Maldonado Albarragena "Bellota" Ham

Production

For its 2007 Albarragena series, Maldonado worked separately with several groups of pigs. Their characteristics were the same as the 2006 series: purebred Iberian pigs of the lampiño line.

The animals were born in February 2005 and butchered in February 2007. They were reared on the open range in woodlands in southwestern Spain, with a density of 6-10 hectares/animal (ten times more than for the best hams).

At the end of the curing period, the cuts with the best organoleptic characteristics will be selected for Maldonado's 2007 Albarragena series.

The first part of the montanera, or fattening period, began in the spring and summer of 2006, when the pigs' diet consisted exclusively of the ecosystem's natural resources - grasses, roots, tubers, etc. - until the next montanera.

At the start of the 2007 montanera the average weight was 72 kg. At the completion of the fattening period at the end of February, the average weight was 170 kg.

Salting time is short and traditional processing methods are used.

Cuts are cured and aged for nearly three years in natural drying houses and cellars, taking advantage of the beneficent climate of Albuquerque, at an altitude of 500 metres in the San Pedro mountain range.

This an extraordinarily healthy product with an oleic acid content of 58.29% (bellota grade officially requires 54% minimum oleic acid).

Albarragena has an unusually firm flesh because its fat comes only from acorns. Its low salt content and sweet nuances are a surprise for the palate.

Enjoying your jamón

We recommend eating your jamón within 6 months after delivery.