Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/271

 great quantity of salt, it is as well to have a tin especially made for the purpose, and it should be wide and shallow, a sort of tray about four inches in depth, supported on legs nearly a foot high. You can have a slow fire under this, or if stood in the sun the water will be evaporated and a layer of salt left. As the sun draws off the water you want to add a little, till you have as much salt as the tray will hold. The same if you use fire, you require to keep adding to the pot, or you will only have a very thin layer of salt. Also, if using a deep vessel like the kerosene tin, put some good sized pebbles in the bottom as a safe-guard against burning—they keep up an agitation while the water boils, and so prevent the salt settling too soon. Like soap, salt is very easily made when you know how.

Ingredients: 2 lbs. sugar, 12 lbs. salt, saltpetre.

Mode: To every 100 lbs. of meat allow: ½ lb. saltpetre (crushed and pounded), and 3 gallons of water. Boil, and as the skumscum [sic] rises skim it off carefully. When cold, put into the cask or tub, and put in the pork after it has been well rubbed with salt.

To each gallon of water allow: salt, 2 lbs.; brown sugar, 2 lbs.; saltpetre, ¼ lb. Boil very slowly and remove every particle of scum as it rises. This is as good a pickle as can be made. More saltpetre can be used if liked, but too much takes the flavour from the meat.