The months of curing ham

Curing ham

The months of curing are the months during which the ham matures. This stage of production takes place in natural drying rooms and is the longest stage of the whole process.

During this period, the Iberico ham or shoulder acquires its highly characteristic texture, flavour and aroma.

How long this part of the process lasts will determine the curing of the piece, as well as its quality and its designation. In addition, shoulders and hams have different curing times, as do Iberico and Serrano products.

It should be made clear that a product is not better simply because it has been cured for longer, as the length of this stage is closely linked to the characteristics of each piece. In fact, prolonged curing could mean the loss of many of the qualities of a good ham, which could become hard, dry, lose flavour or end up too salty.

A poor ham will not improve simply by extending its months of curing.

Iberico ham

Its curing can last from 18 to 36 months, depending on the quality and weight of the piece: the greater the weight and quality, the longer the maturing time. For example, acorn-fed (de bellota) Iberico ham, being a higher-quality product, has a longer maturing period than other hams (generally 36 months).

Iberico shoulder

Although the production process is similar, Iberico shoulder is cured for less time than ham, as it is a smaller piece: from 18 to 28 months.

Serrano ham

Serrano ham comes from a different breed and is a different product from Iberico, so its curing differs considerably: the characteristics and requirements of this product are not the same. We can distinguish three types of Serrano ham according to their curing.

• Bodega: matured for more than 9 months.
• Reserva: matured for more than 12 months.
• Gran Reserva: matured for more than 15 months.

At Castanoble we are committed to traditional production based on the natural curing of our products, a hallmark of their quality.