Take an ounce of saltpetre for each ham, and one pint of molasses to every pound of saltpetre.
Then take a quarter of a pound of common salt for every pint of molasses used.
Heat the mixture till it nearly boils, and smear the _meat_ side with it, keeping the mixture hot and rubbing it in well, especially around the bones and recesses.
Let the hams lie after this from four to seven days, according to the size of the hams.
Then place them in a salt pickle, strong enough to bear an egg, for three weeks. Then soak eight hours in fresh water.
Then hang in the kitchen, or other more convenient place, to dry for a fortnight. Then smoke from three to five days, or till well smoked.
Then wrap them up in strong tar paper, tying it close.
Then tie them tight in bags of coarse unbleached cotton, stuffing in shavings, so that no part of the paper touches the cotton. Hang them near the roof in a garret, and they will never give you any trouble.
Empty the cases, taking care not to tear them. Wash them thoroughly, and cut into lengths of two yards each. Then take a candle rod, and fastening one end of a case to the top of it, turn the case inside outward. When all are turned, wash very thoroughly and scrape them with a scraper made for the purpose, keeping them in warm water till ready to scrape. Throw them into salt and water to soak till used. It is a very difficult job to scrape them clean without tearing them. When finished they look transparent and very thin.
Take one-third fat and two-thirds lean pork and chop them, and then to every twelve pounds of meat, add twelve large even spoonfuls of pounded salt, nine of sifted sage, and six of sifted black pepper. Some like a little summer savory. Keep them in a cool and dry place.
Take equal portions of veal, pork, and ham, chop them fine, season with sweet herbs and pepper, put them in cases, boil them till tender, and then dry them.
To twenty-five pounds of chopped meat, which should be one-third fat and two-thirds lean, put twenty spoonfuls of sage, twenty-five of salt, ten of pepper, and four of summer savory.
_Pickle for Beef, Pork, Tongues, or Hung Beef._
Mix, in four gallons of water, a pound and a half of sugar or molasses, and of saltpetre two ounces. If it is to last a month or two, put in six pounds of salt; if you wish to keep it over the summer, use nine pounds of salt. Boil all together gently, and skim, and then let it cool.