If montanera has a season, can acorn-fed ham only be bought during that season? The answer involves three different clocks: the animal’s time outdoors, the production process and the shop’s availability. This guide explains montanera and the information you still need when choosing a ham.
Montanera is an outdoor finishing stage using acorns and pasture. Its calendar is different from curing time and from a ham’s delivery schedule.
What happens during this stage
The animal uses outdoor resources during the relevant period: acorns and pasture are part of the montanera associated with the bellota designation. Tree cover, the year’s acorn supply and available land matter. This does not mean the pig ate only acorns throughout its entire life.
Which dates the standard distinguishes
Spain’s Iberian ham standard sets entry into montanera between 1 October and 15 December, and slaughter between 15 December and 31 March. These are separate animal-management windows. They do not mean every pig stays outdoors for that entire interval, and they do not replace the other requirements.
Jamones Paco Heredia for this article
Current selection from the related collection. Check format, weight and directions on each product page.
Jamones Paco Heredia
Current selection from the related collection. Check format, weight and directions on each product page.
View the collection →A different clock follows
After slaughter and preparation, the piece undergoes production and curing. You therefore cannot calculate a ham’s age or availability from the month of montanera alone. Nor does the number of curing months by itself demonstrate acorn feeding or a particular Iberian breed percentage.
The selection follows the Jamones Paco Heredia catalogue. Check the collection for current products and their details.
What to check before choosing
In the acorn-fed Iberian ham collection, check each product’s designation, stated Iberian percentage, format and weight. Shop availability and delivery are separate from the outdoor season. Source for the windows given here: Article 6 of Royal Decree 4/2014.