Ham Question

[deb]

I'm going to be making a small ham using Oddley's Wiltshire Cure Recipe but have one question.
I assume after removing it from the cure after it's 14 days curing it's best to leave it in the fridge to rest a bit, but for how long? As I'm in a position to start the curing today and I want to cook it on christmas eve it would be possible to rest it for anywhere between one and seven days (if it's seven days I'll start it today, if it should be left for a shorter period I'll leave it a couple of days).

I hope this makes sense. I'm sitting here suffering with a cold and can't quite think straight.

Thanks for your help.

[aris]

It's a good question. When you buy hams or gammons commercially - they tend to come in a vac-pac bag with some brine in it already. Makes me wonder if it isn't OK to just leave it in the brine until you need it.

[Oddley]

Hi deb

I would leave it a couple of days to rest, This is just a period for the salts to equalize throughout the meat. As long as the meat is covered or turned regularly, I don't think a few more days in cure would do any harm at all.

[deb]

Thanks.

I think I'll put off starting it until Monday (wouldn't mind not doing much and having a sit down today anyway), and that should fit in about right.

[Oddley]

Thanks for reminding me. I needed to get some ham on for myself. The way I do it now to save room in the fridge is, I make the brine up let it get cold then put it in a vac pac bag with a frozen piece of meat, freeze the brine then vac pac it. No mess or fuss in the fridge then. This time for Christmas eve a 2 kg shoulder joint. It should be good for snacks and sandwiches.