loose around the knee, will be drawn to the ham, and when chilled, will remain on the ham instead of being on the hind foot, as shown in cut A. After the meat is cut, the bone can be sawed, in the same place where the hock would be cut from the ham later. See cut B. The hog will hang on the sinews the same as if the bone had not been sawed, except that the cut bone separates and exposes the marrow so it can be properly cooled. On heavy hogs this is quite a gain, as the chunk that would remain on the foot would be of little or no value there, but when left on the ham, sells for the regular ham prices.

The first two figures in the above cut show two men Facing Hams. The first man faces the Ham at his right hand side and the second man faces the Ham on his left hand side, as the Hogs pass by.

The advantage of Facing Hams right after the hogs are dressed, is this. The knife can be drawn through the skin and through the fat close to the meat, and the fat will peel right off the fleshy part of the Ham. Between the fat and lean meat of the Ham, between the legs, there is a fibrous membrane which is very soft and pliable. When the knife is run through the skin and fat, it will run along the side of this membrane, making a clean face for the Ham. That part remaining on the Ham will shrink to the Ham and will form a smooth coating over the lean meat, which closes the pores and makes the Ham look smooth and nice when it is smoked. It also makes a much smoother cut along the skin. The skin when cut warm will dry nicely and look smooth when cured, whereas if it is trimmed after the meat is chilled, it looks rough and ragged. Facing Hams also allows the escape of the animal heat more readily. If Hams are not faced until after the Hogs have been chilled, this fat must be trimmed off and the Hams will not look nearly so smooth as they will if this tissue and fat is removed while the hog is warm.

The second two men in the opposite illustration are Pulling Leaf Lard. The Leaf Lard should always be pulled out of the hogs in summer, as it gives the hogs, as well as the Leaf Lard, a better chance to chill. During the winter months it can be pulled loose, but can be left hanging loosely in the hog, from the top. In this way it will cool nicely, and it will also allow the animal heat to get out of the hog. Most of the large packing houses pull out the Leaf Lard in the winter as well as summer, and hang it on hooks in the chill room to chill. Leaf Lard that is properly chilled, with the animal heat all taken out of it, makes much finer lard than when pulled out of the hog and put into the rendering tank with the animal heat in it.

Splitting can be done in several different ways. Where the back of the hog is to be cut up for pork loins, the hog is simply split through the center of the backbone, so that one half of the backbone remains on each loin. Packers who wish to cut the sides into Short or Long Clears or Clear Bacon Backs run the knife down on both sides of the backbone, as close to the backbone as possible, cutting through the skin,fat and lean meat; then the hog should be split down on one side of the backbone. The backbone should remain on the one side until the hog is cut up and it can then easily be sawed off with a small saw. By cutting or scoring the back in this way for making boneless side meat, the sides will be smooth and there will not be much waste left on the bone as when the backbone is split and half of it left on each side and then is peeled out after the meat is chilled and is being cut up.

Many chill rooms are not properly built. There should be at least from 24 to 36 inches of space between the ceiling of the chilling room and the gambrel-stick, or more if possible, in order to enable the shanks to become thoroughly chilled. The animal heat which leaves the carcass naturally rises to the top of the cooler, and unless there is space between the ceiling and the top of the hog the heat will accumulate in the top of the cooler where the temperature will become quite warm; this will prevent the marrow in the shank and the joints from becoming properly chilled. It is this fact that accounts for so much marrow and shank sour in hams.

All Packers who have a properly built cooler for chilling hogs and who are property equipped with an ice machine will find the following rules will give the best results. Those who are not properly equipped should try to follow these rules as closely as they can with their equipment.

A hog chill room should be down to from 28 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit when the hogs are run into it. As the cooler is filled, the temperature will be raised to as high as 45 or 46 degrees F., but enough refrigeration must be kept on so the temperature is brought down to 36 degrees by the end of 12 hours after the cooler is filled, and then the temperature must be gradually reduced down as low as 32 degrees by the time the carcasses have been in the cooler 48 hours. In other words, at the end of 48 hours the cooler must be down to 32 degrees.

