[Hairy Hogs]

Hey everyone, thanks for all the encouragement..................It does taste awesome, and i guess thats the crux of it!

I think next time I will try them at 8 months rather than 10 - 11, and next time Saddleback or OSB.

Its for sale at risk of sounding like a salesman type plonker

Thanks again all who gave me a nod on the look of it.
Regards
Jason

www.hairyhogs.co.uk

[Castle Farm]

When I was a lad I used to have to help my uncle every weekend on his farm. I'd turn up about 6.30am and start hand milking 8 cows and around 9am we would get breakfast. This was always 'home cured bacon' which hung from a hook on the ceiling, cut off the lump and fried. It used to be more fat than meat and I didn't like it that much and push it around the plate a bit.

One morning my uncle said 'Get that fat down thee neck boy, it'll stop thee arse fraying round the edges'.

I never forgot that morning and still cannot stand eating fat bacon.

[ellisr]

My Grandma used to have bacon like that and it was glorious. I have pigs but no transport to get them to slaughter and I am craving good bacon now.
Grandma used to say a good layer of fat on your bones kept the winter chills out and made it better for the leaner times.

[gavo]

Hairy Hogs, that bacon is nice don't let people who either don't know or have forgotten what real bacon is like, put you off. As for doing markets etc if you do samples you'll have no trouble selling it.

[bloomer]

have a pan sizzling away in a corner, the smell alone should guarantee you sell out!!!

[Pel]

Its not hard to get fat on a pig, its hard to keep the fat content at what your customers will buy at.
When I worked with the National trust, they had one batch of pigs that was about the same fat depth as yours HH and none of it sold (or at least not enough to make a dent), now say if it was half that or slightly over it would have sold. Not saying that the meat wont taste good, as it really will do, but lets be honest everyone are you really going to eat all the fat on every rasher of bacon out of the whole pack?? I love fat and think its great to cook with, have it the next day etc but there is a limit. HH have a go selling it, if you can sell it and get majority of positive comments do exactly the same next time, if not tweak it.

If your just eating it yourself, then who cares if you have too much fat.. in my eyes too much fat means you've probably wasted a perhaps a couple of hundred quid, but if its just a hobby whos counting (i would).

[Hilarysmum]

For those who dont like as much fat, trim the fat and sell/eat as rindless.

[sabrina]

I too had large blacks and due to inexperience let them get too fat but their meat was wonderful, hope to do better this time when I get new pigs. 

[shetlandpaul]

the fat on a nice bit of fried bacon is just as good as the meat.

[seldomseen]

Stop stop stop.....lol you are making me wish the days away till my small tester piece is ready.... it could be finished now I suppose, its only 2 hands full in size, (told you it was only a tester ) mmmmmm bacon, the smell of cooking bacon mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[Mo]

Like everyone else, i think it looks fine.
Rosemary, when I was little I used to fight with my grandad about getting to dip bread in the bacon fat 

On the size/fat thing, one butcher told us that when your pigs get to the stage that you could balance a tea-tray on their back, they were ready to go?
I guess it comes with experience.

[loosey]

The bacon from our cornish blacks looked exactly the same. Probably more fat than most would like but only because they're used to supermarket bacon. Our friend can't get enough of ours and we sell it to them for such a good price that if they think there's too much fat they jut stick another rasher in! 

[Hilarysmum]

I think generally once people taste the "real" bacon, they cant get enough of it, and certainly would not want the  Danish type bacon available in supermarkets.

[Pel]

I think generally once people taste the "real" bacon, they cant get enough of it, and certainly would not want the  Danish type bacon available in supermarkets.

I havent bought the danish stuff for the past 6-7 years, always buy british, and if possible off friends (but mine have only done pork this last year). It seems that if someone posts bacon that is fatter than the shops (which I think defnetely doesnt have enough fat on) and someone says its fat (not just on here IRL too) they are assumed to just like/buy shop bought bacon. I know plenty of people that don't want to buy supermarket but they can't afford to buy from farm shops or smallholders. I know we are in the pig forum, but I only have lamb as an example, if i go direct to a farmer (small scale) I can get it for market value, but if i look on some websites and forums it costs the earth (about double the price) and is rather fatty in general (that is very generalised).  (sorry If i have offended any smallholders, not try to lump you all in one basket). Have you sold any yet HH?

[Hairy Hogs]

Hey Pel, I appreciate your frank sentiments entirely, in fact I'm often in the doghouse for upsetting people myself, but..........regarding price chap............my bacon, fat or no fat is £14 a kilo, and its selling mighty fast!  The truth is anyone giving their produce away is a total fool who doesnt value their own hard work and effort!  When im falling around in mud for 6 months of a year, and paying nigh on 300 a ton for feed............making 20 on killing a pig just isnt fair to me or the animal!

These breeds are worth premium, their taste alone is amazing!  I do appreciate your comments about the fat, BUT has anyone ever seen the Gloucester old Spot bacon in Harrods??? Its just like ours, so suddenly I dont feel like a flop anymore

Best regards
Jas.

www.hairyhogs.co.uk

Pel, by the way, we fancy half a dozen rare breed sheep for the table............what do you reccomend sir?