Yes, We started with 22 pounds fresh and had 14 one-pound packages plus roughly a pound we didn't package, a pound of "skin" and I may have trimmed off a pound of edges to make them straight in preparation for the slicer (I think those fried up the tastiest). So if I had weighed them after maturing I'd have been about 17 pounds. So between adding curing salt and going in the vacuum sealed bags it lost 22% as moisture.
I figured during curing they were in zip top bags so they couldn't lose any there so it must have been during maturing - not surprising with that much surface area.
I'm not complaining, the way I see it, losing weight just means the flavor is more concentrated
But the guy who prompted this adventure seems to think we could sell enough to friends to cover the costs and get our share for free. So I just want to make sure I didn't have the humidity too low and needlessly dry them out.
Pigs are magical creatures.... they turn vegetables into BACON!!