this past weekend i returned to volkening heritage farm to enjoy the annual ‘from hog house to smokehouse’, an event celebrating the daily life of farmers from a bygone era, a chance to witness local before it became a movement. like last year, to maintain the authenticity, a heritage breed hog was provided by hasselmann family farm. since i posted about this same event last november, i will refrain from getting too wordy and instead just leave you with some images from the day.
volkening heritage farm
the hog is butchered by hand in an assembly line fashion typical on a farm in the 1880s
the fat is removed to be rendered into lard
slabs of bacon are cured with a mixture of salt and sugar before being smoked
once smoked the bacon can hang for more than a year in the smokehouse
in order to eat the cured bacon it is sliced and rehydrated in buttermilk to remove the salt
no part of the hog will go unused
the fresh cuts are coated and fried in lard to make schnitzel
rendered pork lard, dried herbs, and a wood burning oven
pickled vegetables, pickled eggs, and jams are stored alongside root vegetables and apples in the cellar
