Pig in progress

I just talked to the folks at Fries Frozen Foods in Millen, and our pig is in the house! Our half will probably be ready tomorrow or Friday.

That means I've got to get busy. First there's shopping--we'll need pickling or kosher salt in very large quantities, plus some hard cider, sausage casings, and various other items. Then there's a brine to make; one of the lessons we learned last year is that it should be cooked and chilled beforehand so there's no scramble to get the ham in in time. I should prepare the bacon cure, too, while I'm at it. And I have to tidy up a little right now, because one of our friends is coming over to watch the Pig in a Day DVD with us.

The weather's going to be perfect. It's forecast to be fair and in the upper 40s to mid-50s for the foreseeable future. Normally I'd prefer it 10 degrees warmer, just for my personal enjoyment, but this will be totally ideal for working with large quantities of meat on the back porch.