Love deeply. Laugh. Cry. Talk to God. Be realistic about the to-do list. Stay in touch. Hug. Dream. Smile. Break Bread often with Family. Spend Time with your Girlfriends. Shop til you Drop! Extend Grace. Be Quick to Forgive and Slow to Anger. Walk. Breathe. Sing. Dance. Read. Eat Chocolate. Savor a Good Glass of Wine. Wiggle your Toes. Sleep well. Life is Good!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

How to Stretch a Ham!




I spent a couple of days last week canning.  
We stretched this After Easter Sale Ham to unbelievable limits!

After eating it in various ways for two weeks, I diced up the remaining 
lean meat and pressure canned it. The pile on the left side is the bone 
and fat trimmings.  No Way!  I didn't toss them!  You know me better than that!  
Usually I'd make beans or soup with that bone. I decided to make some stock. 
What better way to flavor multiple future cuisine?!!!



After having everything on a low boil for about four hours.
I removed all the meat and fat  and cooled and refrigerated the stock.
No! I didn't strain it.  There are still tiny bits and pieces 
throughout the stock. No!  I didn't add celery,
onions or anything else to the pot. Only the pork.

After all the scooped out stuff cooled enough to handle,
I went to the recliner with it and picked  all the meat off,
while my four-legged sons eagerly watched!  These little bits will be saved for 
Navy Bean Soup.  The hambone  is gonna get another dunk in the pool!
There's more flavor in that marrow that will add  more flavor to the beans!
All the fat went into the bowl with the fat that will be skimmed off the stock later.
It will be combined with  white rice, vegs and chicken for  dog food.
No waste!  Eventually the dogs will get the bones too!  Doggy Heaven!

When I took it from the fridge this morning, there was a very thin layer
of fat on top. I literally rolled it off the top.  It went into a container with
 the other pieces of fat from the stock.  (Remember ... dog food recipe!)




Is this "gold" not gorgeous???  I reheated the congealed stock.  It is NOT fat!
Then I pressure canned it for later use!  You should smell the house! 
 O-M-Geeee!



We ended up with five pints of ham, six pints of stock!  I didn't add liquid to the ham, 
only dry packed it. It made half a jar of liquid.  It looks more roasted than
the pretty pink color, which it would look like if I had added hot water.



The only trash we produced from this ham was the wrapper!


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