Joli's Art: Hog butchering

We butchered a hog! A very good friend of mine raises hogs, I do not have the space right now. we bought 1/2 hog from her and butchered it a few Sunday's ago. I do not share photos of other individual's property so none of those here, but these are our processing photos.

We brought the meat home in coolers, the man who was helping us taught us a lot and helped us do the big cuts. He let Tad do much of the butchering.

They were cracking up here because I told them not to. Nathalie's outfit is something I will always think was cute and she will someday hate.

Again, letting Tad do much of this work. he butchers goats, rabbits and chickens unattended and processes them himself. Nathalie can also process rabbits and chickens.

This picture is oddly striking to me. Those are my bare hands, handling organic pork that I was raised to not eat (not the organic part, the pork) because it would send you to hell. How wrong that was!

"Mama please smile."

"Okay that was a good smile."

"No, I did not look homeless Tad. You are on crack."

We bought a vacuum sealer, something we often considered but never bought. The bags can be cut open and reused later, washed first obviously and here in Ak-I can recycle thin plastic.

Plus-it does this! No freezer burn here.

"Mama, I need a picture of the head. can you open it?" Yes, that is a hogs head. we used some of the meat, some dog treats were made and the head was cooked for the chickens to enjoy. I do not feed raw pork due to risk of trichinosis though the dogs eat all other meat raw. Also, note, do not feed bear raw as it too carries this parasite.