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Farm Kitchen:  making bacon  |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4100 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4100 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 03 2018 : 03:09:48 AM
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B day is coming up for my 2 pigs. We want to try curing and smokin a batch of bacon. Never done this before. I do have a few recipes, and even found 2 in an older MJF magazine. I ordered tender quick curing salt last night. Thinking of making my own maple sugar, as all the recipes called for it. Anyone have any suggestions, things to do and not to do?
Farming in WI
Michele |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4715 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4715 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2018 : 05:02:09 AM
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Good luck getting the help you need Michele. Home raised cured bacon with the maple you tapped in the late winter sounds like a foodies dream come true! Have fun experimenting and let us know how it goes.
Dawn in IL
"I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. So I have spent almost all the daylight hours in the open air." Nathaniel Hawthorne |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6791 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6791 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2018 : 05:30:32 AM
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Wow Michelle, I'm impressed making bacon with your own maple syrup!
Are you talking about cooking down your own maple syrup or mixing it with sugar?
I buy organic maple syrup to use in cooking. I might try making maple sugar by mixing it with sugar and drying in dehydrator. Would I use white or brown sugar?
Thanks Michelle I do so love to learn new things in the kitchen.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015.
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4100 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4100 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2018 : 5:11:56 PM
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Well girls, I read how to make maple sugar, you boil the syrup to i think it was hard ball stage, take it off the heat and stir till it turns to sugar. Just read about it this morning. You would not mix it with any sugar. basicly you are boiling it down further. I do know that it would have to be constantly watched, cause maple syrup, will boil over and burn up, if left going too long. I think they were cooking like a 2 cup batch. They said it was a pretty easy process, and to use the darker syrup, grade b. I had a friend try useing syrup instead of sugar, and she said it did not work well, as the sugars in the syrup want to burn to quickly.
Farming in WI
Michele |
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AuntJamelle
True Blue Farmgirl
569 Posts
Jaime
South Bend
Indiana
USA
569 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2018 : 10:37:03 AM
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This is hard core! I love it!
I "know" that it takes quite a bit of maple sap to come up with any usable amounts of syrup - the boiling down process reduces it so. At least that is what I've heard! Good luck and I would love to hear how it turns out! How difficult you felt the process was, etc.
I actually have a book full of recipes on how to make different things we think of as basic - there are a few recipes for bacon I believe. Let me know if you need me to dig that out. I'm sure there is info online too :) |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4100 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4100 Posts |
Posted - Oct 26 2018 : 02:59:41 AM
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Update, pork is ready to be picked up, not to schedule this process. can't wait. I did make maple sugar. Oh so simple. I took a half a quart of our maple syrup. Brought it to the hard ball stage, took it off the heat, and stirred. It only took a minute or so, and it turned to sugar. Amazing process to watch unfold. Very cool that it worked. Next up smokin bacon!!
Farming in WI
Michele |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4715 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4715 Posts |
Posted - Oct 26 2018 : 04:30:42 AM
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Great job with the maple sugar Michele! I bet it will taste amazing with your home raised pork/bacon. Let us know how it turns out in the end. Happy smokin'!
Dawn in IL
"I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. So I have spent almost all the daylight hours in the open air." Nathaniel Hawthorne |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4100 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4100 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2018 : 02:45:57 AM
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got my fresh pork in the freezer for now. I will take the bacon slabs out next week, to thaw and put the cure and rub on by the weekend. Planning on smoking the next week end. Will do up a couple different rubs to see what we like. hopeing this turns out!!! fingers crossed.
Farming in WI
Michele |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6791 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6791 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2018 : 03:06:01 AM
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Michele, interesting on how easy it is to make maple sugar. I thought it would take hours of stirring. Trying different rubs for the bacon is a great idea. Have fun!
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015.
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4100 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4100 Posts |
Posted - Nov 05 2018 : 03:05:08 AM
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Rubbed the meat last thursday morning, before work. Been turning it twice a day now. It is looking good. I can't wait to try it. I think this coming thursday, i will rinse it off and let it dry in the fridge a few days. Planning on smokin for 12 hours on saturday. I did a rub recipe with white pepper and one with black pepper.
Sara, when we make our syrup we use a hydrometer to get it finished. I am not sure how long i had it boiling on med to low. 10 min or maybe 20, but i did not have to stir it. Watched it like a hawk, to make sure it did not boil over. I used a darker grade.
