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Curing a ham is a Christmas tradition for many and last year we gave it a try for the first time. So it was very useful to go along to River Cottage last week to find out more about curing meat.  To be honest I’d only ever thought about curing a ham, but in actual fact you can cure any sort of meat and it was a bit of an eye opener to be trying out a range of cured meats. In particular, we had a demonstration of brining, which is an easy way to preserve not just meat, but fish, cheese and even vegetables. The curing process, using salt and water as the main ingredients, is totally natural one that has been used down the centuries and does not need to involve any E numbers or other nasties.

So how do you brine your own ham?

I’ve put together a quick and simple guide for you from what I learnt listening to the talk and demonstration at River Cottage.

What joints of meat should I buy to brine my own ham? 

A leg of pork is traditional, but might be a bit big.  Consider a boned-out leg or half a large leg.

How long does the brining process take?

The pork has to be left for 3 days in the brine for every kilo of meat. Then you will need to cook it.

What should I brine my ham in? Where do I need to keep it?

Use either a large earthenware pot or a plastic bucket(or other plastic container).  Keep away from aluminium pots.  Brine it in a cold room.  We brined ours in our unheated conservatory, but a garage or pantry might fit the bill too.

How much salt and water do I need to use?

To brine pork you need 20% of salt per litre of liquid, so for every litre of liquid, you need 200g of salt. You need enough water to cover your ham.  You might need to weigh it down to keep it under the liquid at all times. It doesn’t need to be water though as it can be another liquid (see the next question and answer).

How can I add flavour?

You can pick our almost anything to add.  Think about using alcohol such as a beer, a wine or opt for cider or apple juice (as apple is a lovely complement to pork).  You can use the alcohol as a substitute for some of your water. Add a little caramel flavour with either some dark sugar or some treacle. Don’t forget herbs and spices: rosemary and bay leaves maybe or black pepper and chillies for a little heat.The flavours will be quite subtle in the finished ham.

How does brining work?

Salt opens up the cells of the meat and draws moisture out. It’s been used as a preservative over the centuries because salt kills bacteria and inhibits its growth.

How long will the ham keep after brining?

Pat dry the ham after curing it and keep it uncovered in the fridge.  You have a week or two to get round to cooking it.

How should I cook the ham?

Boil it in fresh water. After a few minutes, taste the water and if it is very salty, discard it and replace it with fresh water.  You can do this several times if needs be.

How long does the ham need to cook?

From 2-5 hours on a gentle simmer depending on how big your ham is.

Can you only brine pork?

No, we tried a range of cured meats at River Cottage including beef, venison and chicken.  Beef and venison can be cured in a similar way to pork, but chicken and turkey need less salt because they contain less fat.  The chicken was particularly delicious, with a delicate flavour that complemented the meat.  Brining a chicken is fairly easy as less water and salt are required and you don’t need such a big container, so I’m very tempted to try that at home.

Of course, we had to taste some of these delicious cured meats.  During the demonstration we sampled the bresaola and the cured chicken.  For the main course of our meal we were served River Cottage Cider Cured Ham, Carrot Puree, Fried Savoy Cabbage and Braised Beans.

This was my second visit to River Cottage. It’s a really special place and the food is truly amazing.  I’m planning a return trip soon for a cookery course.

Lunch for me this last week has been courtesy of these I Am Souper cartons of soup.  I like the fact that these soups are in light, easy to carry cartons: perfect for taking into the office.  They also have a long use by date, so you can stock up on them.  Despite this they don’t contain any artificial flavourings or preservatives, plus they are low in fat and high in protein.  Amongst the other goodies in Degustabox‘s autumn selection is Levi Roots Smokey BBQ Coat ‘n’ Cook, perfect for any Halloween or Bonfire Night party food. We’ve been bringing a little spice into our lives with Maggi Fusian Noddles and can’t decide if we prefer Fiery Sweet Chilli or Aromatic Spiced Curry. My son has been trying out the Heinz Kid’s Pasta Sauce and the Heinz Kid’s Dry Pasta Shapes – I managed to snaffle some and they are good.

Some chocolate treats this month to enjoy too with JimJams 83% Less Sugar Milk Chocolate Spread which got inhaled by my niece as soon as it made an appearance.  There was also a chance to try out a new breakfast offering from Broiche Pasquier: the Pitch Choco Bar.  My son soon polished off all these. He’s also been enjoying the super concentrated portable squash from Robinsons (Robinsons Squash’d Orange) which is perfect for taking on holiday or out and about. Some of the other treats have been making it into lunch boxes like the Beloved Date Fruit Hearts that hubby has been enjoying. We’ve had Yushoi Snapea Rice Sticks before and they are very moreish. Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme is a perfect evening treat in front of a good drama.

I can offer readers a whopping £7.00 discount on their first Degustabox, which means the first box will cost just £5.99! Use the Degustabox discount code:NV8UH

Another box of foodie goodies has arrived through the post from Degustabox and we have been enjoying trying out some new things.  Cirio Borlotti Beans are great in casserole dishes with sausages or pork.  We regularly use them in a spicy chorizo dish and in my cowboy stew. A bowl of Miso Tasty Miso Soup is perfect for lunchtimes when I am on my own.  They are full of goodness and are really low-calorie.  Mrs Crimble’s Fusilli is a gluten free corn fusilli pasta with a mushroom and cream sauce, it’s the perfect size for a lunch for one or a side dish for two.  I’ve been enlivening a rather dull muesli with some of these Chia Bia Whole & Milled Chia Seed Sachets.  They are a really handy size and are good for you being packed with Omega 3 as well as lots of vitamins and minerals.

Lunch boxes this week have been pepped up a little by some new treats.  The Metcalfe’s Popcorn Thins have provided a delicious chocolatey crunch. Get Fruity Bars are a fruit and oat bar that are heavy on the fruit.  Yummy!  Hartley’s No Added Sugar Jelly Pots add some fun to a packed lunch. More of a crunch and a little savoury flavour has come from Say Yes to No Bread Chips, surprisingly tasty and something different.

On the drinks front Cape Drinks have provided some welcome refreshment on the sunny days we have been enjoying.  I particularly enjoyed the Peach & Passionfruit flavour.  They are a sparkling blend of anti-oxidant packed Rooibos Tea and delicious fruit juices. We’ve added a little interest to drinks of water with Teisseire Sirop.  It’s a lovely soft and fruity raspberry taste with a fresh cranberry flavour.