Old Fred lived in our village almost a century ago. Like many people in those days, he kept a pig in a sty at the bottom of the garden. His pig was lovingly cared for and fed as well as any pig that was being fattened for the table. It was Fred's pride and joy.
Unfortunately for Fred, just before it was time to slaughter the pig, which would have kept him and his family fed for the best part of a year, it became unwell. Old Fred decided to stay up all night to look after it, but the pig died in the night. The next morning Fred asked a friend to help him bury it.
A little later that day an even older neighbour called in to see him, and was told the sad news about the pig.
"Why, it wud ha' been all rate if you ha' killed it, it wud only ha' been a bit of a code*."
They dug the pig up, cleaned it off, bled it, hung it until the next day and then cut it into various joints and shared it with the neighbours.
Amazing as it seems, no one was any the worse for it.
This tale was told to me by our lovely Miss Read, she assures me that it is a true story.
*code=cold in broad Lincolnshire, or so I am told.
If the pig had been well cared for, you can still eat an
ReplyDeleteanimal that dies of old age; meat from older animals....
(such as 'broilers' chickens or mutton) is excellent for
casseroles and stews....!
"Waste not..Want not"..!
Hello Willie! Thank you for popping in, and for your comment. I don't eat meat, so luckily I don't have that kind of dilemma, but I am sure you are right. There would have been some tasty meals made from that pig!
DeleteSince no one suffered any ill effects, the old person's advice, was vindicated. :-)
ReplyDeleteLove old stories!!!!!
Please thank Miss Read for me.
✨🍁🎃🍁✨
This is her latest offering, which I now have to squeeze into the booklet - thank goodness the numbers for the print run haven't been decided yet, so the master copy can still be altered!
DeleteI wondered if they would eat it after all. Good country people waste nothing!
ReplyDeleteThey eat everything but the 'squeal', as they say. Lincolnshire folk love all the things which they can make from one pig - hams, bacon, Lincolnshire sausages, chitterlings, faggots, savoury ducks, pork pies, stuffed chine and brawn... and probably plenty of other dishes which I have forgotten. Back in the old days, so did I!
DeleteI can hear all my farming and depression relatives coming on in favor of the motion. Food is food, and then bacon...
ReplyDeleteCount me in, too.
Bacon sandwiches all round, Joanne! Old John's place used to have a building which was originally one of the local slaughter houses, he delighted in telling me how the pigs were strung up, etc. The old rascal. I miss that old man!
DeleteCould not raise a pig to kill itlike that, would have been a pet to me. I like piggies
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they became very fond of them, but families had to be fed. A 300lb pig, or whatever they grew them to, couldn't be kept in a sty forever.
DeleteThat's a good story, sounds like something my grandad would have done.
ReplyDeleteDid he tell you stories of the past, Sue? I would love to hear one or two, if he did, and I imagine your readers would too..
DeleteWe once had smallholding friends who were raising free range turkeys for Christmas. A few days beforehand, they went into the shed they were roosting in and found one stone cold dead. They came bearing us this "free gift" and assuring us it had probably had liver failure from over-eating or something. We thought long and hard about it - times were hard then and we couldn't really afford to turn up our noses at free food. We decided to "cook it well missus" as a neighbour up the hill would have said, and d'you know, it was the BEST turkey we had ever tasted and fed us nearly into the New Year in one guise or other!
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Did you watch each other anxiously for the first 24 hours after the first meal?!!
DeleteThat turkey may have died a little early, but I be he is the only one remembered from that particular flock. I hope it has been noted and gone down into family history anecdotes.
I always feel slightly guilty when eating bacon.... perhaps I shouldn't.
ReplyDeleteI long ago discovered that the smell of bacon appeals more to me than the taste, so I simply wander around like one of the Bisto kids for my fix.
DeleteThat could start a debate lol. Have to say when any of our sheep/chickens etc mysteriously died we didn´t eat it, you just never know! xcx
ReplyDeleteI must admit that had I been in the same situation I would have been cautious, my husband would be completely the opposite...we have had some 'interesting debates' over the last 42 years!!
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