CherokeePaul
Newbie
- Jan 3, 2025
- 16
- 5
We have feral hogs coming out our ears and I have been processing them for sometime. I recently ventured into making some American Country Hams out of them which are cured, cold smoked and dried but not cooked. I had frozen them for a couple of months prior to starting and thought this would eliminate any Trichinae concerns.
It turns out freezing does eliminate Trichinae for strains found in domestic pork but there are some strains that are freeze resistant, particularly in wild hogs and other animals. We are located in Central Texas and there are more occurrences of those strains in the Northwestern US and Alaska but you can’t always be sure.
I also have understood that the salt in the curing process can also eliminate Trichinae but I am not sure which strains. Does anybody have any experience with this? I can cook the hams after they are completed drying but that sort of defeats the point of a good, shelf-stable ham you can slice off and eat.
Appreciate any feedback!
It turns out freezing does eliminate Trichinae for strains found in domestic pork but there are some strains that are freeze resistant, particularly in wild hogs and other animals. We are located in Central Texas and there are more occurrences of those strains in the Northwestern US and Alaska but you can’t always be sure.
I also have understood that the salt in the curing process can also eliminate Trichinae but I am not sure which strains. Does anybody have any experience with this? I can cook the hams after they are completed drying but that sort of defeats the point of a good, shelf-stable ham you can slice off and eat.
Appreciate any feedback!