Farming in WI
Michele |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9234 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9234 Posts |
Posted - Nov 05 2018 : 12:39:23 PM
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Wow Michele that is awesome making your own maple sugar and curing/ smoking your own bacon! Will wait to hear how it turns out.
~Denise
Sister #43~1/18/2007
"Home is where we find comfort, security, memories, friendship, hospitality, and above all, family. It is the place that deserves our commitment and loyalty." William J. Bennett
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4100 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4100 Posts |
Posted - Nov 06 2018 : 03:12:20 AM
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I think the hardest part of this process is WAITING. lol My mouth is watering , and i want to see how the bacon is going to turn out.
Farming in WI
Michele |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4100 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4100 Posts |
Posted - Nov 11 2018 : 03:11:23 AM
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It is smokin day. yippee. though 17 right now outside. going for a 12 hour low and cold smoke. The meat looks great in the fridge. Next up will be hams and hocks.
Farming in WI
Michele |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6791 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6791 Posts |
Posted - Nov 11 2018 : 05:31:35 AM
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Michele, Happy Smokin Day!
I like smoked ham hock in dried beans as well as cabbage or greens - good eating for sure. Silly question from someone who has cooked with hocks all her life - what part of the hog?
I also cook with hog jowl and I do know what part of the hog it is. lol Do you cook the feet? My DBI likes pig's feet.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015.
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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HollerGirl56
True Blue Farmgirl
1334 Posts
Barbara
Flat Top
WV
USA
1334 Posts |
Posted - Nov 11 2018 : 05:52:47 AM
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Congrats on all this hard work. Will be delicious for sure. I cannot stand to work with meat. The best I can do is brown something and put it in the crockpot. My husband loves to cook so I make him fool with the meat. I'd never make a real farm woman. You go Girl!
Old Age Ain't No Place For Sissies!------Bette Davis |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4715 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4715 Posts |
Posted - Nov 11 2018 : 2:40:20 PM
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Hope the smoking went well yesterday. Let us know how that bacon tastes. My mouth is watering too!
Dawn in IL
"I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. So I have spent almost all the daylight hours in the open air." Nathaniel Hawthorne |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4100 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4100 Posts |
Posted - Nov 12 2018 : 03:19:55 AM
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11 hours of cold smoke and we got bacon. My neighbor/cousin actually did the smokin. i droped the meat off at 7 and he did the rest. Used hickory, his favorite wood to smoke with. Will let it sit for a few days in the fridge, and slice and try it. I did a rub with black pepper, and one with white pepper. Black forest rub from a different forum i am on. Will cook up a few slices of both and the batch we had the butcher do. see what we like the best.
sara, jowl if the jar area, and hocks are the rear leg joint where it bends and goes down to the foot. Not sure if they take off the front leg or not. Hocks are like a mini ham. I don't cook feet, of anything. lol i am wasteful too Barb. Will let you know Dawn, how it tastes.
Farming in WI
Michele |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6791 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6791 Posts |
Posted - Nov 12 2018 : 04:57:58 AM
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Thanks Michele, looking forward to hearing about your taste tests. Hard job but someone has to do it.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015.
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4100 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4100 Posts |
Posted - Nov 12 2018 : 3:32:46 PM
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oh goodness talk about type. the jowl is in the face area, by the jaw i believe.
Farming in WI
Michele |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4100 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4100 Posts |
Posted - Nov 15 2018 : 04:43:21 AM
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last night we sliced up the bacon, and of course taste tested. Yummy. I did one rub with white pepper and one with black pepper, and of course a few different spices. It was very good, just a tad sweet but very good. I did put extra rub of maple sugar on after rinsing off the spices. My husband and cousin thought they were both delicious. Next time i will just make up the black pepper rub i think. No burning at all when frying it up. It was a success for sure. Next up ham and hocks. Will thaw them starting next monday and use the spice rubs i have made up. Will let it cure longer in the fridge cause they are thicker then bacon. planning on smokin dec 7 or 8th.
Farming in WI
Michele |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4715 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4715 Posts |
Posted - Nov 15 2018 : 4:48:11 PM
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Congratulations Michele! So glad your bacon turned out for you. Good luck with the ham and hocks. Let us know how they turn out too!
Dawn in IL
"I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. So I have spent almost all the daylight hours in the open air." Nathaniel Hawthorne |
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Farm Kitchen: making bacon |
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making bacon
