This is the first time i have cured a ham i need to know if it is safe.

[Hannahjeffres1]

I have cured a ham I did a salt and brown sugar curing kit so I made sure it was the right curing salt. I rinsed it off there is no bad smell and it is not slimy but there are some discoloration near the bone does that mean it is bad? I want to cold smoke it but I am nervous I dont want to make my family sick.

 

[sawhorseray]

Did this kit include Cure #1, AKA Prague powder or sodium nitrite? Did you inject the cure near the bone, that's something that needs to be done when curing a ham. I've only done wild hog hams, but they are all pretty much the same. How long did you let the hams cure for. BTW, welcome to SMF from Gilbert, AZ. Now answer the questions, that's important before you smoke. RAY

 

[smokin peachey]

Welcome to the forum. In order for us to correctly answer your question we need more details. Sawhorse covered some questions so as soon as you share the details we can help you out. We need weight of meat, amount and type of cure, amount of time cured and method of curing submersion aka pops brine or injection. The color around the bone isn’t enough for us to gauge the safety of the meat off of.

 

[Hannahjeffres1]

Did this kit include Cure #1, AKA Prague powder or sodium nitrite? Did you inject the cure near the bone, that's something that needs to be done when curing a ham. I've only done wild hog hams, but they are all pretty much the same. How long did you let the hams cure for. BTW, welcome to SMF from Gilbert, AZ. Now answer the questions, that's important before you smoke. RAY

I used the Morton home meat cure. I did the dry rub cure I watched you tube and copied them I made slits along the bone and and score mark s on the top and rubbed the dry cure rub in thebclits and then rubbed the ham all over it it was put ina plastic container fir 16 days like it said to do. I dont know who much it weighs it was my first time butchering a pig that was 2 halves I cured and smoked bacon and that came out great for my first time ever doing it but I was reading if I mess up the cureon any game we could get all sick. I dont know if discoloration if a sing of the game being bad

 

[smokin peachey]

I am not familiar with that Morton kit you are mentioning. Is the amount of cure used not based off of the meat weight?

 

[daveomak]

Please post the complete recipe you followed and the U-Tube video....

The ham leg must be cooled to 36-38F for at least 2 days prior to curing so the leg bone gets cold to prevent bone sour...
Prior to slaughter, the pig must be totally relaxed for a day or so as to not generate body heat..
There's much more but let's start here....

 

[Hannahjeffres1]

Please post the complete recipe you followed and the U-Tube video....

The ham leg must be cooled to 36-38F for at least 2 days prior to curing so the leg bone gets cold to prevent bone sour...
Prior to slaughter, the pig must be totally relaxed for a day or so as to not generate body heat..
There's much more but let's start here....

I did 6 cups of the curing rub and 2 cups of brown sugar and some pepper like the you tube said to do. The pig was slauterd and partial butchered and was in there cooler for 24 hours before we picked up the two halves and I finished butchering it at home and let it in the refrigerator for another 24 hours before I cured it.

 

[daveomak]

How long did they say to keep it refrigerated ?? Then what were you supposed to do with it ??

The COMPLETEmethod would help....

Post the U-Tube video....

The reason.... There are idiots on U-Tube .....

 

[Hannahjeffres1]

How long did they say to keep it refrigerated ?? Then what were you supposed to do with it ??

The COMPLETEmethod would help....

Post the U-Tube video....

The reason.... There are idiots on U-Tube .....

This is the recipe I followed and then I watched you tube for how do do it


SALT CURED HAM: OLD-FASHIONED PRESERVING


COURSE: BREAKFAST, DINNER, LUNCH
CUISINE: AMERICAN

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 18 DAYS

SERVINGS: 1 HAM

CALORIES: 69.7KCAL

AUTHOR: LEE TOTTEN


Salt cured ham has been around for centuries as an old-fashioned preservation method. It's simple to cure your own ham at home with this easy recipe.

Print Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups Curing Salt
• 3 Tbs Red pepper
• 3 Tbs Black pepper
• 3 cup Brown sugar
• 1 Fresh Ham

INSTRUCTIONS

• Mix salt, red pepper, black pepper and brown sugar in a bowl and set aside, this is your curing mix.
• With a ham that's between 36 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, rinse in cold water and pat dry.
• Put a layer of curing mix ¼” – ½” deep on a tray to act as a bed for the ham.
• Place the ham on top of the layer of curing mix.
• At the H-bone (hip) and the hock joints, cut slits down to the bone then pack with as much of the salt mixture as possible.
• Rub and cover the rest of the ham with the curing mix.
• Leave the tray in a cool place (such as a refrigerator or a cooler packed with ice) for 18 days at 36-40 degrees.
• Cure for 18 days (or more - see recipe notes).
• Once the ham is cured, rinse well with cool water then smoke it, cook it or freeze it for later (see recipe notes for cooking tips).

 

[daveomak]

Since you are making a 'dry cured ham' focus on that method in this paper....

