Physicochemical changes throughout the ripening of dry cured hams with different salt content and processing conditions

Physicochemical characteristics of Semimembranosus and Biceps femoris muscles from 24 dry cured Iberian hams were analysed. The hams were salted with different amounts of salt (60 g kg−1, HS, and 30 g kg−1, LS, w/w) and then ripened at different temperatures (traditional processing, T, versus modified processing, M). The processing conditions did not significantly affect the moisture content and the chloride molality of Semimembranosus and Biceps femoris muscles (p>0.05) throughout ripening, although daily weight losses were significantly affected (p<0.01). The effect of the processing conditions on water activity was also rather limited as it was only significant at the drying stage. Colour a* values and chroma were significantly higher in Semimembranosus muscles from T hams than from M ones (p<0.01). Muscles from hams elaborated in a traditional system showed a higher number of tyrosine crystals than muscles from hams processed in a modified one, though only to a significant extent in Semimembranosus muscle (p<0.05). The salt concentration was higher in HS than in LS hams. HS hams showed higher weight losses in the salting and postsalting stages, owing to a more intense osmotic dehydration.