Yes, but for some strange reason, it doesn't taste the same when it isn't pink! Unfortunately, I don't have the facilities for smoking it, or I would certainly do so. People have been eating saltpetred ham for generations and a lot of them managed to survive. I still tend to subscribe to the belief that if you avoided eating everything that has possible carcinogenic properties, you'd starve to death.

Some people ahve mentioned potassium nitrate and others sodium nitrate. Which is it?

Bobad, I found my meat press in an antiquey junkie sort of shop.It's possibly Edwardian and they were certainly used in Victorian kitchens. It's a galvanized can with no bottom, but a ridge around the bottom which holds the perforated galv. disc which sits inside. You put the ham on top then another disc on top of that then there is a screw in the top which you tighten to press the top disc down, squeezing the ham. Any water is drained out of the bottom. You can put it in a bowl with a plate on top and weight the plate down, though you then have to drain off any liquid from the bowl occasionally.

Love Lynne