CURING PROCESS

Our cured products are made the old-fashioned way!  The process to cure country ham is based on the seasons of the year, which is how farmers cured their hams.  Penn’s has a controlled environment which provides a more consistent flavor and look that we love.  First, Penn’s purchases fresh hams that are one to two days old. They dry rub each ham with their special cure mixture and then place the hams into the cure room (winter) for one to two weeks and keep the temperature at 38-42 degrees. After this time period, hams are removed and reworked with more cure mixture.  Hams are then placed back into the cure room for up to forty days. The hams are removed from the cure room and brushed/washed.  They are netted and hung in the equalization room (spring room) for 15-30 days at 55 degrees.  After this time period, hams are removed and placed in the aging room at 70-85 degrees. It varies on how long curers age ham, but it must be processed for at least 87 days. Penn’s like to age hams for 4-6 months/8-10 months. We provide two age groups to give our customers the choice of a mild flavor versus a more distinct/stronger flavor.  Our cured products are made the old-fashioned way!