Tennessee Cured Ham 

I grew up in Nashville & I can remember one of my dad's favorite things was to go to Rice's Country Hams & get a ham for Christmas. One year he went and was talking to Mr. Rice. The subject got on politics & Mr. Rice started telling my dad how difficult the government had made it for him to sell hams. He told my dad that he had been preserving hams for years and years and knew a whole lot more than these government people. Then he gave my dad a tour of the place including the smokehouse.

Some fried country ham, fresh baked homemade biscuits, and some syrup, honey, jelly, or jam. Yum, yum breakfast fit for a king!

I admire people like Mr. Rice that have made a business, struggled through all the changes and still kept their business alive. For me they represent what the United States was.In a world where it seems everyone wants the fastest, the cheapest & unfortunately are comfortable with the inferior quality, keeping a traditional business alive is an outstanding achievement. Mr. Rice & others like him are the true heroes in America. Playing with balls for millions of dollars does not make a hero.

A real man with a real family. A+ 100% great people

I've eaten Rice country ham before and it's the best I've ever tasted and at age 67 I've eaten a lot of country ham!

Man, this guy is awesome. So much heart, and a tradition worth preserving. Shame Virginia peanut hams don’t really exist anymore, but hope this is still around for a few more generations.

We bought our first Rices' Country Ham in 1958. Since then we've had at least one ham every year we could get them. My Dad was in the military. and when in the area, we visited the store and had a tour of his smokehouse. We've had hams shipped (sliced or whole) to Newfoundland, Hawaii, Japan, and many places in between. Excellent taste, service, and memories. We're carrying on the tradition for our children! I highly recommend you order one and start a generational tradition for your family.

Priceless knowledge..... DON'T STOP...... PLEASE CONTINUE!...

What an interesting man, so cool the way he wants to pass on his business and knowledge to the younger generation,

Best country ham you will ever eat. This family knows what they are doing. Not everyone can cure a ham. If you haven't tried one you don't know what your missing.

Great video , thank God for the wonderful people of the south preserving our heritage , the old ways the good ways .

when I grew up my dad killed hogs and we salted and cured are ham just like Mr. Rice. I buy one ever year and they are great.

Great video, such a wonderful man he knows what he's doing and the number 1 thing is customer satisfaction. I watched my Grandfather cure his hams and bacon and his wonderful stuffed sausages. The aroma from his smoke house that smell from the hickory he used was so great it would make you hungry. After we had fed his hogs in the morning and took care of his cows my Grandmother would have breakfast ready, she made biscuits every meal and I have never tasted any biscuit that came close to the biscuit she made, the only other biscuit that could come close was made by my Father who had watched her make biscuits for years. I love those memories so simple but so precious.

Great video! Loved listening to that knowledge & experience. Great values too! Thank you for the knowkedge you are passing along.

Great to see strong traditions maintained (just ordered a whole sliced ham online, really looking forward to it).

I could listen to him all day, what a great man,

I am a native of Mt Juliet. My grandfather and grandmother had a grocery in Mt Juliet proper around the same time. When my grandfather didn’t cure a ham himself, we always had Ed Rice hams and they were always great. As an aside, I have lived in Ohio these past 14 years. When I tell the people here that we Tennesseans eat ham rather than turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas, they turn up their noses and ask why. I tell them “because we can”. ;).

Bless your family: Tennessee is a hard place to be in any business.

Bravo to you Mr Rice. I"m sure your hams are WONDERFUL. I wish I lived closer by so I could buy some from you.

Love that country ham

Could listen to this old guy talk all day!

Thanks for sharing this. On a point of history however: Salting and hanging hams, curing both wet and dry and smoking both cold and hot, were all common in Europe and would have been well known to the pilgrim fathers and all the early colonisers. The Romans even cured hams.

I grew up in East Tennessee, I absolutely Love Cured Ham. I also love Aged Beef.

