# Skinning/Scalding dilemma



## vancom (May 5, 2006)

OK--someone posted than a careless skinner can cut way alot of the bacon--so what do YOU do with your pigs?

Vanessa
near Nashville


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## dagwood (Jul 17, 2006)

Dip em in boiling hot water,lay em inna trough,and scrap em clean. 

If you don't have a bucket-loader to lift and dip the hog into the water you can just lay it in the trough,cover with burlap sacks,and pour the boiling water right on the sacks.

You can still buy the scrapers from Lehman's if ya need some.


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## cowgirlone (May 9, 2002)

We've never had a problem losing bacon while skinning. Take your time.  

Dagwood's right, if you don't have the equipment to dip and scrape, or if you are doing it by yourself. It's a lot easier to lay the hog down on something (a table top works great and it's easy to clean)......lay some cheesecloth or burlap, cotton kitchen towels, on the hog, pour the hot water over the cloth, let it set for a few minutes to loosen the hair, then scrape.
If it doesn't come right off, pour on more hot water and try again.

If you add Old Bauldy to the water, it makes the job even easier.



We clean hogs several times a year for cookouts, the more you do, the easier it gets.


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## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

We have skinned and scalded, both. If you are careful in skinning, your bacon should be fine. Don't do a rushed job of skinning though. Take your time, no distractions, and be careful. We'll be skinning this year as well.


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## vancom (May 5, 2006)

I WON'T be the one doing the job--folks, I admire all of you tremendously for the tasks that you take on. I grew these pigs and that's all I care to do...we're considering actually butchering our own chickens next year and that took me a year to decide that I might could do...

I am wondering which to choose since the processor offered both...maybe one each way and see what happens??

Vanessa
near Nashville


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Unless it's a chopper going for sausage, it's scald every time. Whoever heard of bacon without rind or a roast without crackling  After skinning out sheep, by comparison pigs are not easy to skin and I'd rather go to the extra bit of trouble and do a good job and scald them. If somebody else is going to do it for you, so much the better  

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## gilberte (Sep 25, 2004)

We skin ours and don't lose any bacon. Take your time and use a sharp knife.


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## ninny (Dec 12, 2005)

gilberte said:


> We skin ours and don't lose any bacon. Take your time and use a sharp knife.



After you skin them, do you use the skin for anything or throw it away???


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

We have scald & scraped and skinned (for ourselves) and processors have scraped, skinned and flamed (for our customers). I like the scaled & scraped best but it is a fair bit of work. Customers don't want the skin on except for a roaster. Leaving the skin on increases the hanging weight so if you're selling by the pound that is lost money for the customer. A good skinner is quick, clean and loses no bacon. That is probably the best way for customers.

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in Vermont


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

We like the skin so we scald and scrape. Last time it was bitter cold and the tank wouldn't heat up and then the propane burner burned thru the hose and the fire was shooting and the well, anyway, we skinned last time. We sure do miss the cracklins and the chewy bacon. Next time we scrape again.


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## montysky (Aug 21, 2006)

Scalding and scrape


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## gilberte (Sep 25, 2004)

ninny said:


> After you skin them, do you use the skin for anything or throw it away???


 We use it for coyote bait.


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## Paul O (Sep 13, 2004)

I replied in the original post but it looks like the discussion has moved here.

Some folks always skin and swear by it but its pretty rare here. I don't think the local processors even offer the service. They have a dipping arrangement that is pretty slick, so they are geared for the scraping vs. skinning.
I think skinning started as a way for the backyard processor to avoid the major handling problems associated with dipping and scraping. Other than that, I don't know of any advantage to skinning. (but I'm sure some folks will chime in)  
I preffer scraping because it keeps the quarters cleaner while you're handling them. The skin also protects the hams while they are being smoked.
If you have the choice, I'd recommend scraping vs skinning.
Paul


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## Ralph in N.E.Oh (Sep 14, 2006)

I was a butcher for 17 years. I still butcher our own animals. If you want the ears, feet, snout, rind on your bacon and ham and cracklings, you need to scald the hogs. As already mentioned, this adds weight to the hanging weight of your hog. If you don't eat these items you will still pay processing charges on them .38 per pound for us here ( the weight is about 30#) If you don't eat or use these products, then have your hog skinned. The hams are usually placed in a net bag for smoking rind on or off, the bacon hangs on small hangers much like a coat hanger with spikes on it while being smoked. Cracklings come from the skin and are usually enjoyed while rendering the fat for lard. The choice is yours and often influenced by the geographic area in which you live. We killed as many as 80 hogs a day skinning or scalding it made no difference. The skins have no value for leather etc and are just thrown away. Keep in mind you can still get ham hocks, jowl bacon lard etc no matter if your hog is skinned or scalded..the only difference is the skin/rind, feet, snout ,ears and tail can be yours when scalded...the squeal is lost no mater what you do!


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