12th day of curing

[tylerthrush]

Good morning I am posting this picture here in the hopes that my ham is not ruined there are two very small specks that are floating on top of the water and to be honest I’m not sure if it’s mold or just two pieces of the ham that might have broken off throughout the curing process I’m waiting to remove the ham until this afternoon when it will have reached its total curing time but considering these are the only two specs on the entire ham is this cause for worry? Or is it natural for a little bits and pieces to break off during the curing process? Thank you in advance

[HawkerXP]

"12th day of curing my true love said to me." "When are we going to eat that damm thing!?!"

[tylerthrush]

Hopefully today!

[Donw]

Mold often appears on curing hams especially when air drying, and it is usually harmless. You are curing in a salt brine which is pretty preventative of mass mold infections on the ham itself. A little mold on the surface of the brine is sometimes seen. Just pour off surface level and continue cure. Smell is your best test. Take a sample of the brine and give it a good sniff. Nothing overly funky then good. After removal of ham and a soak smell ham itself. Nothing funky then okay. Old trick was to do the soak in water and vinegar. You can always trim off any areas you don’t like the looks of.

[tylerthrush]

Thank you! Dumb question but after intake the ham out of brine how long would you recommend soaking and in what solution ? Thanks!

[RonB]

I can't help, but welcome to The Pit.

[rickgregory]

I think your'e fine. As above, if it doesn't smell off (it won't be completely neutral), you're very likely fine. IN terms of a post brine soak, the only reason to do that would be to desalinate so you'd do it in plain water. BUT... what I'd do first is to slice off a bit of meat, fry it up and taste it. Too salty? Soak in plain water for 8 hours/overnight. Remove and repeat the slice, fry and taste test. Still too salty? Dump the soak water, and soak the ham in plan water again.

About right? Smoke.

[Donw]

+1 Exactly what Rick said!

[tylerthrush]

So looks pretty good now gonna soak it for a few hours !

[rickgregory]

Remember to do the 'slice a bit, fry it, check for salt level' thing.

[tylerthrush]

Thanks Rick! Gonna do so before I cook in smoker, overall no smell and looks decent !

[Donw]

Tyler, best if you follow Rick’s advice and take a small sample and fry it up before letting it soak too long. Then you will have a baseline to determine soaking times.

[rickgregory]

Yeah do it early so you don't desalinate too far. When and how much to desalinate is dependent on your tastes, so it's hard to give a general guide but you can't, so to speak, resalinate.

[tylerthrush]

It was a little gamey ( it was wild boar ham we harvested this year) but cure definitely made it throughout the ham and looking forward to trying again ! Thanks for the help!

[rickgregory]

Wild boar ham... yummmm.