Title: Smoking and Storing Hams
Categories: Info, Preserving, Ham, Smoked
Yield: 1 text file
1 Info file
The subject has come up about long term storage of cured meats and
how to do it. To start out by building a salt box, it needs to be
built out of seasoned hardwood such as oak or hickory and it ideally
should be 4 feet long and 3 feet wide by 30 inches deep with a
hinged lid. This size box will enable you to cure two hogs at the
time. When the meat has cooled for 3 or 4 days put a layer of salt
4 inches thick on the bottom then layer the meat and salt making
sure to surround the meat and not let it touch any other. After 3
or 4 weeks the meat should be cured if not put it back in for a
week at the time and then check again (no moisture present in the
meat).
You can also do the same thing with sugar but it does not last as
long. When the meat is cured you can smoke it in two different ways.
First if you have an old outdoor building that you don't care about
smoke damage you then hang the meat from wire about 3 feet above an
old cast iron kettle or the bottom quarter of a steel drum and fill
half full of hardwood sawdust only. Hickory is best if you can find
it. Light the sawdust let it start to burn and put flame out and
let the sawdust smolder adding sawdust as it burns up. This needs
to be done for about 3 weeks to ensure good curing and not let the
meat actually cook just smoke.
If you don't have a building to do this in you can use a 55 gallon
drum by snipping two "v" notches in the top ring then take an iron
bar lay across the top and suspend the meat from the bar and cover
with the lid. This method takes more care because you must pay
closer attention to the meat and flameup of the sawdust. When the
desired curing is done the meat can be rubbed down in black pepper
to help keep flies away.
For very long storage 2 or more years cover in heavy cheese cloth
to keep flies away and then hang the meat from the knee end with
wire letting air flow on all sides. Making sure the meat stays
as dry as can (dampness is the worst enemy to cured meat) also if
you cut into a ham and wont use it all just rub salt or black
pepper on the cut end to reseal it. If this is done right you can
expect the meat to last 3 or 4 years with proper care and
dryness!
