Ammerland ham
Ammerland ham is a smoked or air-dried raw ham from the Lower Saxony region of Ammerland .
To make the ham on the bone, it is first dry- cured by hand with sea salt and brown sugar for three weeks and can be seasoned with pepper , allspice and juniper , among other things . The higher the quality of the meat, the more the ham is able to develop its individual character without spices. Then it is smoked cold over beech wood for a few weeks , whereby the relatively high humidity in the region prevents it from drying out. The subsequent maturation period ranges from around three months to more than two years for the best qualities. Today there are also unsmoked, air-dried hams under the name Ammerland ham.
Traditionally, Ammerland ham was smoked under the kitchen ceiling (on the "Wiehm") over the open stove and only made for self-sufficiency. In addition to firewood, the beech and oak forests of the region also offered acorns for pig fattening . After the population had almost doubled to 9,000 inhabitants in the 18th century and the good arable land was becoming scarce, commercial production began to sell the ham in the nearby port cities, where durable provisions were in demand for shipping. This is how the supra-regional reputation of Ammerland ham was founded.
“Ammerländer Schinken” is a protected geographical indication .
The oldest Ammerland ham smokehouse in Apen , founded in 1748, now also houses a museum .