" All the work must be carried on in the shade, but where there is a strong current of air, the har ness tubs in particular ; this being a very material point in curing the meat in a hot climate. Meat may be cured in this manner with the greatest safe ty, when the thermometer, in the shade, is at the extreme heat assisting the curing.
" A good sized bullock, of six or seven hundred weight, may be killed and salted within the hour.
" The person who attends with the spice near the first salter has the greatest trust imposed upon him; besides the spice, he should be well satisfied that the piece is sufficiently salted, before he permits the first salter to hand the piece over to the second salter.
" All the salt should be very fine, and the packer, besides sprinkling the bottom of his harness tubs, should be careful to put plenty of salt between each tier of meat, which is very soon turned into the fin. est pickle. The pickle will nearly cover the meat as fast as the packer can stow it away. It is always a good sign that the meat is very safe, when the packer begins to complain that his hands are aching with cold.
" By this method, there is no doubt but that the meat is perfectly cured in three hours, from the time of killing the bullock : the saltpetre in a very little time strikes through the meat; however, it is always better to let it lie in the harness tubs till the following morning, when it will have an exceed ing pleasant smell on opening the harness tubs; then take it out and pack it in tight barrels, with its own pickle." Bed' and pork, in a less degree, properly salted with salt alone, acquire a green colour ; but if an ounce of saltpetre be added to each five pounds of gait employed, the muscular fibre acquires a fine red colour ; but this improvement in appearance is more than compensated by its becoming harder and harsher to the taste ; to correct which, a proportion of auger or molasses is often added. But the red colour may be given if desired, without hardening the meat, by the addition of a little cochineal.
Meat, when salted, is either preserved immersed in pickle, in close vessels, or dried, when it gets the name of bacon, ham, or hung beef.
Meat kept immersed in pickle rather gains weight. In one experiment by Messrs Donlan and Gamble, there was a gain of three per cent., and in
another of two and a half; but in the common way of salting, when the meat is not immersed in pickle, there is a loss of about one pound or one and a half in sixteen.
The drying of salt meat is effected either by hanging it in a dry and well-aired place, or by exposing it at the same time to wood smoke, which gives it a peculiar flavour, much admir ed in Westphalia hams and Hamburg beef, and also, perhaps, tends to preserve it, by the antiseptic action of the pyrolignic acid. When meat is to be hung, it need not be so highly salted.
Fish, in like manner, may be preserved either by dry salting or in pickle. The former method is employed to a great extent on the banks of New foundland, and in Shetland. For information on this important subject, the article FISHERY may be consulted.
Dr Hibbert thinks that the cod-fish prepared in Shetland will always maintain its pre-eminence over the cod of other places. In Newfoundland the fish are said to be exposed, after being salted, on stand ing flakes, made by a slight wattle, and supported by poles, often twenty feet from the ground. But the humidity is nos nearly so well extracted from the fish, as when, according to the Shetland.method, they are carefully laid out upon dry beaches, the stones of which have been during winter exposed to the abrading action of the ocean, and are thua.cleared from animal and vegetable matter. (Edinburgh Phi. losophical Journal, No. III. p. 148.) The Dutch derive great national advantages from the preference given to the herrings caught upon our own coasts, when cured by them. They use no other than the Spanish or Portuguese sale, pre serve no fish that they are not able to cure between sunrise, when the nets are drawn, and sunset, when they are again shot, and pay particular attention in giping, sorting, and packing each kind by itself. They fill up the barrels with fish of the same kind and night's catching, and are exceedingly careful of the pickle, as they use no other in filling of the barrels. ( Highland Society's Transactions, Vol. II. p. S21.) Herrings and salmon are also often cured by dry ing them in wood smoke after being slightly salted, and are called red herrings, or Yarmouth herrings, and kipper, or smoked salmon.