Jo - Hams or sausage

[skyhightree1]

Jo what size hams do you prefer to cure huge ones or ones that come off a hog about 150-300 lbs or so I got a sow that is probably 500lbs and wondered if shed be worth keeping the hams or should I just make sausage?

 

[JMJ Farms]

I like my sows around 110-120 pounds or so. Since your sow is 500 pounds I'm sure her hams are huge. Probably the best thing for you to do is make some link sausage, stuffed with cheese of course, stuff it between your hams, and bake it till the cheese oozes out. I guarantee you'll like it that way.

 

[Jogeephus]

I guess the bigger the better but it really doesn't matter. Last I did were 35lbs each. Lot of meat on one that size and the cutout yield seems better than the smaller ones but they are also a little more difficult to do. If you've never cured hams you might do better honing your skills on the smaller one's first and do like JMJ says.

 

[skyhightree1]

Thanks yall I wondered if hams would be too fatty to make hams but that's what she will be then. I like a medium sized ham.

 

[skyhightree1]

Tried to get a pic of the fatty but shes not friendly she just had piglets and hopefully she wont squish them all. If you get within 40yds of her she will run you. There are others this size that I will kill I like this size.

 

[Jogeephus]

That's the size I like. Lots of meat on her but she'll give you a workout scalding her and handling her before you break her down.

 

[skyhightree1]

That's the size I like. Lots of meat on her but she'll give you a workout scalding her and handling her before you break her down.

Joe scalding is ridiculous amount of work.. I think sinking my teeth in and remembering the work toget the meat makes it taste better

 

[skyhightree1]