Post by Ground Sleeper on Mar 10, 2009 12:45:51 GMT -5
US CIVIL WAR PICKLING
Pickling Meat is a way of curing and preserving different types of meats and was developed before the days of refrigeration or easy access to ice to keep meats cold. Thus, we have pickled pigs feet, pickled herring,
Pickling was, during the War Between the Stets, or the Civil War, performed with saltpeter, and we don't see much of that anymore. Today's pickled meats take on special flavors of a variety of spices used to preserve them. It is more about flavor today than preservation.
Here is an early MEAT PICKLE RECIPE that my ancestor in the Civil War learned to use to his advantage. He later used the process to pickle meats on the farm back home. It was likely passed through his sons and wives and their children. My ancestor, being English-Irish, liked was partial to corned beef, another sort of preserved product.
INGREDIENTS
One large stew pot
One large crockery or glass container
The Pickle:
6 lb. salt
1 lb. sugar
4 oz. saltpeter
4 gallons water
Meat (whatever will fit in your crock)
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring 4 gallons of water to the boil over high heat. This was done originally outside over a large camp file, but it can be managed on a home cook top these days.
After the water is at a rolling boil, add all of the salt, sugar, and saltpeter.
Boil the mixture until a large head of foam appears. Skim this head off the foam. Next, remove the pot from the fire and allow the pickling mix to cool to room temperature.
Pour the cooled pickling mixture into a large crock and add the meat that you wish to preserve. This is usually beef, pork, or venison. In order to submerse the meat and keep it totally under the pickling liquid, place a clean cutting board on top of it and weight it down with something healthy, In the Civil War days and on the farm, they simply used a heavy, large flat, stone.
Leave the meat in the pickle liquid for three days.
Keep the pickling mixture!
Use the pickling liquid again by adding additional salt, about two pounds worth, and
Place over high heat to a rapid rolling boil. Boil the liquid until a scum rises visibly to the top and skim this off. Cool the liquid as before and re-use it to pickle additional meat.
Pickling Meat is a way of curing and preserving different types of meats and was developed before the days of refrigeration or easy access to ice to keep meats cold. Thus, we have pickled pigs feet, pickled herring,
Pickling was, during the War Between the Stets, or the Civil War, performed with saltpeter, and we don't see much of that anymore. Today's pickled meats take on special flavors of a variety of spices used to preserve them. It is more about flavor today than preservation.
Here is an early MEAT PICKLE RECIPE that my ancestor in the Civil War learned to use to his advantage. He later used the process to pickle meats on the farm back home. It was likely passed through his sons and wives and their children. My ancestor, being English-Irish, liked was partial to corned beef, another sort of preserved product.
INGREDIENTS
One large stew pot
One large crockery or glass container
The Pickle:
6 lb. salt
1 lb. sugar
4 oz. saltpeter
4 gallons water
Meat (whatever will fit in your crock)
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring 4 gallons of water to the boil over high heat. This was done originally outside over a large camp file, but it can be managed on a home cook top these days.
After the water is at a rolling boil, add all of the salt, sugar, and saltpeter.
Boil the mixture until a large head of foam appears. Skim this head off the foam. Next, remove the pot from the fire and allow the pickling mix to cool to room temperature.
Pour the cooled pickling mixture into a large crock and add the meat that you wish to preserve. This is usually beef, pork, or venison. In order to submerse the meat and keep it totally under the pickling liquid, place a clean cutting board on top of it and weight it down with something healthy, In the Civil War days and on the farm, they simply used a heavy, large flat, stone.
Leave the meat in the pickle liquid for three days.
Keep the pickling mixture!
Use the pickling liquid again by adding additional salt, about two pounds worth, and
Place over high heat to a rapid rolling boil. Boil the liquid until a scum rises visibly to the top and skim this off. Cool the liquid as before and re-use it to pickle additional meat.