Our prosciutti are behaving on schedule! It’s been 84 days since we de-boned, trimmed, salted, and hung the legs. They soon developed spotty mold colonies and after 35 days, a fine white covering took over the landscape.
Meanwhile, we increased the temperature to 39-41 F and reduced the relative humidity to 80% to allow for the beginning drying stage. At this point, the legs have lost 13-14% of the total 30-35% when fully mature.
Mold development is not a typical stage of the prosciutto process in commercial production. However, we have found it beneficial for small-scale home cellaring where temperature or natural humidity is not entirely controllable.
A mold covering in the first 6 months of aging protects the prosciutto in several ways:
·     Acts as a natural barrier against external contaminants
·     Creates a microclimate that allows moisture to slowly and gradually escape from the meat
·     Prevents excessive drying/hardening at the surface trapping water in the interior that can lead to spoilage
·     Contributes to the development of desirable aromatics during the aging process.
Fortunately, I have a dedicated space in our Fra’ Mani Salumi plant reserved for dry-cured salumi with temperature and humidity controls during the initial stages of salting and drying. After we arrive at the 4-month mark, I’ll move the hams to my home cellar for aging. We will take up the subject of drying and aging and how to accomplish this in our next installment.