Curing Ham
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Thoroughly rub coarse sea salt over every part of the ham.
Rub saltpetre on the bones to dry up the blood and prevent souring.
Cure
Let the ham cure for four weeks.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Ham
- Provides the meat that is cured, so salt and time can penetrate and preserve it.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws moisture out of the meat and seasons it, slowing spoilage during curing.
- Saltpetre
- Helps preserve the meat's colour and inhibits bacteria during the long cure.
The step that matters
Rub the salt over every part of the ham. Salt must reach all areas of the meat to cure it evenly. Missed spots can allow bacterial growth and uneven preservation during the weeks-long cure.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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