All large hog coolers should be partitioned off between each section of timbers, into long alleys, so that each alley can be kept at its own temperature.

In the improper chilling of the carcasses lies the greatest danger of spoiling the meat. The greatest care must be given to the proper chilling, for if the carcasses are not properly chilled, it will be very difficult to cure the meat, and it will be liable to sour in the curing. Meat from improperly chilled carcasses, even with the greatest care afterwards, will not cure properly. Therefore, one of the first places to look for trouble when Hams are turning out sour is to look to the chilling of the meat, as it is nine chances out of ten that this is where the trouble started from. We have found by experience that by deviating only a few degrees from these set rules, the percentage of sour meat is surprisingly increased.

It has always been considered an absolute necessity to have an open air hanging room to allow the hogs to cool off in the open air before they are run into the cooler. It has always been considered that this saves considerable money in the refrigeration of the hogs. However, by the experiments made in some of the large Packing Houses, it has been demonstrated that this economy is very much over-estimated. There are certain conditions which must be closely adhered to forthe safe handling and curing of pork products, and the most important of these is the proper temperature. In the outside atmosphere the proper temperature rarely prevails. Hogs that are left in the open air on the hanging floor over night are generally either insufficiently chilled or are over-chilled the next morning, depending upon the outside temperature of the air. We feel that it is of advantage, however, to run the hogs into an outside hanging room and to allow them to dry for one or two hours before putting them into the chilling room.

Packers who cure large quantities of hogs must see to it that their chill rooms are properly constructed and have sufficient refrigeration, so the temperature can be kept under perfect control at all times. The cooler should be partitioned off lengthwise, between each line of posts, making long alleys to run the hogs into, each one of which can be regulated as to its temperature separately from the others. The hogs can be run into one of these alleys as fast as they are killed and should the temperature get up above 50 degrees F., the hogs can be run out of this into another. The cooler in which hogs are chilled should never go above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and a properly constructed cooler can be kept below this temperature.

While the cooler is being filled, the temperature should be held at between 45 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and should be kept at this temperature for about two hours after filling. At the end of two hours, all of the vapor will have passed away, being taken up by and frozen onto the refrigerator pipes, and the hogs will begin to dry. When the hogs begin to show signs of drying, or in about two hours after the refrigerator is filled, more refrigeration should be turned on, and the temperature should be gradually brought down, so that in twelve hours from the time the cooler is filled, the temperature should be brought down to 36 or 37 degrees temperature Fahrenheit. If the temperature is not brought down to 36 or 37 degrees F. in 12 hours it means a delay in removing the animal heat, and a tendency for decomposition to set in. If the temperature is brought down lower than 32 degrees Fahrenheit during the first 12 hours, the outside surface of the carcasses are too rapidly chilled, which tends to retard the escape of the animal heat. It is known, from practical experience, that where the meat is chilled through rather slowly, the animal heat leaves the meat moreuniformly. Too rapid chilling on the outside seems to clog up the outside of the meat so that the heat in the thick portions does not readily escape.

The first 12 hours of the chilling of all kinds of meat and the removal of the animal heat during this period is the most important part of the chilling. After that period, the proper temperature is of much less vital importance.

Hogs that are to be cut up for curing should never be cut up sooner than 48 hours after being killed, and the temperature of the cooler should be gradually brought down to 28 degrees Fahrenheit by the time the hogs are taken out of the chill room to be cut up. After the hogs have been in the cooler 12 hours the temperature should gradually be brought down from 36 degrees at the end of the first 12 hours, to 28 degrees at the end of 48 hours; that is, if the hogs are to be cut up 48 hours after they are killed. If they are to be cut up 72 hours after being killed, the temperature should be brought down gradually from 36 degrees at the end of the first 12 hours, to 30 degrees F. at the end of 72 hours. This would mean that the temperature should be brought down from 36 degrees to 30 degrees F., if the hogs are to be cut up at the end of 72 hours, or a lowering of six degrees in practically 58 hours; or a lowering of eight degrees, from 36 to 28 Fahrenheit, if the hogs are to be cut up in 48 hours after being killed. This means a reduction in temperature of about one degree for every eight hours. This does not mean that the six or eight degrees should be reduced in two hours’ time, for if that were done the meat would be frozen.

