How Long To Boil Gammon (And Why)?

Exact Answer: Up to 3 hours

People can use both tap and tonic water to boil gammon. Just make sure to use the correct amount of water for the weight of the gammon. Everyone can add onions, black pepper, and lemon to the gammon during the boiling process. This would enhance the taste of the gammons. Boiling the gammon can take around 3 hours, as there are many steps involved.

The gammon can be boiled in a huge quantity. Then everyone can store it for a long time. The size of the gammon plays the role of a big influential factor for predicting the boiling time of the gammon. The smaller size gammon can be prepared in 1 hour while the larger ones would take 3 hours or more.

How Long To Boil Gammon?

The boiling time of the gammon would depend on the size of the gammon. If the weight of the gammon is under 400 grams, then it would be considered as a small gammon. The gammon above 700 grams is considered a large gammon. The boiling time of the gammon joint would be around 40 to 45 minutes.

Maintaining the moisture of the gammon is vital to avoid excess drying of gammons. Therefore, it’s recommended to boil the gammon slowly for a long time. This would help in holding the moisture of the gammon. If someone increases the temperature of the gammon by more than 85 degrees. Then it would be too hot for the gammon to retain moisture.

People can store the stock of the gammon after the boiling process is over, as they can be used in many dishes. The only rule to follow while cooking a gammon is to boil it low and slow. The shape of the gammon can get affected if the temperature is too hot. If you get bone-in ham, then the boiling process would be easier.

If someone chooses the leg of the ham, then it would be convenient to hold on to the shape of the gammon. The boneless gammon is a good choice but needs to be boiled carefully. Boneless gammon can dry very easily if cooked in high temperatures.

Why To Boil Gammon For This Long?

Gammon needs to be cooked for a long time to maintain its texture, shape, moisture, and taste. The boiling of gammon is a long process, and there are some steps that need to be followed.

Step 1- Take a saucepan and put the gammon in it. Add a good amount of water till the saucepan is filled. Put the stove and place the saucepan on the stove. Then the gammon should boil for around 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t skip covering the saucepan as it would retain the heat inside the saucepan. The heat would help in boiling the gammon properly.

Step 2- After 10 to 15 minutes, take off the saucepan from the stove. Drain the water in the sink. Use baking gloves to save your hands. Then take the pan and put tonic water in it. Make sure the level of water covers the gammon entirely.

Step 3- Let the water boil for 1 to 3 hours. The simmering process would go slow in this stage. The flame or heat of the stove should be high, once the boiling process would start, then turn down the heat. If the size of the gammon is small, let it simmer for around 60 minutes.

Step 4- The gammon would be ready to serve. Everybody can add the required ingredients to the gammon during the boiling process.

There are many other methods or processes to make the gammon. The process of tonic water works extremely well for gammon, but everyone can also go for normal water.

Conclusion

These hams are cured by using the dry-salting process. The boiling process of the gammon takes 1 to 3 hours depending on the type of water someone is using. Make sure the heat is as per requirement, and the boiling process goes slow. Don’t add extra salt to the gammon, as it already contains salt. So add all the extra ingredients that would go well with the gammon.

References

1. https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.126801
2. https://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/11/8/677.short