skippers

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skyhightree1

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For those of you that make country hams and leave them out hanging or did do the country hams. What did you all use to keep the skippers at bay ? I was thinking just a burlap sack would be ok. What is your way to do it?
 
JW IN VA":2gkfdect said:
We used a cloth bag made from cotton canvas but they still could get in.Maybe cedar shavings in an onion bag would help?

I was wondering if butchers paper then putting the ham in a ham sock would be enough.
 
skyhightree1":2n9gc5ye said:
JW IN VA":2n9gc5ye said:
We used a cloth bag made from cotton canvas but they still could get in.Maybe cedar shavings in an onion bag would help?

I was wondering if butchers paper then putting the ham in a ham sock would be enough.

I've seen that done. Never had a problem with skippers myself but I would think it would make the ham more organic and that would be a good thing wouldn't it?
 
skyhightree1":392fh2w8 said:
JW IN VA":392fh2w8 said:
We used a cloth bag made from cotton canvas but they still could get in.Maybe cedar shavings in an onion bag would help?

I was wondering if butchers paper then putting the ham in a ham sock would be enough.

I wouldn't do the paper. Just a cloth bag. Cheap pillow case actually. Do you put borax or pepper as deturant?
 
Jogeephus":3dm626q9 said:
skyhightree1":3dm626q9 said:
JW IN VA":3dm626q9 said:
We used a cloth bag made from cotton canvas but they still could get in.Maybe cedar shavings in an onion bag would help?

I was wondering if butchers paper then putting the ham in a ham sock would be enough.

I've seen that done. Never had a problem with skippers myself but I would think it would make the ham more organic and that would be a good thing wouldn't it?

I think that's a good way to look at it Jo... :lol:

Bigfoot":3dm626q9 said:
skyhightree1":3dm626q9 said:
JW IN VA":3dm626q9 said:
We used a cloth bag made from cotton canvas but they still could get in.Maybe cedar shavings in an onion bag would help?

I was wondering if butchers paper then putting the ham in a ham sock would be enough.

I wouldn't do the paper. Just a cloth bag. Cheap pillow case actually. Do you put borax or pepper as deturant?

I may try the pillow case I use pepper mostly black and red... What do you use BF?

JW IN VA":3dm626q9 said:
Local guy told me to use a paper bag and put Borax in the top.Don't know if I'd want it touching the ham.If they are in there,it is too late.

I may try it a couple different ways.
 
skyhightree1":1vl44tps said:
Jogeephus":1vl44tps said:
skyhightree1":1vl44tps said:
I was wondering if butchers paper then putting the ham in a ham sock would be enough.

I've seen that done. Never had a problem with skippers myself but I would think it would make the ham more organic and that would be a good thing wouldn't it?

I think that's a good way to look at it Jo... :lol:

Bigfoot":1vl44tps said:
skyhightree1":1vl44tps said:
I was wondering if butchers paper then putting the ham in a ham sock would be enough.

I wouldn't do the paper. Just a cloth bag. Cheap pillow case actually. Do you put borax or pepper as deturant?

I may try the pillow case I use pepper mostly black and red... What do you use BF?

JW IN VA":1vl44tps said:
Local guy told me to use a paper bag and put Borax in the top.Don't know if I'd want it touching the ham.If they are in there,it is too late.

I may try it a couple different ways.

Borax (which is poisonous) liberally on the opening to the sack/pillow case. I personally have never used pepper. Our 4h here does a big ham show. Their hams don't resemble anything I've ever seen or done. They use pepper.
 
Bigfoot":r6w91q7f said:
[

Borax (which is poisonous) liberally on the opening to the sack/pillow case. I personally have never used pepper. Our 4h here does a big ham show. Their hams don't resemble anything I've ever seen or done. They use pepper.

Grandpa used Borax but I have no idea where to get it.
 
skyhightree1":2q417rk2 said:
Bigfoot":2q417rk2 said:
[

Borax (which is poisonous) liberally on the opening to the sack/pillow case. I personally have never used pepper. Our 4h here does a big ham show. Their hams don't resemble anything I've ever seen or done. They use pepper.

Grandpa used Borax but I have no idea where to get it.

any grocery store . Mule team borax on the laundry detergent aisle
 
M-5":18dirwob said:
skyhightree1":18dirwob said:
Bigfoot":18dirwob said:
[

Borax (which is poisonous) liberally on the opening to the sack/pillow case. I personally have never used pepper. Our 4h here does a big ham show. Their hams don't resemble anything I've ever seen or done. They use pepper.

Grandpa used Borax but I have no idea where to get it.

any grocery store . Mule team borax on the laundry detergent aisle

:lol: You can tell I don't fool with laundry much huh :mrgreen:
 
Been a while since we cured hams, I don't remember the exact details, seems like we did put some black and red pepper, but I know that we did use pillow case, and mule team borax.
 
My folks when curing the hams always used a salt cure. After they dried a thick crusty skin would be on the outside. When mother would bring one in and it had skippers in it all she did was take a knife and cut the portion away where the skippers had burrowed and they would just be in the hard crusty part of the ham not over a 1/4 inch deep. Then she would boil the heck out of the ham. Never had any baked ham at all or any other meat like beef that was boiled. Round steak might happen once a month. Other times breakfast fare would be oatmeal and sausage until they pork they had cured was gone. Oatmeal and biscuits. Fried chicken at least once a week other times we got by on vegetables.
 
Been a long time since we cured our own hams, and I was pretty young but if I remember right we put the borax at least on the hock end. Maybe that explains a lot about me as well.
 

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