Man that’s some good eating right there love me some ham

Thank you for your "Perspective" It is VERY good...

my family made country hams sausage liver pudding and scrapple, my grandma taught me all the recipes. its sad most kids today would starve to death if something were to happen glad you keeping these traditions alive

I've searched everywhere I could find and did not find a ham prepared this manner. My family was from Arkansas and my uncle always had two building, one for curing and one for smokin the meat. It is now October and I'm going to try and reach them and order one for Christmas. I was so excited to hear him tell how his ham's are prepared. Brings back wonderful memories of the delicious hams we always had as I grew up as a child. I haven't even tried in other hams except for a Smithfield ham, in years, which it was no better than a cheap ham in the stores. So I just stopped purchasing hams years ago. Please, please continue to sell these hams. Linda from texas.

Great hams,. Nice people, nice store.. I've bought their hams and kept and let them hang another year.. makes it a little more firm, my preference.. I smoke and cure my own the same way.. nice to see these traditions kept on..

I live in Tennessee and love good country ham. Rice Country Ham is some of the best in the state. My granddad use to cure a ham or two every once in a while. But even he would admit his cured hams couldn't beat a Rice Country Ham. I'm going to be in Nashville in a few days. I may have to go get me one of their hams.

Nothing but respect from Maine. Your the best.

my father did this for 40 years in Lebanon Tennessee for tucker sausage company , long gone now he was the ham and sausage guru

awesome it looks so bloody good yum

Very nice vid,thank you and Happy Easter to you and yours from Texas.:):):):)

Great video, love a good, honest, USA, country ham. You folks make me proud to be an American. HAM ON!

I have a fresh ham in my freezer from some pigs my friend raised. I'm going to this technique. Can't wait.

I have eaten this ham back 40 years ago! Man it was sooooo good...

Appreciate the work and knowledge that goes into the process! I would like to do my own but to old to start now.

when it comes to preparing hogs for eating, the Southern United States, kicks everyone else's ass! these folks know what to do with a pig, there is another video uploaded on youtube, which shows the entire process, from slaughter to the dinner table, highly informative and entertaining!

This is great I'm from northeast Bama I'll be heading up to get one .

Most interesting. Thanks

Great dedication and detail orientation. Traditionally cured country ham is akin (in my opinion) to the great cured hams of Europe like jamon, culatella, or procuitto de Parma.

I have been wet curing hams for years but I can't figure out how to do country hams yet. Still looking but this might just be my start- thanks.

God Bless America!!!! The old way is not necessarily a bad way........ We need to go back to our "Roots". Peace y'all

The 'beach' story makes for good crack with the tourists. The pilgrims were making salt from salt water the day they arrived. They 'cured' pretty much everything they shot/caught/harvested.

I'd love to try that ham

can't wait to build a smokehouse!

My grandpa would cure/ smoke his for 2 years , it was worth the wait

I approve this message.

I am building a good but modest smoke house. Trying to learn as much as possible about cold smoking. I would love to visit his store.

I talked my company into buying Rice's Country Hams for our top 25 customers one Christmas. I wanted to be the one to pick them up and meet Mr. Rice since my dad had met him several times. Unfortunately our regional manager came in that day and, never missing an opportunity to look as if he was actually doing something, he went & picked them up. I have got to go this year no matter what. I lost my job but I'll save enough for a Rice's Ham hopefully by Christmas time.

excellent keep it up

You are quite a wise man for having your priorities straight., seems to me. Seems as though your Daddy laid down a good path to follow, and you, like him.

I would like to work here....for now i will try this myself....until i can buy one of these next time im down that wat way from PA

I love Mr Ed Rice and how his family are following their tradition. THe difference between his ham and factory made ham is that big factory manufacturers are using sodium nitrates that are carcinogenic and Mr Rice's hams are natural, safe and taste great. Mr Rice and his family just use salt and time, at least 12 months. I hope they keep going so that people know the different between real food and fake poisonous stuff they are calling food, and it's not.

Pilgrims had salted hams on the voyage over; the entire age of sail was run on ham and salted pork.

1955: God still bestows his blessings upon America.

