We are both agriculture geeks at heart, so when we heard that Hubby's uncle was slaughtering a few pigs on the same weekend we were visiting, Hubby was excited to see the process! We made the trek to GA to visit Hubby's grandparents this past weekend and Hubby and Pop decided to hop in over to Uncle D's to watch them slaughter their pigs they had raised. I stayed at home with Nanny but asked hubby to get some good pictures of the process. I have never seen a pig slaughtered and was actually anxious to see the event!
Pop and Hubby got to the farm right about the time they were finishing up one pig and starting on the next. Aunt J was cooking up sausage as it was coming off the pig and canning it for later use. Hubby was lucky enough to try a piece of this fresh sausage from a pig that had been walking around not more that 3 hours before. Hubby says, "It doesn't get much fresher than that, unless you take a bite out of the pig's butt while it's walking around."
Warning...pictures not for the faint of heart or those who do not want to see the process.
Removing the hair
The "in-ards" Aunt J is using the liver for liver mush
Ribs
Sausage making
See it done a few times, but I've never actually be in on the process. Looks yummy though.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading about pig butchering over on Cold Antler farm and now here, I feel almost like I could do it myself! Only I couldn't. I eat meat, but I'm not quite up to the hard part. What are you guys thinking about raising when you start with animals? And where do you get your meat now? I've been mostly buying local at the farmers' market, though in a pinch I get Laura's Lean Beef, which is raised on small farms.
ReplyDeleteWe need to get together one of these days!
frances
Yeah the process sounds pretty easy, but I would not be able to butcher my own yet either. I think I could raise my own and eat it later, and have someone else do the butchering part. Maybe one of these days I can get to that point!
ReplyDeleteI have such a hard time finding organic and humanely raised meat. There are only a few options at our groceries nearby. Other than that we have to purchase in a small town about 2 hours away. I think it's well worth it, though!
ReplyDeleteThose pictures made me laugh because my husband doesn't eat sausage since he was a young kid when he saw the entire butchering and sausage making process. I haven't so I enjoy it :)
Much respect to those who do it for us!