Hi and Happy Holidays, I am looking for information regarding how to dry cure a country ham. We plan to do this when we butcher our pigs and am wondering if I should use just salt or add Salt Peter, or its modern equivelent? If so where can I find Salt Peter? Where is a good place to hang the ham, and for how long? Also should I smoke the ham prior to hanging it? We live in northern WI so it gets pretty cold outside. Any help on this issue would be greatly appreciated :o) Lisa

-- Lisa Fiegel (coolstuf@cheqnet.net), December 27, 2001

Answers

Morton salt makes a very good cure,I buy it in 5 lb bags.Follow the directions to the letter!You can get it in plain or smoke cure.Most markets carry it.A very good product,I would recommend the smoke cure! Smoking prior to hanging is only a personal preference not a curing factor.Vacant room, enclosed shed is good places if you don't have a smoke house.Good Country Ham is aged for at least 6 months.I do my country hams in cardboard boxes, changed daily at first,because of large amounts drainage.

-- David R In TN. (srimmer@earthlink.net), December 27, 2001.

To cure a country ham you have to use salt and sugar (add pepper if you like it). Salt peter (which is potassium nitrate and can be purchased at the drug store if you have no other source around) is not necessary but does help with the aging or flavor. It's only purpose is to give the ham that traditional red color (your ham will get a bit on the grey side inside is all - but still taste the same) and it does also act as a preservative to keep the ham from getting quite so much mold (although ALL country hams get mold and it is not harmful).

You need to pack it in salt mixture (approx. 10 pounds of salt, 1/2 pound of pepper, 1 pound of brown sugar and two ounces of a saltpeter). Be sure and rub it in and get it real good down around the bone and shank and any cuts - if you don't get it rubbed in real well the meat will sour and spoil. Pack it in a box that is filled with salt and be sure the ham is completely cover with the salt for 2 days. Take the ham out and lay it on a pile of salt on a board and again pack as much of the salt mixture as you can around the ham (how much ever it will hold) and leave there for 3 weeks (coming back in an redistributing the salt and/or adding more). Moisture coming from the meat will use up a lot of salt -- not to worry, this means you r doing it right! What you are doing is drawing out the moisture from the ham = the curing process resulting in a more concentrated ham flavor.

Next you want to just brush off the salt and wrap it in a double layer of cheesecloth. Slow curing at warm temperature is what adds the flavor also. Find the warmest most venilated place you can find and hang the ham there. Remember it will drip so put something under it. In your part of the country you will need to do this indoors like in a basement or attic. You don't want the meat to freeze. You can move it to a shed or something later in the year. Just try to get it through the winter at this point. In the summer it will have cured considerably so you don't have to worry about it getting too hot.

You need to cure it at around 75-80 degrees at roughly 50-60% humidity (that is the "ideal" humidity -- not real important but something to keep in mind) for about a year. The longer you age it the better more fully developed the flavor will be. 2 years is not too long. I know it is hard to wait but don't even think of touching it for a minimum of 4 months. It just isn't long enough to have the flavor. Generally you want to taking one down when hog killing comes around next year.

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), December 28, 2001.

Forgot to add that you can smoke the ham if you want after it has been aged for at least 4 months. Also, skip the morton cures. They are expensive and for a country ham you need a ton of it. Just good old regular salt (uniodinized), brown sugar, pepper and salt peter is all you need! Great, great Grandpa didn't have the Morton Salt company...LOL. Best of luck!

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), December 28, 2001.

Proper degrees for curing is 36-40.

-- David R In TN. (srimmer@earthlink.net), December 28, 2001.

Sorry, I have to take issue with the temp. for curing. It is those warm humid days that add to the flavor. Besides, back before air conditioning who had a place that was 36-40 degrees in the summer - which is when your ham is in full curing mode? I do have to say that the temperature at cure is not all that important. It only improves the flavor. It is not preservation issue.

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), December 29, 2001.

Hog killing time on the homesteads and farms starts in the fall! Hence,COLD WEATHER for the the curing time!!!!

-- David R In TN. (srimmer@earthlink.net), December 29, 2001.

Wrong! the Nitrite (saltpeter) is to keep you from getting botulism!!!!!!!!!! at long, mid temp, curing.

This book is excellant. Tons of recipes for everthing including hams, safety, and very good explanations on WHY the differant things are done...

"Great sausage recipes and meat curing" by Rytek Kutas

-- Novina in ND (homespun@stellarnet.com), January 03, 2002.

Hog processing is usually done in the fall when the weather is cool. The ham needs to CURE at a lower temperature (below 40 degrees) for several months. Then the ham is AGED at a warmer temperature (70 to 85 degrees) for 5 to 12 more months for flavor. Some people don't AGE their hams. If you do, you need to age AFTER the curing process is complete. Which is why people process their hogs in the fall when it's cool, let it CURE all winter and then AGE it all summer. Hope this helps!

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), January 03, 2002.

I have a question about these sugar cured and salt cured hams...please excuse the slight thread drift.

We bought a lot of the sugar cured hams made in Mo from walmart for y2k. The butcher said they would last forever if you did not cut into them.

Well, I think we better be using them. We are in the mountains and at very dry humidity. The hams "feel" like they have shriveled up. Do I need to soak these ham to bring them back or what?

Ham & beans and cornbread are starting to sound good.

thanks

-- Lynette (fear_the_bear@webtv.net), January 03, 2002.

Lynette, salt cured hams need soaked before cooking anyway. You need to get rid of some of the salt by soaking the ham for several hours and changing the water a couple of times. I have never had a ham shrivel up. I guess I have never had one around that long! Good luck!

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), January 04, 2002.