Hog killing time
By Mr. E.C. Temple
The first norther had struck, so it was time to kill hogs. The day before, the men made the wooden vat for the scalding, put up the scaffold for hanging the butchered hogs, and made trestles to lay them on for the cutting and quartering. At rooster crowing time, dark as pitch, Ida crawled out of bed in the shivering cold, lit the coal oil lamp on the bed stand, struck a match to the kindling laid in the heating stove, and woke the family. Breakfast had to be over before the helpers came to start the day’s work. The cook stove in the house had to be used to heat boilers, tubs, and kettles of water for the scalding vat. Other water could be heated on the stove in the wash shack in the back yard, also in the iron black wash pots near the hog pen.
The workers, or killers, came early, guns under their denim coated arms, ready to shoot to kill. The first 300 pounder was dead. Men grabbed the feet and drug him, or else tied ropes around him to tug and lift him to the huge vat of steaming water, where strong hands and backs turned him over and over until the bristles came off easily upon being rubbed by the palm of the hand. The same strength got him hoisted to the scaffold where razor sharp butcher knives were used to scrape him clean of bristles, from top to bottom. Every nook and cranny of him was cleaned until the pinkish white skin glowed clearly and almost was iridescent as pearl. This was only the beginning of Mr. Porky. The scaffold had a heavy crossbeam at the top, in the middle of which a heavy iron hook was suspended by a heavier chain. The hog’s hind feet were fastened together with an equally strong chain. One of the links had to be inserted onto the iron hook, making a pulley, by which he was hoisted up, head down. Then the artistry of m
ain butcher was put to use.
The huge animal was sliced from head to tail, called gutting. The entrails, heart, liver and all insides were lowered into a huge wash tub, as they were separated carefully from the hog’s linings. A large hog’s insides filled an enormous vat or tub to the brim, with the steaming mass.
It was the women’s job to separate from the tub the chitterlings, to cook or use for part of the lard rendering – also cut the heart and liver from the big intestines from which all fatty globules were removed for lard.
After the hog had drained and cooled sufficiently he was again hoisted to the trestle. Again the huge knives or cleaners were used. Off came his head – not to be thrown away. Even ears were saved, scalded in lye water to remove the outer skin and bristle and cooked along with the other parts of the usable head, from which was made spiced head souse. After the hams and shoulders had been cut from him, the feet and knuckles were disjointed to be made into pickled pig’s feet – an art of preparation in itself. Then the bacon squares separated, the pure fat or sides cut into strips of skin. Then cut into small cubes by the quick swish of sharp butcher knives. After the hog had been dissected into his components of hams, shoulders, bacon rashers, fats for lard, the remainder of lean strips were cut for sausage, which was ground by the old fashioned hand method. It was seasoned with sage, salt and pepper and red pepper. Later years we were able to buy prepared seasonings, but now it was our own taste – a pinch or
spoon of this or that until it tasted right. After the sausage lay overnight a small amount was cooked for breakfast to judge the taste – too flat called for more seasoning. Too much seasoning called for more strips to be ground and added to the mixture.
Then came lard making day, which was more strenuous than the first day. The huge wash pots were used again. Fires built under them. Another testing, the fires had to be just right, as to blaze and embers, not too hot or low. The cut of fatty part of the hog was poured into the pots. Huge wooden ladles, long, long handles were used to enable the stirrer to stay back from the fire and not scorch face, hands, or catch a blowing calico dress on fire. The stew had to cook slowly. Slowly at first until the first grease had been rendered enough to make liquid for the whole pot full. Then the constant turning of the fatty gobs was a chore. In the cold north wind to the back and the scorch of the fire in front. A good lard maker knew when it was “done,” the liquid turned a certain clear color, and the skin had curled and crinkled into brown crunch curls. A big milk strainer or such was used (when the grease had cooled sufficiently) to strain the lard into huge lard cans. A bucker or long handled dipper was also used to convey the lard to the strainer and can. The skins were dumped into other containers, kept ready for soap making. If white lard was wanted, a pinch of soda was dumped into the pot as it boiled.
Lye Soap
Take 5 pounds of cracklings or fat scrape meat can of lye and 1 gallon of cold water.
Put the water into the wash vat and pour in the lye. It will boil like fury!
Put in the meat scrapes or cracklings and cook until all the meat has dissolved. Take fire away and stir until cool.
Cold Lye Soap
1 gallon water
1 can lye
5 pounds meat drippings or tallow
Pour the water into wash pot and add the lye then the meat drippings or tallow. This mixture will boil on its own. When boiling stops, pour mixture into clean container to harden.
