Making Prosciutto!

I know this is a late response but it might help for the following years.

I wouldn't worry about the mold. My family has been making prosciutto for generations literally and mold usually builds up on ours during the curing stage .(I'm 43 and have helped my folks make prosciutto for as long as I can remember!) Our mold is usually the green, hairy kind!! It is only on the outside and doesn't not affect the meat inside. My family member say that the mold actually prevents the prosciutto from drying too quickly and is a good thing. They will wash off the mold occasionally (every 3-4 months) to make sure that too much mold doesn't build up preventing the meat from curing. Unless the meat is starting to stink....you're probably doing ok.

I wish I could give you more specifics...but as is the case with old school Italians...it's never cut and dry!! Most of the time the process is handed down from generation to generation and each generation modifies the process a little so that results are more to the individual's liking. I'm now finally starting to make my prosciuttos (with advice from the family) and I suspect that it'll be a while before I perfect my technique. This despite all the decades of participating in the process before!! My first attempt last year resulted in a very stinky cold room as the prosciutto went bad. On the plus side though, my sausages, pressed salamis and capicolli were fantastic! :) Good luck to you! Alex

my98rk in Home Cooking