@bottomlands agreed, Europeans have been salt curing meat for generations prior to the discovery of the New World. Us Spaniards have been salt curing our hams in mountains since the time of the Romans.

HOW can you be around ALL THE GREATNESS...and NOT...TEAR IT UP!?? LOL There is NO WAY I could WAIT a WHOLE YEAR!!

Just found Rice. Also, just found out he passed away on August 26, 2020. He had a good run! Rest easy old timer...

a good ham keeps until you've all eaten it.... My dad salted his own hams. He ate ham in the morning, at noon and sometimes also at night.

Making me hungry, and I've just eaten!

I lost a gold spoon fishing lure down at San Luis pass and found it two years later with a 30 lb. Red Drum hanging on it . Top that Gramps!!!! LOL

I love my ham

Food is what we are used to. Im Portuguese and used to think that Portuguese or Iberic ham was the best now after been living in America for 28 years I have changed my mind. I just went back this summer and I thought it was way to salty.

Visit Tennessee. Have yourself some country ham, Jack Daniels and barbecue. Yum!

The hog is beautiful animal gift from God.

What's the difference between VA cure and TN cure? I live in WV but born in VA and love VA cured hams. Is there a difference between them?

actually Romans cured hams in salt... that's why prosciutto, Serrano ham, Iberico ham, capicola, and all Roman concurred, European nations did it. the pilgrims knew about dry curring from back home. it's not a new thing, it's very, very old

im a 3rd time buyer of these hams, and absolutlly the best ive ever had!

This family business is an apex of ham

I have to say of all the European hams The Spanish make by far the best - much better than the Italians even, and I have to say imho make by far the best hams in the world.

Blessed are the poor No man is poor in God!

And think about this too: it would not be out of the ordinary (at least in an old fashioned sense) for cantaloupe to be served with country ham at breakfast (although it most commonly accompanies biscuits and gravy), which is not unlike procuitto wrapped melon that is common for a light meal in Italy taken early in the day.

I bet it's some superb country ham. I'd love to try it. Is it sold online?? Local IGA country ham is so lame.

I THINK YOU DO THAT THE SAME WAY AS IN EUROPE. LOOKS TASTY.WE DID THAT AHOME AND WORKED THROUGH THE PROCES LIKE YOU DO. KEEPS ONLY TILL IT S ALL UP. HAHA.

How long do you smoke your hams?

Oh ya? My mother lost her wallet when she was fishing from a row boat on a lake near Banff Alberta. A full ten years later some one called her and told her they had hooked her wallet and b/c the ID was laminated they knew how to contact her. Beat that! LOL

Time to go HAM

Would make a great Ham Jello !!

Love country ham. I could eat it Daly .the art of making this good food will die soon .younger generation don't know what their missing .

I would so LOOOVE to cure hams and bacon and hang them up in my kitchen...........

To return to my Grandys day!

I wonder what very thinly sliced country ham, which if prepared properly would be safe to eat without frying, would be like wrapped around cantaloupe slices? I must try it ASAP!

How to avoid flees on the process ? Thanks

Where r u located in Tennessee. I’m from NE Alabama. I would love to get one. How much is one of the hams???

Where is this place located in Tennessee? How can a couple hams be bought?

Where can I buy it?

Where can I buy some of this ham

I am from Tennessee: So where can I purchase your product?

Is there a way to order one of these hams?

I'm curious how much would one of these hams cost?

How much for the hams?

it was Charlie Snead that broke in he's being held in the jail on Waltons mountain.

Can you use a ham bought from store to cure it with salt, or dose it have to be fresh killed???

do not judge'' the food by its cover''

can I order some ham from you, i’m from the N.W....

USA! USA!

You can contact Rice Country Hams and ask them how to do this. 12217 Lebanon Road Mount Juliet, TN 37122-2518 (615) 758-2362

@BOOSHBOYDOM shouldn't it be easier for you guys to get jamon iberico de bellota since you're a part of the EU? I've never been to England but everytime I order a ham online, I notice it's FAR MORE easier for a EU country to get a jamon compared to let's say...the US?

What a ham sail for a lb. ?