ABSTRACT

The simultaneous saturated brine thawing/salting technique is shown as an alternative to the traditional production of dry-cured hams (thawing in cold storage and posterior salting in solid salt pile), using raw material from white pigs. The main advantage of this technique is the decrease in salting times and the reduction in effluents generated.

The aim of this doctoral thesis was to explore the possibility of applying simultaneous thawing/salting techniques in iberian dry-cured ham processing using frozen raw material.

The study started with the characterization of the physicochemical parameters at each stage of the traditional processing of dry-cured ham with fresh and frozen raw material. Based on the obtained results hams were salted with a simultaneous saturated brine thawing/salting process, using 3 different processing times (with and without vacuum pulse application). Then, using the obtained conditions, hams were salted and the influence of this type of salting technique on the post-salting and curing stages was studied, as well as the characteristics of the final product.

Based on the results it was established that the simultaneous saturated brine salting/thawing technique used (with and without vacuum pulse application), could be an alternative to the traditional salting stage in the production of dry-cured Iberian ham