MAAK JOU EIE GAMMON
Curing: Wet and DryThere are two types of curing – Wet and Dry, and it is this process which turns our fresh pork into Gammon or bacon, extending the life of fresh pork from around three weeks to up to 42 days, while also adding a host of amazing flavours to the meat.
Wet Curing
Here a brine solution is forced under pressure, into fresh de-boned cuts of pork and then these are tumbled in a machine to help disperse the natural curing ingredients. At this stage, other flavours are often added including honey, sugar, spices and even beer to give a cheeky taste to the pork. This process is speedy, taking only 24hrs to turn a piece of fresh pork into a delightful gammon.
Some of these gammons are partially cooked and sent to the supermarkets for you to cook up yourself on a lazy Sunday, or fully cooked, making them into ready-to-eat hams.
Wet Curing: Famous Wiltshire Curing
You may have already spotted “Wiltshire cured” on packs of bacon in the supermarket. If you haven’t plumped to try it yet, quickly do so, you’ll find yourself a new must-have for the week!
A traditional Wiltshire cure is truly a piece of history. Fresh pork is cured on the bone (as above) and then undergoes an incredible and unique process. The cut is immersed in huge curing tanks, for up to four days in a special brine solution which is around 90 years old, before being air dried, giving the pork its distinctive flavour.
Dry Curing
This is a much slower process than wet curing and involves some good old-fashioned love and elbow grease as curing salts are rubbed directly by hand onto the pork meat. This is then left for up to 28 days to mature. Pork cuts that are dry cured are often more premium, e.g. silverside, topside, loin and bacon (from the loin).
Curing: Wet and DryThere are two types of curing – Wet and Dry, and it is this process which turns our fresh pork into Gammon or bacon, extending the life of fresh pork from around three weeks to up to 42 days, while also adding a host of amazing flavours to the meat.
Wet Curing
Here a brine solution is forced under pressure, into fresh de-boned cuts of pork and then these are tumbled in a machine to help disperse the natural curing ingredients. At this stage, other flavours are often added including honey, sugar, spices and even beer to give a cheeky taste to the pork. This process is speedy, taking only 24hrs to turn a piece of fresh pork into a delightful gammon.
Some of these gammons are partially cooked and sent to the supermarkets for you to cook up yourself on a lazy Sunday, or fully cooked, making them into ready-to-eat hams.
Wet Curing: Famous Wiltshire Curing
You may have already spotted “Wiltshire cured” on packs of bacon in the supermarket. If you haven’t plumped to try it yet, quickly do so, you’ll find yourself a new must-have for the week!
A traditional Wiltshire cure is truly a piece of history. Fresh pork is cured on the bone (as above) and then undergoes an incredible and unique process. The cut is immersed in huge curing tanks, for up to four days in a special brine solution which is around 90 years old, before being air dried, giving the pork its distinctive flavour.
Dry Curing
This is a much slower process than wet curing and involves some good old-fashioned love and elbow grease as curing salts are rubbed directly by hand onto the pork meat. This is then left for up to 28 days to mature. Pork cuts that are dry cured are often more premium, e.g. silverside, topside, loin and bacon (from the loin).