Welcome to the home of Black Forest ham

Nothing is left to chance in the production of Tannenhof Black Forest ham, starting with selection of the raw meat and continuing with checks on processing right through to packing. The fresh meat used is sourced solely from pigs  reared in species-appropriate controlled conditions. We participate in the QA inspection system for food products. The QA inspection system is one of the leading inspection systems for meat and sausage products in Germany. It monitors quality throughout all stages of production, from manufacture through processing and on to the trade. Quality simply does not happen by chance.

Only the best pigs are good enough for Black Forest ham from Tannenhof. 
We use exclusively pigs of commercial grade E with a maximum pH value of 5.9. At our goods inwards department we check the pH value, core temperature and proportion of fat. If everything is perfectly okay, carcasses proceed to the butchering section.

The ham is de-boned, cut and prepared for dry-salting.

True craft skills In the process, our traditional and secret blend of spices consisting of pickling salt and carefully dosed natural seasonings such as juniper berries, peppercorns, garlic and coriander are rubbed into each ham separately. Within three to five days the salt draws the moisture out of the ham. The favourable altitude of 800m promotes the osmosis and ensures optimal maturing of the ham.

After curing for 7 days, the salt is removed and the ham ages an additional two weeks. In this stage, the salt is spread through the cuts until it is distributed throughout its tissues.

Tannenhof Black Forest ham is always in perfect shape. It is formed evenly and pressed to minimise carving wastage.

A proven technique for over 10,000 years and still good today: The smoking of foods has prolonged their shelf life since the year dot. 
During the cold smoking of our Black Forest hams in the brick-built Black Forest smokery, fresh green pine brushwood, pine branches and pine sawdust are layered in a certain order and made to smoulder. The smoke wafts through all chambers of the smoke tower and imparts its unique, unmistakeable flavour to our Black Forest ham within two weeks.

In a climate-controlled environment the hams mature at constant humidity for two to three weeks in special storage rooms. In the meantime they will have lost ca. 28% of their fresh weight and can be packed.