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Quick Aging of Hams¹

University of Kentucky, Lexington

Abstract

Four trials were conducted involving the quick aging of hams, using a total of 128 hams. The hams were dry-cured at 10% of their fresh weight. After curing and smoking, the hams in Trial I were tempered at a temperature of 65° F. for 3 days. The hams in the remaining three trials were tempered under these conditions for 14 days. After the tempering period the hams in Trial I were placed in four aging cabinets at 80°, 90°, 100° and 110° F. temperatures. In the remaining three trials, the four aging temperatures were lowered to 75°, 85°, 95° and 105° F., respectively. All hams were weighed at various intervals and characteristics of external fat were determined by peroxide numbers and free fatty acid content in Trials I and II. At the end of the aging period, hams were observed for color and odor, and were tested organoleptically. In Trial I hams were analyzed for sodium chloride content.

Weight loss increased throughout the processing and aging period and tended to be higher as the aging temperature was increased. Peroxide numbers and free fatty acid content increased during aging, but there was very little difference in respect to aging temperatures. Salt content increased with aging, but there was very little difference due to aging temperature. In Trial I hams at the 110° F. aging temperature developed yellow, drippy fat. In later trials, when the temperature was lower, ham quality and appearance improved. All palatability scores in Trials III and IV were high; however, the scores on the hams aged at 95° and 105° F. were higher than the lower temperature groups. Hams aged at 105° F. exhibited yellow, drippy fat and had more shrinkage. Thus, a very acceptable ham with less shrinkage was most adequately produced by tempering for 2 weeks at 65° F. and then aging for 12 weeks at 95° F.

¹ The investigation, reported in this paper is in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published with approval of the Director.

² Present address: Department of Animal Science, Clemson College, Clemson, South Carolina.