As regular readers of this blog are aware, just before Christmas I bought half a Perigord pig from my butcher in Loches and I have been enjoying the meat ever since. Just after Christmas I thought I would try my hand at making Jambon Sec or air dried ham. It is something that I have wanted to try for a while but expense or opportunity has eluded me.
Making an air dried ham is a long term commitment as it will take a minimum of 6 months to be ready, ideally longer, but I know that there is no way I would be able to keep my hands off it for longer than 6 months!
A saltbox of Ham
I did some digging around on methodology, I knew it would be straightforward but I want to check salting times, cures etc. The research through up a range of possibilities; bone in or out? Keeping it in seemed to increase the likelihood of rot. How long to cure in salt? 3 days, 5 days per kilo, more? Get it wrong and the ham will be too salty. The use of sugar, aromatics, wine and vinegar washes? I was like a rabbit caught in headlights, all I want is to make a bloody ham, what to do…..
Well, I decided to lower the risk of rot by asking Sebastian my butcher to bone the leg, that left approximately 7 kilos of of meat. I decided to keep my first go simple and opted for a lightish cure with out additional aromatics or flavourings. I commandeered a plastic draw from the boiler room, a few strategically placed drill holes and I was ready.
Jambon drying in the wind
Super U our local supermarket was selling 10 kilo bags of sea salt so getting the salt together was a breeze. The meat nestled perfectly on to a bed of salt and 10 kilos was a just right. The whole lot was weighed down with a concrete block and the top of a sledgehammer and left for just under 4 weeks, and I just kept a watchful eye in case I needed to top up the salt level. A surprisingly large amount of liquid drained from the set up, but fortunately I had stored the ham in my workshop, one less hassle for Julie.
After 4 weeks I exhumed the ham from the salt, simply gave the whole joint a rinse under the tap and wrapped the joint in a single layer of muslin, as you can see it is now suspended in the rafters of my porch where safe from rain but exposed to a cooling breeze it will stay for at least the next 6 months. I will have to be patient but unfortunately I have reached the age where 6 months seems to flash by, in the meantime I will try not to drool to much 
Jambon and Saucisson
Hi Jackson.
Yes making Jambon is perfectly possible in your climate, in europe many mountain areas are renowned for their hams and conditions can be similiarily hard. Making ham is a late autumn fall activity, the crucial factor is the wind not the temperature but if your temperature are likely to be below freezing for long periods I would hang the ham in a shed. You can keep bugs of by wrapping the ham in muslim, and or building a simple flyscreen type cage. Another method used in france is to hang the ham in a bag. The ham would be ready in the spring.
There is quite a bit of info on the web, if you look around you may find further info that is about your local conditions.
Good luck with it.
Colin
I live in Tx…100 degree temp in summer …. freezing in winter…should I even try something like this….how do you keep the bugs off?
[...] 2011 Back at the start of the year I started to make some Jambon Sec the post for that can be found here. I was planning on leaving the ham to hang for 6 months but with the recent warm weather and a ham [...]
I think that this suspended ham will provide you good jambon sec and will keep away the thieves from your house for 6 months (because I think it looks quite frightening! Ahah)!
saussissons looking great woohoo!