# Just cure the ham already

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-cure-the-ham-already/809724>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 28, 2018, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-cure-the-ham-already/809724 "2018-02-28T03:53:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-cure-the-ham-already/809724/21 "2018-02-28T18:28:05Z")

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> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> For most commercial bacon and ham the curing is wet, i.e. brining. This has the advantage to the meat packer of selling you lots of water at the same price per pound as the meat.

I’m not sure I quite agree with that. If you can get the same product dry-cured at the same price, I’d say, sure. But dry-cured meats cost much more (in my experience) than wet-cured, so I would say the water is included in the overall per pound price.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-cure-the-ham-already/809724/22 "2018-02-28T18:35:33Z")

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> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> I’m not sure I quite agree with that. If you can get the same product dry-cured at the same price, I’d say, sure. But dry-cured meats cost much more (in my experience) than wet-cured, so I would say the water is included in the overall per pound price.

One of the reasons for the higher cost is the weight loss from drying. A dry cured ham could easily lose 20% of the weight of the uncured meat, just as in dry aging. For ham the wet cured meat is ready to eat without rehyrdrating so more convenient but lacking the kind of flavor you’d get in something like a Virginia Ham.

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-cure-the-ham-already/809724/23 "2018-02-28T18:48:04Z")

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> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> One of the reasons for the higher cost is the weight loss from drying. A dry cured ham could easily lose 20% of the weight of the uncured meat, just as in dry aging. For ham the wet cured meat is ready to eat without rehyrdrating so more convenient but lacking the kind of flavor you’d get in something like a Virginia Ham.

True. It’s a matter of perspective. But I hear the same sorts of things about poultry, but when you look at the price of non-brined chicken vs brined-chicken (“enhanced with up to an XX% solution” type chicken), the prices do seem to reflect the water weight, but it’s hard to make a direct comparison, as it’s typically different brands of chicken.

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**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-cure-the-ham-already/809724/24 "2018-02-28T20:37:12Z")

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> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> Still, it’s got to be healthier than curing it, right? Like using organic, evaporated cane juice rather than sugar!

Or corn syrup! Corn’s healthy, rite? :smack:

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