[thenovice]

Can you still get bacon and cuts from an older sow, or is it just sausage time? Thanks 

[Ladygrey]

I sent my 3 yr old off a few weeks ago and although she was leanish he said it would be best for everything to go as sausages.

But im wishing I tried making something more than sausages now

[hughesy]

I'd be interested to see the size of the bacon rashers. The joints would be massive too.

[Blinkers]

I sent a sow off a couple of years ago and the butcher said Bacon, Gammon as well as sausages.  Oh how wrong he was - ALL the bacons and gammons were hideous - tough as old boots.  DEFINATELY stick to sausages IMO 

[P6te]

Hi,

I've got to agree with Blinkers, we sent a 3 year old sow and the majority went for sausages but the loin all went for bacon. 

The butcher (who we have used many times before and) normally produces the best dry cured bacon recommended curing for a week longer due to the size of the loin.  We had people waiting to purchase the large tasty rashes but when it came back because of the additional curing time it was too salty, too fatty and tough.  We decided not to sell any (it would not have done our reputation any good) and still have lots of in the freezer and are working our way through it for cooking.  We would have been better off making sausage!

Pete

[Tamsaddle]

We had to cull a sow, only 2.5 years old, but had the same poor results.   The "meat" is dark red, very tough, and doesn't taste like pork at all.    Curing it for bacon makes it marginally more edible, but just not worth it in my opinion, and there is no way you can get nice crispy fried fat on the bacon as you would normally be able to do.   The strangest thing is the quality of the fat - it is all lumpy and soft and stringy, rather like the great expanses of human cellulite you sometimes see on TV programmes when they are sucking it out or doing stomach stapling.    Well thought I, at least I can render some of the fat down for lard.   Even that didn't really work.  Although lots of fat leeched out in the oven, once it was is in the fridge and completely cold it still remained in a semi-liquid state, not solid like normal lard at all, and hopeless for pasting the muslin on the outside of an air dried ham when you want the outer fat to really dry off.     The sausage meat too takes on a completely different consistency, with soft pasty fat mixed up with the red meat, making for a rather disgusting looking pale pink mess.    It was all hugely disappointing.   But the butcher wasn't bothered by its colour and consistency for sausages;  perhaps they make sausages with that sort of meat all the time.    So yes, I agree with all the others who have posted, not worth the bother - Tamsaddle   

[Berkshire Boy]

Oh no you lot have blown my plans out of the water. I have a sow 3 years old that has a permanent injury to her back leg so when her present litter is weaned I will cull her. I had planned to make bacon, hams and sausages from her but now not so sure.

[P6te]

I had planned to make bacon, hams and sausages from her but now not so sure.

The sausages we made from our sow were fantastic .... as Tamsaddle said, the meat was very red and the fat 'different' but with the right proportion of meat / fat they were the best sausages we have tasted. The feedback from everyone who purchased them was extremely positive too.

Pete

[MKay]

This is all very interesting due to how suprising it is, in the states all their "hogs" are reared on to 300kg which must make them 2/3 years old and all are used for charcuterie.

[Tamsaddle]

Good point MKay, never thought of that.  I wonder whether it is because all of us have been talking about culled sows, not meat pigs?    Perhaps having one or several litters changes the body composition of a pig, the fat in particular?    Or perhaps their enormous pigs are mostly wild boar.    Just guessing, don't have a clue.   Tamsaddle

[thenovice]

Thankyou all for the informative replies. You have helped to make my mind up 

[MKay]

Definatly domestic pigs, im sure the fact that they have been "used" must be the determining factor.
we have decided to put off a 2yr old gilt who did not get put in pig and is a bully as we are desperate for a large hog.
so i should be able to come back with the result of this variable in a few months.

[hughesy]

We've got a gilt here that will be two years old in a couple of months. Tried and tried to get her in pig, thought she was, but it's looking like she was having us on as she should be due now and there are no signs. Will probably put her back in with the boar to keep him company for a little while but it looks like she'll have to go. She must be 250kg so I'd better start saving up for enough sausage casings  .

[Mrs Snoodles]

I've been told that Proctors only use sow meat, as the flavour is far stronger and better for their product.  I've also been in touch with some charcuterie type people and they prefer the older pigs, especially the back fat.  Serrano ham is sow based.   

[Polished Arrow]

One of our piggums is off to the place linked below on Wednesday to become salamis, pancetta, and a number of other semi-dried products.  She is too young for the really deeply airdried stuff, but we'll see how she turns out & if it is all good, we have another who may pay a visit there in a few more months' time!


I'd ring them and talk to them and see what they recommend if you are interested in alternative products for a more mature pig.  The prices aren't cheap, but the quality is sheer luxury 


Trealy Farm