In a large Packing House, where the cooler is properly equipped, and one has a good attendant, these instructions can be carried out in detail. When the foregoing instructions are carefully followed, the safe curing of the product will be assured.

While the curing of course requires careful attention, yet, if the chilling is not done properly, the curing will never be perfect.

The floors of coolers should always be kept sprinkled with clean sawdust, as this will absorb drippings and assist in keeping the cooler clean and sweet. If the drippings from hogs are allowed to fall on the bare floor, the cooler will soon become sour and this will affect the meat that hangs over it.

An even temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit is the best temperature for curing meats. Most butchers, however, have no ice machine, and, therefore, are not able to reach such a low temperature in their coolers; nevertheless, they should try to get their coolers as low in temperature as possible, and should at all times be careful to keep the doors closed, and not leave them open longer than is necessary at any time. The temperature of 37 to 39 degrees Fahrenheit is what should govern all packers who use ice machines; those who are fortunate enough to have ice machinery should never allow the cooler to get below 37 degrees, nor above 40 degrees. Many packers let the temperature in their coolers get too cold, and in winter during the very cold weather, the windows are sometimes left open, which allows the temperature to get too low. This should always be avoided, as meat will not cure in any brine, or take salt when dry salted, if stored in a room that is below 36 degrees Fahrenheit. If meat is packed even in the strongest kind of brine, and put into a cooler, which is kept at 32 to 33 degrees of temperature, and thus left at this degree of cold for three months, it will come out of the brine only partly cured. The reason for this is the fact that meat will not cure and take on salt at such a low temperature, and as the temperature herein given is above freezing point, which is 32 degrees, the meat will only keep for a short time, and then it starts to decompose when taken into a higher temperature. Anyone, who is unaware of this fact, will see how necessary it is to have accurate thermometers in a cooler, to examine them frequently, and to closely watch the temperature of the room. See illustration of our Standard Cold Storage Thermometer onpage 282.

The first essential point to watch before putting meat into brine, is to be absolutely certain that it is properly chilled through to the bone. Those who are not equipped with ice machinery for properly chilling meat in hot weather must spread the meat on the floor after it is cut ready for packing, and place crushed ice over it for 24 hours, to thoroughly chill it before it is packed in the salt. This will get the temperature of the meat as low as 36 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit beforeputting it in the brine. It is necessary that small butchers, who have no ice machines, and rely upon the ice box for a cooler, should use the greatest care to see that the meat is well and thoroughly chilled.

Thousands of pounds of meat are spoiled yearly simply for the one reason that the temperature of the meat is not brought down low enough before the meat is salted. In the summer, hams and heavy pieces of pork should never be packed by persons having no ice machine, unless the meat is first put on the floor for at least twelve hours with broken ice to thoroughly cover it. If our directions are carefully followed andFreeze-Em-Pickleis used, such a thing as spoiled meat will be unknown.

When cured meat turns out bad, it is not always the fault of the man who has charge of the curing so much as it is the condition the meat was in when put into the brine to cure. Good results should not be expected from a man who has charge of the curing unless the meat is delivered to him in proper condition. Hogs should never be killed the same day of purchase at the Stock Yards or from the farmer. They ought to remain in the packing house pen for at least 24 hours before killing. If different lots of hogs are mixed together, they will sometimes fight, which greatly excites them. Whenever they show this fighting disposition, they should be separated.

