Good morning. I am seeking to cure my first ham in time for Easter and special ordered a fresh ham from my butcher. I have cured bacon for years. I understand the importance of curing safely. I am writing for guidance to make sure that I am doing the calculation and the cure correctly.
I picked up the ham. It’s a beautiful, big leg. It is approximately 18.5 pounds once the skin and fat cap were removed. When I pick up the ham and measure it, the diameters (depth and width) are approximately 8 inches by 9 inches. If I plug in 8 inches into the curing calculator, it tells me I need 40 days to cure. Is that the right way to think about thickness as used in the calculator?
If so, and in order to get the smallest diameter of the ham to 6 inches, could I lay the ham down flat and cure it flat? This would allow me to do a 22.5 day cure, which is in time for Easter. If not, do folks have any good ideas for how to trim the ham down in a way that is presentable?
I picked up the ham. It’s a beautiful, big leg. It is approximately 18.5 pounds once the skin and fat cap were removed. When I pick up the ham and measure it, the diameters (depth and width) are approximately 8 inches by 9 inches. If I plug in 8 inches into the curing calculator, it tells me I need 40 days to cure. Is that the right way to think about thickness as used in the calculator?
If so, and in order to get the smallest diameter of the ham to 6 inches, could I lay the ham down flat and cure it flat? This would allow me to do a 22.5 day cure, which is in time for Easter. If not, do folks have any good ideas for how to trim the ham down in a way that is presentable?
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