SALTING MEAT FOR THE USE OF THE NAVY

SALTING MEAT FOR THE USE OF THE NAVY. The following is the method recommended by the late admiral Sir Charles Knowles. When the ox is killed, let it be skinned and cut up into pieces fit for use as quick as possible, and salted while the meat is hot. For which purpose we must have a sufficient quantity of salt-petre and bay-salt pounded together and made hot in an oven, of each equal parts; with this sprinkle the meat at the rate of about two ounces to the pound; then lay the pieces on shelving boards to drain for 24 hours; which done, turn them and repeat the same operation, and let them lie for 24 hours longer. By this time the salt will be all melted, and have penetrated the meat, and the pieces be drained off; each piece must then be wiped dry with clean coarse cloths. A sufficient quantity of common salt must then be made hot likewise in an oven, and mixed when taken out with about one-third of brown sugar: then the casks being ready, rub each piece well with this mixture, and pack them well down, allowing about half a pound of the salt and sugar to each pound of meat, and it will keep good several years.

It is best to proportion the casks to the quantity used at one time, as the less it is exposed to the air the better. The same process does for pork, only a larger quantity of salt and less sugar must be used; but the preference of both depends equally upon the meat being hot when first salted.

One pound of beef requires two ounces of salt-petre and two ounces of bay-salt, because it is to be sprinkled twice; an ounce of each to a pound of beef both times. The salt-petre requisite for 100 lb. of beef is 12½ lb. which at 12 d. per lb. is 12 s. 6 d.; and the same quantity of bay-salt (for 100 lb. of beef), at three half-pence per lb. is 1 s. 6 d.; of brown sugar and common salt mixed together half a pound is required, the former in the proportion of one-third, the latter of two-thirds, to a pound of beef. The brown sugar at 8 d. per pound. A hundred pounds of beef will take 250 ounces of it, which costs 10 s. 5 d. The quantity of common salt requisite for 100 lb. of beef is 533 ounces, which at 2 d. per lb. amounts to 5 s. 6 d. The expence therefore will stand thus.

These articles are taken high; and if beef costs 6 d. per pound, meat cured thus will cost less than 1 s. per pound; and therefore comes much cheaper than live-stock in long sea voyages.