BIO
La Jabugueña, true to its commitment to the environment and sustainable production, earmarks part of its production for the so-called ecological, BIO products.
In order to be consistent with the entire natural process, our commitment means that we have limited production.
A Sustainable Model, an Alternative, a Solution, a Commitment: Against the intensive model, the extensive model, and even more ecological production using all the natural resources and therefore keeping the natural balance and guaranteeing its future.
There are many determining factors related to the quality of ecological products, amongst them are:
- Genetics they must be 100% Iberian. A unique breed.
- Habitat : In the 100% Iberian pig herd grazing lands, from certified ecological livestock, they are born, grow and reproduce in the heart of the Natural Park, living in freedom the whole year round in an ecosystem made up of grazing lands, holm oaks, olive trees, cork oaks and gall oaks declared a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO.
- Feeding: They follow the tradition feeding that comes from this ecosystem and, during the “montanera” season, they freely roam feeding themselves on their staple diet: pastures with unique features, acorns, aromatic plants and spring water.
The Elaboration of our BIO products is done in an artisan way with the know-how gathered generation after generation and with totally natural products, without chemical additives (nitrifying bacteria, antioxidants, colourings, emulsifiers, phosphates, sugars…. etc).
The Salting process, only using sea and ecological salts.
Natural Drying is the ham curing process after having salted them to the right point where the taste could turn out to be rather sweeter. They are cured for two years just using the pure Jabugo air. A singular and unique micro-climate , that only exists in this sierra that is characterised by summers in which the temperature can change more than 25Cº in one 24 hour period and the Relative Humidity goes from saturation (morning mist called San Juan mist) to relative humidity lower than 30%, creating two fundamental effects that give JABUGO ham unique characteristics that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Such high temperature differences cause a dilatation-compression effect on the ham mass which means that the fat, when it is diluted due to the temperature effect, is absorbed by the muscle and then, during the night when the temperature lowers enough, this fat is solidified and is trapped in the muscle tissue, giving it the characteristics JABUGO texture and flavour. The relative humidity, so high during the summer periods and that does not exist in other IBERIAN HAM producing areas, favours the rate of muscle water activity in such a way that it stays unusually high and, therefore, the proteolysis reactions stay active when in the other Iberian ham producing areas they have already stopped. The prolongation of these types of proteolysis reactions means that an extraordinarily high amount of GLUTAMIC ACID is released in comparison with the other producing areas, which generates the extraordinary potential of some nuances (essential oil aromas, etc ), the UMAMI TASTE, which does not appear in hams cured outside this unique micro-climate.
In the Cellar, the hams finish off their final maturing stage where, given the specific micro-climate and micro-flora, they will have acquired an unmistakable aroma and bouquet, having spent at least a year in semi-darkness.
These are the basic keys to achieving products whose quality is, without a doubt, an unequalled gastronomic luxury.