Last week we butchered seven hogs with the Wagler clan (Gabriel's mom's family). There are seven sisters in that family, and it's always good times when they and their families get together for butchering. This year Gabriel's parents were missing as well as another sister's family who lives in Virginia.
Grandma Wagler, who is 70 something and still going strong.
Cutting up meat and more meat. They even save the skin to grind up and put in the liverwurst.
I'm not sure how I could eat it after seeing what all went in to it, but I did. It tastes a lot like scrapple, which I grew up eating and liking, so I suppose that helped.
Gabriel's (red-headed) brother, Conrad and his wife Chris, mixing up sausage. I couldn't believe it when, the first year I helped, I saw they weren't putting red pepper in the sausage! Guess I'm used to it now...it's more a garlic flavor.
Aunt Mim is never without a story to tell.
Sheldon and Chris stuffing sausages.
The little cousins ran around, ate food, and had fun cutting out the eyes from the hog heads (which we threw away this year, thankfully. Every other year the meat has been cooked, picked off, and put into the liverwurst--no wonder people have trouble eating that stuff!)
My man, vacuum-packing sausage.
Comments (5)
Vacuum-packing the sausage - wow you all are getting sophisticated! We miss being with the whole crew. . .looks like you all had fun!
reminds me of Paraguay butcher days...alot of messy work, but creates alot of memories and "share" time! =] BTW......congratulations to you!!!! What an adventurous life is ahead!!! Hope things go well....
@twitterbugnco - Yeah, the vacuum sealer is one of Ruthann's purchases. :) We used it last year for the bulk sausage and it worked just dandy--no freezer burn or anything, even a year later.
Thanks!:) It helps knowin other people got thru this before me too!:) Do you know at all how long it took for your papers to go through?
@fromme2u89 - Hmm...I started the process immediately after arriving in Canada in January of last year. The police check was what took so long to come through. I think I was finally able to mail in my application for permanent residence in April. It was approved in October. So the whole process took about eight months from start to finish, with a lot of work before and after and a lot of waiting in between. :) Best wishes! Just be sure to do everything exactly by the letter of the law, and hopefully you'll be okay. :)