Another excerpt from my Mother's Memoirs on butchering time in the early 1900s.
The one good thing about butchering time was that we could have fresh meat for a while. But, even if it was freezing weather, we couldn't keep as much as we might get a warm spell. What could not be cured in brine had to be fried down. This was pork shoulder and sausage which was fried till not quite done and put into stone jars, one, two and three gallon size with the fryings and melted lard poured over to seal. The smell of lard frying was not pleasant but we had many good things made from it. There were no vegetable shortenings then.
The hams were cured in brines in large stone jars. The largest one we had was 40 gallons, but we also had 20, 25, and 30 gallons ones. We had a smoke house so the hams were smoked after curing and Dad was very good at that. In later years, we canned meat . It was delicious though we sometimes tired of it.
In the summertime we ate fried chicken at least once a week. Sunday was always the day for that and since we had no refrigeration, the chicken had to be dressed Sunday morning and cooled in water. We had good cold well water and would keep changing it until the chicken was cooled. Mother was very particular about that.
Uncle Ray was pretty sure of a chicken dinner on Sunday and never waited to be invited. It was quite exasperating to have his family drive in about meal time and expect to sit down and eat. Uncle Ray always took what he wanted even if someone else had to go without. I know there were times Mother didn't get her favorite piece of chicken and went without pie. Five extra people coming uninvited had its drawbacks. It was suggested we might not be home, but that was not easy.
While on chicken, here is a true story of my learning to dress one. I had helped with the first part but never taken out the entrails or cut it is pieces. It would be a Sunday.
This particular summer Ralph (my dad but just mother's boy friend then) and some fellows went to North Dakota to get work harvesting wheat. They were gone for some time so we didn't get to see each other. It must have been late on a Saturday night when they came home so I didn't know it until he came Sunday morning to spend the day. They were going back again Sunday night. Of all days, this had to be the one Mother would pick for me to cut up my first chicken and I couldn't change her mind. From then on I could handle the whole process except the killing and that was not for me. I tried once to wring one's neck as mother could do so well, but I only strangled it and someone had to finish the job.
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By Audrey
While I was growing up my father would always wring the chicken's neck on Saturday I helped clean it so it could be well cooled before cooking for Sunday dinner. I remember watching that headless chicken flop around the back yard. I did not dress chickens when I had my own family. I did just about everything else but that. However I usually got a whole chicken and cut it up myself.
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Comments: 19
Butchering time. I have participated in that chore many times. Even scraped the hide of a pig a few times.
I remember one time when I lived on a goat ranch. The father butchered a goat that his eldest daughter had made into a pet. I doubt if she ever forgave him. I learned one thing;
If you plan to eat it don't make it a pet.
We had sheep for 4-H but since they were all named, we never butchered any for our eating. The kids could accept selling for that purpose but not eating them.
I Like your mothers Memoirs
You have some great memories and stories from your mother Audrey.