Ham. Country Smoked. Salt Cured.

[Stormfeather]

Im looking to add some more meat to the pantry, and thought about smoked or cured hams. Ive done a little reading, but to be honest, Im a bit confused. Does anyone have any experience in this dept? Which one are the hams you can hang up in a pantry or a cool room, and they basically keep for a long time without any refrigeration? On that end, how long can they keep without refrigeration, and does anyone know they exact process of how its done? If so, have you done it? and If you have, how long do they last for? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[ak474u]

My dad used to tell me about my great grandma packing hams in salt inside wooden boxes and putting them in the hay loft of the barn. I can't imagine that was all they did, I always wondered if they were brined or otherwise prepared first, but I dunno. All of the salt cures I've read about still recommend cooking, and refrigeration.

[TroubleShooter]

http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-making/curing/methods

[Possom]

My mom tells me they used to do the same thing with salt packing pork. Inch layer of salt, layer of meat, inch layer of salt, layer of meat etc in a wood barrel. just make sure the meat is completely covered with salt and not touching anything else.

According to mom it will keep for quite some time like that. Just pull out what you want. Rinse the salt off and cook it.

[ak474u]

My grandfather always told me about his mom keeping a pickle barrel in the barn full of pork sausage sealed in pork grease. He'd go to the barn, dig thru the coagulated grease on top, put the grease diggings in a pot with the sausage, and return with heated grease and fill the hole back in to re-seal the barrel. They all lived to be really old, so I guess it was safe. Lol

[Sniper-T]

My dad used to make it, for hunting camp. Basically take your meat (like a slab of uncooked/unsmoked bacon, and place on top of an inch or so of course salt in a crock pot. cover with salt, and let sit. Once a week pull it out and rotate it, making sure that there is enough salt to completely cover it. The salt sucks out all the moisture, and will clump/breakdown, so add more as needed. After a month or so, you'll have a pretty solid mass of white looking meat, that again, if left in the salt will last for months. (check periodically)

To eat, soak over night, and then rinse in a couple changes of water, then boil in another change of fresh water. bon apetit!