Ingredients
- a pint of unslacked lime
- one end
Directions
When removed from the smoke house, do not suffer a fly to come near them, but immediately sew them in a coarse cloth or stiff brown paper and pack them in slacked ashes. There is no method so sure to preserve them from insects, and the effect of the ashes is to improve the meat, but care should be taken that the hams be so secured that the ashes will not touch them. The ashes should be perfectly cold and dry and the barrel be in a dry, cool place.
W^ UCCESS in nice cooking greatly depends on the fresh- ness of the eggs used. There are various ways of |t^>fi^ determining in regard to this, but none appear to be
infallible. Old stale eggs are cold all over, fresh eggs
have a warm spot on the big end, which may be de.
tected by applying it to the tongue. Another : If placed in cold water, a fresh egg will go to the bottom and lie on the side, a bad egg will float, a stale egg may sink but will stand on one end. When eggs are plenty it is a good plan to pack them for use at times when it is difficult to procure them. Some of the simpler methods of preserving them are to pack them in bran or salt with the small end down. If they are to be kept some time, it is better to grease the shells before packing them. Mix half a pint of unslacked lime with the same quantity of salt and a couple of gallons of water. The water should be turned on the lime boiling hot; when it is cold lay the eggs in with great care not to crack the shells, otherwise they will spoil very soon. The eggs should be perfectly fresh when put in. Do not make the lime- water any stronger, or the lime will eat the shells. They should be kept in a cool place, but never allowed to become chilled or frozen.