re: How I Made Ham - updated with final pics

Cure/Brine:

1 gallon water
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup salt
1 jar pickling spice
2 tablespoons Prague powder #1

Mix the ingredients and brine the meat for however long you need to. If you need more, just make another batch. Always plan on 2 or more batches.

I always inject the brine first and then let it soak for a number of days. I like to inject it before adding the pickling spice because the spice will clog the injector needle. So I inject and then add the pickling spice to the brine for the soak.

The reason I inject is because it tremendously speeds up the curing time (the time it takes the brine to reach the center of the meat).

For a large piece of meat (like a 22 pound ham), I’ll inject and let brine for 10-14 days. For something like a brisket, I’ll inject and then let brine for 4-7 days. Those numbers are usually a few extra days than what is probably needed, I like to go long to be sure.

Pickling spice is the name of a jar of seasoning found in the grocery stores. For hams, I always add extra cloves, either ground or whole. You can add anything else you want: nutmeg, cinnamon, etc. the salt, sugar, and Prague is basically the cure. Add whatever seasonings you want for flavor.