contributes to their appearance and texture.
High salt concentrations cause the normally
tightly bunched protein filaments in the
muscle cells to separate into individual
filaments, which are too small to scatter light:
so the normally opaque muscle tissue
becomes translucent. The same unbunching
also weakens the muscle fibers, while at the
same time dehydration makes the tissue
denser and more concentrated: hence the close
but tender texture.
The Enigma of Hams Cured Without
Nitrite
Though most traditional long-cured hams
are treated with saltpeter to provide a
steady supply of nitrite, a few are not. The
eminent prosciuttos of Parma and San
Daniele are cured with sea salt only, yet
somehow still develop the characteristic
rosy color of nitrite-stabilized myoglobin.
Sea salt does contain nitrate and nitrite