Country ham varies by region.
What most are talking about (Virginia hams) are cured in dry salt.
Pretty much mummified.
Our country hams l(and bacon) were cured with a salt brine in a wooden barrel.
Enough salt dissolved to cause a dime sized piece of egg to float
above the water. Can't remember how long they soaked.
Pulled out, dried off for a day, then smoked with hickory.
Hams and bacon were left hanging in the smokehouse,
you went out and hacked off what you wanted.
All butchering was done in late fall, early winter.
The cured meats would get mold by spring, and sometimes
maggots near the joint. It was just cut off, the rest was fine to eat.
Not sure how long into summer th ey would keep, it didn't matter.
This was about curing meat to have it when you wanted it, through
the winter. Come summer, there was a lot more food available.
