MEADE COUNTY 4-H YOUTH COUNTRY HAM AUCTION - ONLINE BIDDING ENDS THURS., OCTOBER 12TH @ 6:00 PM EDT
The History of the Country Ham
Hello, my name is Addison Moore. I am an eighth-grade student at Stuart Pepper Middle School in Meade County. Today I will be talking to you about, “The History of The Country Ham.”
When I hear country ham, I am magically transported to Christmas dinner. Each year my family and I will prepare the country ham that I cured during my 4-H ham project.
If you had asked me years ago where the county ham originated, I would have told you at the Ham house by our extension office. All jokes aside the question remains, Where did the country ham originate?
Do Northern families serve country ham as often as families in KY?
The country ham originally came from Europe but worked its way to the United States. According to fossils in Europe and Asia, wild pig-like animals roamed around forests and swamps 40 million years ago. Pigs were kept as pets in China by 4900 B.C. But they were raised for meat in Europe by 1500 B.C. Pigs came with the earliest settlers of Jamestown in 1607. Almost every shipload of immigrants brought pigs with them to America adding on to the population.
It is noted that Americans considered pork the favorite meat and ate more pork than beef or chicken until after World War II. The European settlers had learned how to dry cure a ham and they spread the word to the American settlers and the Native Americans. Around the 1800s, dry-cured hams were a common meal at the dinner table. Pigs were raised everywhere but southeasterners had more of a need for country hams because keeping food cold in the summer was a problem. A country ham can sit out for hours without spoiling. To this day, country hams are most found in the Southeastern states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Kentucky.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this brief explanation on how the country ham came from Europe and traveled to America and why it became so popular in the Southeastern United States. This is my 4th year participating in the 4-H Country Ham project and I’m proud to add a special tradition to my family’s holiday.
History of Country Ham
Country ham is almost as American as apple pie and baseball, and it’s been around almost as long as America itself. When most people think about country ham, they often think about it being a Southern tradition. Even though it might have started out as a Southern dish, it is now enjoyed all over the world. Country ham has become a popular dish in countries like China, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France.
By the 17th century, most American farmers raised pigs, and the long shelf life of pork and salt made ham a staple in most kitchens nationwide. Country ham became a more distinct type of ham in 1926 when George A. Hormel & Company pioneered canned ham. The first official reference to country ham appeared in print in 1944, and it alluded to a method of smoking and dry-curing ham in rural regions, like Kentucky, Virginia, and nearby states.
Today, country ham refers to the way our ham is preserved rather than a specific location. Country ham is different from city ham which is wet cured after being injected or submerged with brine. Although country hams are preserved, you still have to cook them before serving. The curing process is key to getting the salty, smoky flavor of country ham, which is what so many Americans love and enjoy eating today.
If you’re looking for a truly patriotic dish to add to your spread this 4th of July, you can’t go wrong with country ham. We have tons of recipes for main dishes, appetizers, desserts, and sides you can try to feed your friends and family when they come over to celebrate America.
Another side is that country ham started many, many decades ago when curing hams and other meats was a necessity. The country ham curing process was developed because people needed a way to preserve their fresh pork in the days without refrigeration. Curing whole hams became an art, much like wagon making or quilting that was passed down from one generation to the next, with each family safely guarding their secrets.
To keep a centuries-old tradition alive, the Kentucky Country Ham Curers Association and 4-H launched the Kentucky 4 H Country Ham Project. More than eight hundred students now learn to make country hams through that program.
The History of Country Ham
Hello, I'm Garrett Scott. Today I will be discussing what country ham was like in the past, how it appears today and what I think it could look like in the future. The uncured ham is referred to as a green ham, a green ham is a ham that has recently been cut off the hind leg of a hog.
