Grow Your Own Magazine

Posting this in this forum is a bit of a cheat as I don't have pigs or anything but hey ho

Anyhoos, over the years I have got very very disappointed with what is passed off as bacon in the shops. That nasty white oozing gunk that all of it now seems to produce is just grim, then you have to take the shrinkage into consideration. Its enough to do a mans head in when all you want is a nice bacon sandwich. My quest has been long, trying to find a decent bacon the problem I have found is this, you can get decent bacon but it comes at quite a price.

Well, I should say it does if you buy it, I have for the first time produced my own bacon and I am so impressed with the quality. In my internet travels I came across http://www.sausagemaking.org/ where I found their bacon cure. Next was a trip to the local butchers Sunday meat auction where I picked up a nice sized bit of pork belly for a fiver. Later that day I trimmed out the bones and had myself some nice bbq ribs and then go the business at hand, weighing out some cure, rubbing it in and wrapping in cling film, then pretty much leave alone for several days. For my piece it took 7 days all in. I now have lots and lots of lovely streaky bacon that doesn't ooze and doesn't shrink anywhere near as much as shop bought. And of course I can cut it to any thickness I choose.

So if like me you are fed up with low quality bacon give it a try, its really easy and price wise works out exceedingly well (a bag of cure is £7 and is enough to do 25kilo).

It's weird, something so simple but so worthwhile I just had to shout about it

Hi 25cowlane
I'm impressed! Didn't realise making bacon was so easy.
We too have had your problem, disliking the prepackaged stuff and even our Danish friends were not impressed with the 'Danish' bacon we offered them - apparently they keep the best for themselves and export the rubbish!!.

Is it really as simple as
1 buy the cure,
2 buy the pork
3 bone the pork
4 rub in cure
5 wrap in clingfilm
6 leave for 7 days (ish) ??

I'm keen to try it. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

__________________
Regards, Jane
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? The creative adult is the child who has survived.
Ursula LeGuin
http://www.etribes.com/madderbat

Hi 25CL
does that mean bacon butties at yours on sunday morning form an orderly queue all you grapes!!

seriously well done and enjoy.... youre right the stuff available now is rubbish, we get some at the local farmers market which is fab and well worth paying for

Hi 25cl
Looked at sausage web site very tempted how much was the postage on the cure we eat bacon by the lb but its all watery and would love to try my own

Hi 25CL - what a super idea! Hope to give it a go sometime. DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Ask Piglet

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Hi 25CL, we're lucky to have one of the best butchers in the country in Sunny Nunny and his home cured is 2nd only to his snorgers

http://www.sausagelinks.co.uk/produc...ail.asp?id=363

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Ooh Nick, You are awful. But I like you.

Surely it's 'Snorkers' though???

__________________
Regards, Jane
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? The creative adult is the child who has survived.
Ursula LeGuin
http://www.etribes.com/madderbat

Sorry for the delay in replying, having a few internet issues today

To answer the questions, yes it really is that easy, take a look at this site I found for a run through of the process.
Instructions

Postage was free!

Nick, it would be great to have a butcher of that quality, our local (5 minute walk away) is OK but not been impressed with the bacon and we find his sausages a bit hit and miss, some weeks they are great, other weeks they seem to be poor. But the saving grace is the sunday meat auction, well thats what they call it its much more of a make up a cheap price sale

We've found a great butcher - his own brine tub, home made corned beef, superb sausages and bacon. It's a little far away, so we stock up the freezer with sausages and bacon every six weeks or so. It's worth it!

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SSx
not every situation requires a big onion

I like the idea of my own bacon!
I think Hugh FW has some advice on it too- and he said it was easy!

Thanks for that Cowlane. I haven't bought bacon for ages as I find most of what I buy is more than disappointing. Even stuff I've bought as top of the range wasn't specially good. I've made a note and will give it a go.

__________________

From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

"Snorgers" "snorkers"? are we talking sausages by any chance? DDL

__________________
Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

You got it. Try listening to Wogan's morning show sometime (Radio 2)

__________________
Regards, Jane
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? The creative adult is the child who has survived.
Ursula LeGuin
http://www.etribes.com/madderbat

There I am, drinking a cup of tea, reading a mag 'country kitchen' and low and behold an article about curing your own bacon. It's in the March edition.

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Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful..William Morris

I suspect you can make your own cure for substantially less than £7 too.

Hi

I have been using the bacon cure from Franco at sausagemaking.org for several years, the method I use is from the following site
http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Pr..._-_3_day_cure/

Its worth a go

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Lets teach kids to cook.

I did notice a recipe for this in River Cottage Meat book

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Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful..William Morris