Instructions: We raise hogs and salt or sugar cure our hams and bacon. You will need FRESH hams, preferably from a salughter house as these are fresher than those available at grocery stores. You will need the above ingredients FOR EACH JOINT (local name for ham or shoulder.) To cure two hams, double the ingredients. Mix all above and rub well into meat, filling hole in end of the bone. Wrap in brown paper and place in a cloth sack. Hang hock (small end) down. Time will cure it. Additional details: Should be hung in a cool

(around 40 degrees) place. Thats why before refrigeration hogs were only killed in the winter.

If you are curing without refrigeration, try to do it when the temperature will remain from 35 to 50 degrees for at least the first three days. After that its okay if it goes up or down more. You can hang the meat in an old refrigerator to cure it or if you are curing outside and the temp goes haywire, you can move it to the refrig. Needless to day, if you are hanging the meat in an out building or garage, hang it high enough to keep it out of the reach of dogs. They do love fresh ham. The ham should hang for at least 6 month (I prefer a year) before being cut. If you want to smoke the ham, it is best to wait about three months from hanging before doing it.

Be aware that you may loose a ham. By that I do not mean that someone will steal it, though, I suppose that is possible. I mean that it may ruin.

Thats one of the chances you take. Weve lost a few but most of them have been salted down rather than sugar cured. It is possible to sugar cure bacon in your refrigerator using Morton Sugar Cure (using recipe on bag) and then smoke it. Its GREAT! Much better than what you buy in the store.

Yes, I can just hear all the health food people groaning at all this talk of ham and bacon and smoke. Ah, cholesteral (sp?) and salt and cancer causing smoke! May not be good for you but 99.9% of all taste buds will vote for it!

Virginia Petty
Kentucky Hog Farmer

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