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2011-title9-vol2/pdf/CFR-2011-title9-vol2-sec319-106.pdf

301 Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA § 319.106 § 319.106‘‘Country Ham,’’ ‘‘Country Style Ham,’’ ‘‘Dry Cured Ham,’’ ‘‘Country Pork Shoulder,’’ ‘‘Country Style Pork Shoulder,’’ and ‘‘Dry Cured Pork Shoulder.’’ (a) ‘‘Country Ham,’’ ‘‘Country Style Ham,’’ or ‘‘Dry Cured Ham,’’ and ‘‘Country Pork Shoulder,’’ ‘‘Country Style Pork Shoulder,’’ or ‘‘Dry Cured Pork Shoulder.’’ are the uncooked, cured, dried, smoked or unsmoked meat food products made respectively from a sin-gle piece of meat conforming to the definition of ‘‘ham,’’ as specified in § 317.8(b)(13) of this subchapter, or from a single piece of meat from a pork shoulder. They are prepared in accord-ance with paragraph (c) of this section by the dry application of salt (NaCl), or by the dry application of salt (NaCl) and one or more of the optional ingre-dients as specified in paragraph (d) of this section. They may not be injected with curing solutions nor placed in cur-ing solutions. (b) The product must be treated for the destruction of possible live trichinae in accordance with such methods as may be approved by the Ad-ministrator upon request in specific in-stances and none of the provisions of this standard can be interpreted as dis-charging trichinae treatment require-ments. (c)(1) The entire exterior of the ham or pork shoulder shall be coated by the dry application of salt or by the dry ap-plication of salt combined with other ingredients as permitted in paragraph (d) of this section. (2) Additional salt, or salt mixed with other permitted ingredients, may be re-applied to the product as necessary to insure complete penetration. (3) When sodium or potassium ni-trate, or sodium or potassium nitrite, or a combination thereof, is used, the application of salt shall be in sufficient quantity to insure that the finished product has an internal salt content of at least 4 percent. (4) When no sodium nitrate, potas-sium nitrate, sodium nitrite, potas-sium nitrite or a combination thereof is used, the application of salt shall be in sufficient quantity to insure that the finished product has a brine con-centration of not less than 10 percent or a water activity of not more than 0.92. (5) For hams or pork shoulders labeled ‘‘country’’ or ‘‘country style,’’ the combined period for curing and salt equalization shall not be less than 45 days for hams, and shall not be less than 25 days for pork shoulders; the total time for curing salt equalization, and drying shall not be less than 70 days for hams, and shall not be less than 50 days for pork shoulders. During the drying and smoking period, the in-ternal temperature of the product must not exceed 95 °F., provided that such temperature requirement shall not apply to product dried or smoked under natural climatic conditions. (6) For hams or pork shoulders labeled ‘‘dry cured,’’ the combined period for curing and salt equalization shall not be less than 45 days for hams, and shall not be less than 25 days for pork shoulders; and the total time for cur-ing, salt equalization, and drying shall not be less than 55 days for hams and shall not be less than 40 days for pork shoulders. (7) The weight of the finished hams and pork shoulders covered in this sec-tion shall be at least 18 percent less than the fresh uncured weight of the article. (d) The optional ingredients for prod-ucts covered in this section are: (1) Nutritive sweeteners, spices, seasonings and flavorings. (2) Sodium or potassium nitrate and sodium or potassium nitrite if used as prescribed in this section and in ac-cordance with a regulation permitting that use in this subchapter or 9 CFR Chapter III, Subchapter E, or in 21 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter A or Subchapter B. [42 FR 3299, Jan. 18, 1977, as amended at 64 FR 72174, Dec. 23, 1999] EFFECTIVEDATENOTE: At 46 FR 1257, Jan. 6, 1981, the Safety and Quality Service, De-partment of Agriculture, announced that ‘‘the temperature and time period provisions of 9 CFR 319.106, paragraphs (c)(5) and (c)(6), have not been in effect since November 17, 1980, and will not be enforced pending future Agency action in the matter. However, ham and pork shoulders must continue to be pre-pared in compliance with all other provi-sions of 9 CFR 319.106 in order to be labeled ‘country ham,’ ‘country style ham,’ or ‘dry cured ham,’ and ‘country pork shoulder,’ ‘country style pork shoulder,’ or ‘dry cured pork shoulder.’’’

 

[daveomak]

Dry Curing Virginia-Style Ham

www.pubs.ext.vt.edu

American Country Ham

American Country Ham

www.meatsandsausages.com

Country Cured Ham - From Go to Show: Q/View

"Country Ham" From Go to Show Dry curing is becoming a lost art in America, the true techniques of producing a country ham are about to be lost due to modern industry. Country ham is an uncooked ham, dry salt-cured with or without sugar and spices, after the initial cure, and optional cold...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[chef jimmyj]

Perfect example of questionable online and YouTube Recipes for Curing meat. The Recipe calls for Curing Salt. Most of the would thinks Prague Powder, Cure #1. Some might think Morton's Tender Quick. However, click the recipe link for " Curing Mix "and it takes you to Amazon and Morton's Sugar Cure.

How to Salt Cure a Ham at Home

Learn how to salt cure a ham at home using old-fashioned curing methods to preserve meat.

melissaknorris.com

A bit more searching and you can find references to Tender Quick and Sugar Cure being interchangeable.
The Author is confusing, talking about curing with Salt, Curing Salt, Curing Mix and linking Sugar Cure, all in the same article and Recipe and not sticking with ONE commonly accepted Name for what he is using.

I don't know enough about Morton's Cure to make a call as to safety of this ham. Someone who uses Morton's Products may be able to answer. Sorry...JJ

 

[daveomak]

H Hannahjeffres1 , morning..... Hey, I developed this method for injecting meats... This particular method makes some of the best ham I have ever tasted.... Some others on the forum have said the same... One member butchers his pigs, and they get BIG, and he and his father say the same....

Check it out and ask me any questions you may have....

~5 days from Picnic to Ham....

I use non enhanced picnics... enhanced is OK but I cut the ingredients in half (1/2), to accommodate all the stuff processors add... Gently heat 10% the weight of the picnic, of Low Salt Vegetable stock, to about 100F.... 9# picnic ~400 grams of stock.... Once warm, ADD IN ORDER and...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

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