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A few years ago, “singers” were general favorites with a certain class of trade wanting a light bacon pig, weighing about 170 lbs., the product being exported to England for bacon purposes. Packers frequently paid a small premium for light hogs suitable for this end, but more recently the demand is in other directions. The meat of singed hogs is considered by some to possess finer flavor than that of animals the hair of which has been removed by the ordinary process. Instead of being scalded and scraped in the ordinary manner, the singeing process consists in lowering the carcass into an iron or steel box by means of a heavy chain, the receptacle having been previously heated to an exceedingly high temperature. After remaining there a very few seconds the hog is removed and upon being placed in hot water the hair comes off instantly.

An old encyclopedia, published thirty years ago, in advocating the singeing process, has this to say: “The hog should be swealed (singed), and not scalded, as this method leaves the flesh firm and more solid. This is done by covering the hog lightly with straw, then set fire to it, renewing the fuel as it is burned away, taking care not to burn the skin. After sufficient singeing, the skin is scraped, but not washed. After cutting up, the flesh side of the cuts is rubbed with salt, which should be changed every four or five days. The flitches should also be transposed, the bottom ones at the top and the top ones at the bottom. Some use four ounces saltpetre and one pound coarse sugar or molasses for each hog. Six weeks is allowed for thus curing a hog weighing 240 lbs. The flitches before smoking are rubbed with bran or very fine sawdust and after smoking are often kept in clear, dry wood ashes or very dry sand.”

FIG. 10. PERMANENT VAT FOR SCALDING.