The history of the country ham dates all the way back to the Native Americans. The salt cure was first introduced by the Native Americans as a way to preserve the ham so it wouldn't spoil. The Natives had a great impact on society now that some people don’t even realize. The Native Americans cured the ham by completely covering the green ham in salt for 5 days. Then the Native Americans would then replace the salt and let the ham sit in dry heat for another seven days, after that they would let air dry for two days then the ham would be ready to eat. The Natives kept the ham to do other thing with it than to eat it, an example of that is if the kept it for 2 or 3 years in hot dry heat it would turn into a leather.
Since the Native Americans have come up with the salt cure it has innovated. For instance, it now takes almost 6 months to cure a ham. Before, it took about 12 days. Curing now is a lot safer than it was years ago. To cure a country ham, you need 1.5 cups of salt, 1 cup of brown sugar, teaspoon of black pepper, red pepper, paprika, butcher paper and ham sock you will also need a basement garage or a dry place that stays about 70 degrees Fahrenheit and most importantly your uncured ham or green ham. To get your green ham, ham sock and butcher paper. I recommend going to your local meat market or some delis in grocery stores.
First you need to lay your butcher paper out next, get your uncured ham or green ham and sit the ham on the butcher paper skin side down. Then mix all the ingredients together and aggressively rub your mixture of ingredients into the meat of the ham. Be sure to stuff the hock of the ham full of your mixture. Then fold up your butcher paper so none of the ham is showing. Then get your ham sock and make sure to have your seam of the sock across the hock of the ham, I had to learn the hard way. Then tie the ham sock around a sturdy point in your hanging place of choice.
Next wait about 6 months. After six months unwrap your ham from the paper and the sock you will most likely see mold. It is not uncommon to have a puddle of water beneath the ham after the cure. This means the ham is curing. Next put a sock on the ham without the butcher paper or the ingredients. Then leave the ham hanging in a barn for another month to make sure the ham is fully cured and all the moisture is out of the ham. This is the more current way and most common way to cure a ham.
Next cut the ham and enjoy. I like to dip my salt cured country ham into some gravy. It kind of drowns the saltiness out a little. Next, I will be talking about another method that is used today but is not very common. It is the smoke cure. The smoke cure takes place in about 4x6 metal building with a fire in the middle. The smoke cure takes about an hour and thirty minutes per pound of ham, the smoke’s temperature needs to be about 90 degrees Fahrenheit to cure properly.
Country ham became an important part of Kentucky’s food heritage in the 19th century when the state’s hilly terrain and abundant amount of resources made it an ideal location for hog farming and pork production. Kentucky farmers soon began to develop their own unique style of country ham, using locally sourced ingredients and traditional curing methods. One of the most famous Kentucky country hams is the Smithfield ham, which is named after the town of Smithfield in western Kentucky. The Smithfield is known for its sweet, mild flavor which is produced by salt sugar and the ham long curing time.
Over time, country ham became a regional specialty in the southern United States with different styles and cooking methods depending on the region. In Virgina, country ham became famous for its distinctive flavor, while in Kentucky, the Kentucky country ham was prized for its sweetness. Today, country ham is still a beloved food in the southern United States, and it also gained popularity in other parts of the country and even internationally. Some producers have modernized their methods to meet contemporary health and safety standards, but many still use traditional techniques to make flavorful and distinctive ham.
In the future, I think country ham will be enjoyed with many years to come. The preservation techniques and ease of storage ensure that it will stay around for a long time. Country ham has been and will be a delicacy for future generations. It can be vacuum sealed, frozen, or enjoyed for a holiday feast.
Keepin' It Salty-The History of Country Ham
Hi! Did you know Kentucky is the second largest producer of country ham in the United States? In fact, many say Kentucky's country ham is as legendary as its horse racing and bourbon!
