[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]And it truly is. We\u2019re talking about a product that is alive in the broadest sense of the word. It\u2019s alive because it\u2019s continuously evolving, but also because it comes from an animal\u2014a specific part made up of various muscles, adipose tissue, and capillaries, which make each piece unique.<\/p>\n
We all remember that one perfect jam\u00f3n we once had, and we seek to replicate that experience every time we cut into a new jam\u00f3n. But there\u2019s nothing more difficult\u2014if not impossible\u2014than finding two identical jam\u00f3n. Factors such as salt content, curing time, the amount of fat attached or marbled, and even small visual defects make each jam\u00f3n truly one of a kind.<\/p>\n
Today, we want to talk about one of those minor visual defects that you might encounter when cutting into your jam\u00f3n. Although it may detract from the appearance of the piece, it doesn\u2019t affect the flavor or quality of the jam\u00f3n. However, the first impression can certainly raise some doubts. We\u2019re referring to the ochre or brown spots you may find.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=\u00bb3825″ img_size=\u00bbfull\u00bb][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]What Are Those Ochre Spots?<\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes, in the fat of our jam\u00f3n, and even in the lean part (usually in the maza<\/strong> area), you may notice small brown spots<\/strong>. These are simply caused by the oxidation of blood pigments<\/strong> that may have remained after the jam\u00f3n was trimmed.<\/p>\n These spots tend to appear more frequently in fatty jamones<\/strong>, such as those from Duroc pigs<\/strong> or grain-fed Iberian pigs<\/strong> (typically crossbreeds between an Iberian mother and a Duroc father), and are less common in jamones from pigs with diets rich in antioxidants, like field-fed<\/strong> or acorn-fed<\/strong> jamones. The tocopherols<\/strong> present in the grass that these pigs eat help prevent the oxidation not only of the fat, as we\u2019ve discussed in other articles, but also of any residual blood.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Why Do They Appear?<\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes, during the electric stunning<\/strong> process prior to slaughter, capillaries<\/strong> may rupture due to muscle contraction<\/strong>, which can cause the appearance of petechiae<\/strong> (small blood spots up to 3 mm in diameter). During the extended curing process, these petechiae darken due to exposure to air, leading to the oxidation<\/strong> of blood pigments, which manifest as brown spots on the jam\u00f3n. Small blood remnants may also appear if more than 10 seconds pass between stunning and bleeding.<\/p>\n In other cases, fresh jam\u00f3n may have small internal bruises<\/strong> resulting from improper handling of the live animal or even from muscle injuries<\/strong> near the joints. The presence of blood in these areas can also lead to the appearance of these ochre spots<\/strong> for the same reason: the oxidation of blood pigments.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Are They a Problem for My Jam\u00f3n?<\/strong><\/p>\n Aside from slightly detracting from the appearance, they do not significantly affect the organoleptic qualities<\/strong> of the jam\u00f3n. Since they are small, it\u2019s easy to avoid them when slicing if you prefer not to eat that part. Rest assured that at most, it may affect a small portion of the jam\u00f3n where the spots appear, but it does not affect the quality<\/strong> of the rest of the jam\u00f3n.<\/p>\n And know that, if you decide not to remove them and eat a slice with a small ochre spot, the worst thing that can happen is that, after swallowing it, you\u2019ll urgently need to keep eating more jam\u00f3n.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]And it truly is. We\u2019re talking about a product that is alive in the broadest sense of the word. It\u2019s alive because it\u2019s continuously evolving, but also because it comes from an animal\u2014a specific part made up of various muscles, adipose tissue, and capillaries, which make each piece unique. We all remember that one perfect […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3825,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[109],"tags":[313],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4436"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4436"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4438,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4436\/revisions\/4438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}