To cure hams

1 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
100 pounds Ham
1 pint Salt, kosher
1 x *also:
⅛ pounds Pepper
3 ounces Salt peter
½ pounds Brown sugar
2 pints Salt

Directions

*** The "recipe" specifies ham from corn-fed hogs, and "fine salt (best quality)". Since kosher salt is commonly available today, and contains no iodine, I changed the ingredients to specify it. Mix thoroughly the salt peter, 1 pint salt and brown sugar and rub over the hams and let stand for 24 hours. Then rub the meat with the pepper and part of the remaining salt. Let stand for 5 days and then rub meat again with fine salt. Set aside for 30 days, hang the meat up and brush off the salt. Have hams smoked at a good smoke house, smoking them for 10 days with wood. When finished, rub entire ham with red pepper, wrap carefully in brown paper and then in muslin bags and hang up with the hock down. Hams prepared in this manner will keep indefinitely, and flavor and quality improve with time.

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