In the past this process was seasonal and ham processing necessarily was beginning in winter (slaughtering time). Today thanks to technological advances in the dryers rooms, hams can be made throughout the year.
The stages of processing are: salting, washing, post-salting, maturation, parboiling and finally rest in our driying rooms .
Salting: The hams are classified by weight when they come from slaughterhouses and are submerged in salt. They remain around a day per kilogram of ham. At this stage the ham is stored at low temperatura and high humidity.
Washing: The hams are washed with wáter once removed from salt and prepared for the next phase.
Maturation: The ham rests in dryer rooms, where their development is verified. We give him a little outer layer of butter that protect the ham from bacteria . In this phase the temperature of the dryer room is increased, humidity is decreased, making the ham losing moisture.
Parboiling: In this phase we give more heat to the ham, the meat “sweat” and get all the flavor, aroma and bouquet
Rest in driying room: In this period the ham is at room temperature, allowing the meat to cool down and stabilize. After this period the ham is ready to eat.
We also must explain de difference between cured ham and Serrano ham.
Serrano is a protected Word hosted in a quality standard of “Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG)” approved by the European Community. To be designated Serrano ham has to have TSG certification.
Cured ham is a ham that is not certified as Serrano and can´t use that name. It is sold just as “cured ham”
There are three categories of Serrano ham according to his curing period:
Serrano “Bodega”: Curing period 9-11 months.
Serrano “Reserva”: Curing period 12-15 monts.
Serrano “Gran Reserva”: Curing period +15 months.
JAMONES EL CHATO, SA, market Bodega y Reserva hams with the trademarkt “EL CHATO”, Gran Reserva hams with the brand “JASETO” and the cured hams with the Brand “JADUSOL”
