When you merely want to corn meat, you have nothing to do but to rub
in salt plentifully, and let it set in the cellar a day or two. If you
have provided more meat than you can use while it is good, it is well
to corn it in season to save it. In summer, it will not keep well more
than a day and a half; if you are compelled to keep it longer, be sure
and rub in more salt, and keep it carefully covered from cellar-flies.
In winter, there is no difficulty in keeping a piece of corned beef
a fortnight or more. Some people corn meat by throwing it into their
beef barrel for a few days; but this method does not make it so sweet.
A little salt-petre rubbed in before you apply the common salt, makes
the meat tender; but in summer it is not well to use it, because it
prevents the other salt from impregnating; and the meat does not keep
as well.

If you wish to salt fat pork, scald coarse salt in water and skim it,
till the salt will no longer melt in the water. Pack your pork down
in tight layers; salt every layer; when the brine is cool, cover the
pork with it, and keep a heavy stone on the top to keep the pork under
brine. Look to it once in a while, for the first few weeks, and if the
salt has all melted, throw in more. This brine, scalded and skimmed
every time it is used, will continue good twenty years. The rind of
the pork should be packed towards the edge of the barrel.

It is good economy to salt your own beef as well as pork. Six pounds
of coarse salt, eight ounces of brown sugar, a pint of molasses, and
eight ounces of salt-petre, are enough to boil in four gallons of
water. Skim it clean while boiling. Put it to the beef cold; have
enough to cover it; and be careful your beef never floats on the top.
If it does not smell perfectly sweet, throw in more salt; if a scum
rises upon it, scald and skim it again, and pour it on the beef when