Like most great things in history, country ham has a rich foundation, dating as far back as the roman period, where the ability to preserve and store food was essential for the development of civilization. However, the first swine didn't set hooves into the United States until the early 1500's by a Spanish explorer, and the adventure of preserving ham in the United States started soon after. By the 1600's, ham was a staple of colonial cuisine, when the first English settlers brought razorback pigs with them when they established Jamestown. The early settlers sold meat to other parts of colonial America and by curing the meat, it lasted longer and traveled well. And believe it or not, The United States First Family, George and Martha Washington, loved country ham so much that their workers smoked around 200 hogs a year so that they could always have country ham ready for their guests and for gifts! During this time in history, settlers in Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee started the country ham boom in America, and what an explosion it was! This group of states became known as the Ham Belt, producing some of the world's finest country ham. What makes the ham belt so special is its location. These states have the perfect seasons to produce great country ham.
Being part of the famous Ham Belt, Kentucky has always played a large part in country ham production. In fact, even before the birth of Kentucky in 1792, families who came to Kentucky from other states, salt cured ham out of necessity. Before refrigeration, salt curing was the way families preserved their meat, especially pork. Continuing into the 1940's, rural Kentucky families either cured their own ham or knew someone close by who did, and just like good neighbors are supposed to do, they helped each other to preserve ham for their families to eat. It wasn't until the 1980's when the country ham industry was revolutionized, with a rise of as many as 35 commercial producers the year the Kentucky Country Ham Association was formed, in 1982. Over time, that number has declined to only 8 commercial producers currently in Kentucky. However, I think we can all agree that very few things are timeless and southern as a good country ham, and the tradition of curing country ham in Kentucky is still thriving in many ham houses across the state.
One example of this thriving industry, is Kentucky's famous Country Ham Trail that is made up of tried and true producers who have been in the industry for over a 100 years. Today there are even festivals dedicated to country ham in Kentucky and the Kentucky Farm Bureau Country Ham Breakfast right here at the state fair is known as one of the most prestigious ham shows in the nation!
Country ham can be purchased across the world due to Kentucky's rich production and while today's society enjoys an abundance of country ham whenever desired, the process of curing a delicious country ham has in many ways, stayed the same. Just as it did with early settlers, a great country ham still takes time and can't be rushed. It needs to be aged slowly and naturally.
As I stand here today, hanging in all their glory, throughout our beautiful state, are great country hams from hundreds of 4H members, each making their mark in Kentucky Country Ham History. I am so proud to be part of that tradition! My papaw says Kentucky Country Ham is "simply the best" and I couldn't agree more! No matter how you like it, it is always a good time to put on some stretchy pants and enjoy a delicious slice of country ham.
History of Country Ham
Hello! My name is Willa Blanchard and today I’d like to give you a brief history of country ham and how it plays a part in Kentucky’s history.
Curing meats has been important throughout history, with the earliest recordings of dry cured hams being around 160 BC in Europe giving rise to prosciutto and other such meats. The origin of American cured “country ham’ goes as far back as our founding. Spanish explorers released hogs into the wild in Florida around 1539 and they made their way up through the south. Before this time, pork didn’t exist in America. Then in 1607 English settlers, and their hogs, settled in Jamestown Virginia where they combined Native American and European ways to preserve the hams.
What makes a ham “country”? It’s being dry cured through smoking or salting. The settled areas of Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee share a similar climate to Western Europe and made curing hams easy. This area became known as the “ham belt”. Any hotter and hams would rot, any colder and they would freeze.
In the 1800’s refrigeration came around and “city hams” became more popular. Causing curing methods to get lost and country ham to decline. In the 1980’s country ham had a brief period of popularity until it gradually fell off again.
Country ham is important to Kentucky’s history. We are a ham belt state. We’ve been curing ham in dry methods since before we became a state in 1792. Many family farms raise hogs and have country ham businesses. Country ham has sustained working class families for generations.
In 1999 The Kentucky Ham Curers Association and 4-H launched the Kentucky 4-H Ham Project. This has helped to keep this age-old curing technique alive as more than 800 students learn how to make country ham each year through this program. That’s me!