Farm and home cook book and housekeeper's assistant

Cover the pork with a round, hard piece of board, a little smaller than the barrel head, put a clean stone on it, heavy enough to keep it down under the brine, then cover the barrel and set away in a cool, dry place. If at any time the brine should froth or look red, it should be turned out, scalded and skimmed, and then poured over the meat again scalding hot. Never put cold brine on old pork. We have pickled our pork in this way for many years, and have never lost any. When wanted for use freshen the pork by letting it stand in warm water on the back of the stove about half hour. — [Mrs. E. E. J., Cal. To Pack Frozen Meat in Hay-Box Take a large, strong, tight, wooden dry goods box, line inside with several thicknesses of paper, pasting it in closely and overlapping the seams generously, then put a thick layer of hay or sawdust in the bottom of the box, and cover with paper. Freeze hams, spare ribs, shoulders, or any pieces of fresh pork, beef, or poultry that you wish to keep fresh for future use, and be sure that the freezing is most thorough, so that each piece is frozen all the way through. Wrap each piece separately in several layers of clean, light brown paper, then pack a layer of these pieces in a box prepared as above, fill all the crevices between the pieces with fine hay, packing it in solidly, cover the layer of meat pieces with about 5 or 6 inches of hay, then pack in more meat as directed above, and so on until all the frozen meat is stored, or the box is full, being careful to have plenty of hay all around the sides, and on the top. Next put on a tight cover of wood, also lined with paper inside, and throw some thick covering over the box, such as an old comforter, blanket, fur robe, or a piece of heavy carpet. The box, of course, should stand in a cold and dry place. Frozen meat packed in this way will remain frozen and sweet for months, and will even withstand quite a long thaw. — [Mrs. I. R. N., Me. Canning Meat, Poultry and Sausages Cut the meat or poultry in pieces of convenient size, trim i carefully, and be sure they are sweet and clean. Boil until I tender in enough water to cover, seasoning to taste, the same \ as for immediate use, and when all the meat is well done \ and tender, press a little at a time in hot glass fruit jars, j then pour in a little of the hot gravy (which should first have i been boiled down until it is almost ready to jelly when cold), I until the gravy fills up all the vacant places around the meat, j but not enough to cause the meat to float. Then press in ) another layer of meat and more gravy, and proceed in this I way until the jar is filled up to within one inch of the top. i Be very sure that there are no air spaces left in the cans. Then \ fill each can overflowing full with melted suet, and seal air ! tight, using new rubbers and observing all the usual canning \ precautions. Set the jars away in a permanent storage place, j which should be cool, dark and dry, and do not move the cans i after once setting away. The melted suet on top will harden, and moving the cans after the layer of suet has hardened is apt to break it. Sausages should be pricked and boiled in water until tender, and packed in jars the same as meat, with |