Winter used to be hog killing time for farm families in Eastern North Carolina, but few people raise, kill and dress their own pigs anymore.
To show how it used to be done, the Tobacco Farm Life Museum in Kenly is holding its annual hog- killing day demonstration and dinner Saturday. Starting at 8 a.m., volunteers will demonstrate how to cut out the meat, dry skins and lard, press cracklins', salt hams and make sausage.
"It's an old-timey, dying art," said Elaine Richardson, acting director of the museum.
The demonstration is free; plates of chicken pastry, hot cracklins', hog hash, baked sweet potato, collards, hush puppies, sweet tea and desserts will be available starting at 11:30 a.m. for $10.
Hog killing days were often communal events, with several families sharing the work and the bounty and celebrating with a big meal. In this case, the killing will take place in advance, Richardson said.
“When we get the hog, he will already be deceased,” she said.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Tomorrow Is Hog-Killing Day!
