Salting, drying and sensory quality of dry-cured hams subjected to different pre-salting treatments: Skin trimming and pressing

The effects of skinning in a V-shape and pressing of hams on salting, drying and sensory characteristics of dry-cured hams were assessed. Salt and water contents and aw were determined in the central part of the ham during processing by computed tomography. Overall salt and water contents were also chemically analysed. Sensory analyses were performed on the final product. Partial skinning or pressing increased both salt uptake and final weight loss, but did not reduce the intra-batch variability in salt uptake. Moreover, trimmed hams exhibited a higher salt content in the inner areas of the hams after resting. Trimmed dry-cured hams showed less metallic flavour, higher saltiness and more mature flavour in the biceps femoris muscle, and lower pastiness and adhesiveness as well as higher crumbliness and aged flavour in both the biceps femoris and the semimembranosus muscles. Pressing treatment caused less metallic flavour only in biceps femoris muscle and higher saltiness.

► Skin trimming or pressing before salting increased the average salt absorption.
► Neither skin trimming nor pressing reduced the variability in the salt absorption.
► Trimming in a V shape accelerated the weight loss of the hams.
► With skin trimming salt reached faster the innermost part of the ham.