The Art Of Curing Jamon
The process of curing hams is simple but it can also become a long and tedious process depending on the grade and quality of the ham that you are trying to achieve. The basic things that you need for curing ham is just salt, air, and lots of time. The producers or farmers time the start of the curing process during the seasons when the temperature is low and the humidity is high. These cycles of high and low temperatures aid the process of transformation and curing of the meat.
Salting and washing is the first step in the process of curing. After the pigs are slaughtered, they are covered entirely with seas salt and left there for a week or more depending on the weight. A day of curing in salt is needed for every two pounds of fat. A temperature of 0 tp 3 C and a humidity of 85 t 95% is maintained inside the salting room. The hams are rinsed in lukewarm water after this period to remove the excess salt that has crystallized on the surface. After the salt has been cleansed from the surface of the meat, there is a resting period of one to two months inside cold rooms where the temperature is kept at 3 and 6 C and the humidity is at 80 to 90%. It is during this period that the salt penetrates into the meat and the moisture inside the meat evaporates which results to a much denser consistency.
During drying and maturation, hams are moved to a secadero or an area where it stays until it dries through natural ventilation. A secadero is a natural drying area where the temperature is at 15 to 30 C. This period lasts for six to nine months and it is during this time where the hams will keep on losing moisture by sweating and the fat spreads throughout the muscles which helps to further develop the taste and aroma. It is during this stage that chemical changes occur in the proteins and fats of these hams to give that very unique flavour and texture. When making Serrano ham, this is already considered as the final stage. Curing prosciutto or parma is different from curing ham because the ham is not smothered by other ingredients that affect the flavor. It is just ham that is waiting to be touched by the pure mountain air. The ham master who inspects each ham will determine if the ham has been cured properly and then it is to be transferred to a bodega or storage room to further cure and age the ham.
They are left in bodegas or cellars for up to 30 months and even more and it is during this stage where it the meat undergoes further chemical process that started during the curing process to further develop the flavour and texture of the ham. The ham will reach its maximum flavor after two years and the ham master will add another six months to the curing time if he wants to make the best ham.
Salting and washing is the first step in the process of curing. After the pigs are slaughtered, they are covered entirely with seas salt and left there for a week or more depending on the weight. A day of curing in salt is needed for every two pounds of fat. A temperature of 0 tp 3 C and a humidity of 85 t 95% is maintained inside the salting room. The hams are rinsed in lukewarm water after this period to remove the excess salt that has crystallized on the surface. After the salt has been cleansed from the surface of the meat, there is a resting period of one to two months inside cold rooms where the temperature is kept at 3 and 6 C and the humidity is at 80 to 90%. It is during this period that the salt penetrates into the meat and the moisture inside the meat evaporates which results to a much denser consistency.
During drying and maturation, hams are moved to a secadero or an area where it stays until it dries through natural ventilation. A secadero is a natural drying area where the temperature is at 15 to 30 C. This period lasts for six to nine months and it is during this time where the hams will keep on losing moisture by sweating and the fat spreads throughout the muscles which helps to further develop the taste and aroma. It is during this stage that chemical changes occur in the proteins and fats of these hams to give that very unique flavour and texture. When making Serrano ham, this is already considered as the final stage. Curing prosciutto or parma is different from curing ham because the ham is not smothered by other ingredients that affect the flavor. It is just ham that is waiting to be touched by the pure mountain air. The ham master who inspects each ham will determine if the ham has been cured properly and then it is to be transferred to a bodega or storage room to further cure and age the ham.
They are left in bodegas or cellars for up to 30 months and even more and it is during this stage where it the meat undergoes further chemical process that started during the curing process to further develop the flavour and texture of the ham. The ham will reach its maximum flavor after two years and the ham master will add another six months to the curing time if he wants to make the best ham.