Make all Pickle in the cooler, and have the water or brine of as low a temperature as the cooler when it is put on the meat. Try to have the temperature of the brine not over 38 degrees Fahrenheit when putting it over the meat. A great deal of meat is spoiled in curing by having the brine too warm when the meat is put into it.

Be careful to do everything right as you go along, for if you spoil the meat you will hardly become aware of it until it is too late to remedy your error.

Bacterial action causes great annoyance and loss to Curers of Meats and Sausage Manufacturers, and, since the enactment of Pure Food Laws prohibiting the use of antiseptic preservatives, the proper handling of meats has become a matter of the greatest importance if good sausage and well-cured meats are to be produced.

We have acted as Consulting Experts for the large Packers and Sausage Manufacturers for many years, and have formulated and systematized methods for the curing of all kinds of meat and the making of all kinds of sausage. We have crystallized the results of our large experience into a plan for the proper curing of meats and the making of all kinds of sausage, which, if followed, will always give satisfactory results.

For curing meat we have combined the necessary curing agents for this Process into a combination which is always uniform and which is known as Freeze-Em-Pickle.

Freeze-Em-Pickle furnishes to the Packer, Butcher and Sausage Maker the proper materials, scientificallyand accurately compounded, and by using it according to the Freeze-Em-Pickle Process, which is set forth in this book, any man, whether he is experienced or not, can get as good results as the most expert packer in the business.

If the Freeze-Em-Pickle Process is followed, and Freeze-Em-Pickle is used according to the directions given in this book, the meats and sausage will be uniform and of fine quality. They will have an appetizing color, a delicious flavor and they will comply with the requirements of the Pure Food Laws.

By curing meat by the Freeze-Em-Pickle Process, the albumen in the meat is so congealed that only a small percentage of it will be drawn out of the meat into the brine, and the natural flavor of the meat is retained, making it far more palatable.

When Freeze-Em-Pickle is dissolved in water with the proper quantity of sugar and salt, the brine will be decidedly sweet and of the proper specific gravity to properly cure Hams, Bacon, Shoulders, Corned Beef, Dried Beef, etc., with a Delicious Flavor, without loss from spoiling. The meat will not be too Salty, but will have that Peculiar Sugar-Cured Flavor which is so much liked. By the use of the Freeze-Em-Pickle Process anyone can make fine cured meats, whether or not they have ever had any previous experience in the curing or handling of meats.

Packers, Butchers and Curers have many difficulties in turning out good, sweet-pickle cured meat, owing to their inability to compound the proper proportions of curing ingredients. Besides, their methods of curing are frequently incorrect and unscientific.

By adopting the Freeze-Em-Pickle Process, the proper ingredients are used and the meat is handled in the right way. That is why the finished products made by the Freeze-Em-Pickle Process are superior to what they are when made in other ways.

In making Bologna and Frankfurt Sausage, if the sausage meat is cured for a few days with Freeze-Em-Pickle and handled according to the Freeze-Em-Pickle Process of curing Bologna and Frankfurt Sausage Meat it will produce Finer Sausage, in both taste and appearance, and will have an appetizing color and will not spoil in hot weather, within a reasonable length of time, and the sausage will comply with the Pure Food Laws.

Use the following proportions of Freeze-Em-Pickle, Salt, Sugar and Water to obtain the best results in curing Hams:

Use for 100 lbs.Small Hams.{ 7 lbs. of Common Salt.{ 1 lb. of Freeze-Em-Pickle.{ 2 lbs. of Granulated Sugar.{ 5 gals. of Cold Water.{ Cure in this brine 50 to 60 days.

Use for 100 lbs.Medium Hams.{ 8 lbs. of Common Salt.{ 1 lb. of Freeze-Em-Pickle.{ 2 lbs. of Granulated Sugar.{ 5 gals. of Cold Water.{ Cure in this brine 60 to 70 days.

Use for 100 lbs.Heavy Hams.{ 9 lbs. of Common Salt.{ 1 lb. of Freeze-Em-Pickle.{ 2 lbs. of Granulated Sugar.{ 5 gals. of Cold Water.{ Cure in this brine 75 to 80 days.

