Ham Massaging. Effect of Massaging Cycle, Environmental Temperature and Pump Level on Yield, Bind, and Color of Intermittently Massaged Hams

Commercially available hams (7.69–9 kg) were open face boned, closely trimmed of fat and then stitch pumped with various levels of pickle to determine the efficacy of pump level, massage cycle, or temperature of the ham during massaging on cook shrink, USDA yield, bind, and cured color intensity and uniformity. On a constant time basis, continuous massaging appeared superior to intermittent massaging and shorter rest periods were superior to longer rest periods where intermittent massaging was used. High pump levels (30, 35%) gave correspondingly higher cook shrink losses and lower bind values (adhesion) than low pump levels. But the 35% pump level gave the best combination of cured color intensity, uniformity and yield yet still provided sufficeint bind for slice durability. Ideal environmental massaging temperatures appeared to be between 4.4°C and 10°C for maximizing cured color development and yield. Bind was reduced at 10°C; however, no problem in slice durability was experienced. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS FIG. 1 SUMMARIZES the effect of factors identified in this study which influenced bind. Note that as the action time increased or rest period declined in the massaging cycles the bind increased in a linear and quadratic manner. Therefore, actual massaging time in a cycle should be long in comparison to the rest period to promote bind—such cycles also reduce cook shrinkage. Continuous massaging appears to be a better practice than intermittent massaging, provided ham tearing is not excessive. Bind decreased in a linear manner as pump levels increased, suggesting that more problems can be expected with adhesion of meat particles and slice durability as pump levels rise. Apparently, cook shrinkage also increases as pump levels rise. The effect of high environmental massaging temperature (10°C) can be considered detrimental to bind; however, since high temperatures also reduce voids and enhance cure color intensity, relatively high temperature massaging (7°C) is still recommended. Fig. 2 identifies three factors which influenced cure color intensity in a linear manner. Increasing environmental massaging temperature, higher pump level and using cycles with longer action periods and shorter rest periods, all promoted intense cure color. Increasing the action interval in the massaging cycles caused a linear increase in color uniformity of hams while temperature had no effect (Fig. 3). Increasing pump levels promoted a linear and quadratic effect on color uniformity. As high pump levels were reached the effect on color uniformity diminished. Pump levels near 35% gave good yield and cure color intensity, excellent color uniformity, and provided sufficeint bind for slice durability under the conditions of this study.