Reply #35: I have a better idea: Let's re-learn how to make healthy, artisanal ham and pork products. [View All]

[HamdenRice]

I've heard many stories of how my grandparents made ham down on the farm in the 1920s and 30s -- packed in salt for a month, packed in sugar for another month, smoked and hung.

As Quantess points out upthread, our processed hams and sausages now contain nitrates, primarily to make the color look artificially fresh. Take the carcinogens out of the ham, not the ham out of the diet.