First:—Sort the Hams, separating the Small, Medium and Large.

Second:—Take enough of any one size of the assorted Hams to fill a tierce, which will be 285 lbs.; then thoroughly mix together in a large pail or box the following proportions of Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt:

More than 285 lbs. of Hams can be packed in a tierce, but this never should be done, as it requires a certain amount of brine to a certain amount of meat, and by placing 285 lbs. of fresh Hams in a standard tierce, the tierce will hold 14 to 15 gallons of brine, which is the proper quantity of brine for this amount of Hams. If too much meat is put into the tierce, it will not hold enough brine to properly cure the meat.

The Sugar used must be Pure Granulated Sugar. Yellow or Brown Sugar must not be used.

Use, for 285 lbs. ofSmall Hams, 3 lbs. of Freeze-Em-Pickle, 6 lbs. of best Granulated Sugar and 21 lbs. of Salt.

For 285 lbs. ofMedium Hams, 3 lbs. of Freeze-Em-Pickle, 6 lbs. of best Granulated Sugar and 24 lbs. of Salt.

For 285 lbs. ofHeavy Hams, 3 lbs. of Freeze-Em-Pickle, 6 lbs. of best Granulated Sugar and 27 lbs. of Salt.

When the tierces or barrels in which these Hams are cured are not to be headed up, but are left open, use half of the Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt dry by rubbing it over the hams in the following manner:

First:—After mixing all of the Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt together, sprinkle some of the dry mixture over the bottom of a perfectly clean tierce.

The Sugar used must be Pure Granulated Sugar. Yellow or Brown Sugar must not be used. When adulterated sugar is used, the brine becomes thick in two weeks; but when Pure Granulated Sugar is used it will last quite a while, depending upon the conditions under which the brine is kept.

Second:—Rub each Ham well with some of the mixture of Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt and pack them nicely in the tierce. Put clean boards over the tops of the hams and weight or fasten these boards down so as to keep them under the brine.

Third:—Take all of the mixed Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt that is left after the rubbing and use it in making the brine; it will require 14 to 15 gallons of brine, as tierces vary some, foreach standard size tierce of Hams. Make the brine by dissolving in about 14 gallons of cold water all of the mixed Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt that is left after the rubbing. Stir well for a minute, until it is dissolved, then pour this brine over the meat. As tierces vary so much in size, it is always best to dissolve the Freeze-Em-Pickle in a little less quantity of water, say about 14 gallons for a tierce. After this brine is added to the meat, should the tierce hold more, simply add cold water until the tierce is full. The right amount of Salt, etc., has already been added; now simply add sufficient water to well cover the meat.

When curing a less quantity than a full tierce of Hams, cut down the amount of Freeze-Em-Pickle, Granulated Sugar and Salt and the quantity of water, according to the quantity of Hams to be cured, using all materials in the proportions given onpage 50.

Five gallons by measure, or forty-two pounds by weight, is the approximate amount of water to use for every 100 lbs. of Hams.

A tierce, after being packed with 285 lbs. of meat, will hold about 14 to 15 gallons of water. When curing Hams in vats, or open barrels, whether in small or large quantity, always use no less than five gallons of brine to every 100 pounds of meat, as this makes the proper strength and a sufficient brine to cover the meat nicely.

Never use old molasses barrels, or syrup barrels for curing meat, unless they have been first thoroughly scoured and steamed, and cleansed with our Ozo Washing Compound. It is best to use oak tierces, and always be sure that they are perfectly clean and sweet before putting the meat into them to cure.

We strongly recommend the pumping of Hams, full directions for which are given onpage 76.

Sometimes, vats of certain shapes require more brine to cover the meat than others, and in such cases, a proportionate amount ofFreeze-Em-Pickle, Sugar and Salt, should be added to the necessary amount of water to make sufficient brine to cover the meat.

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