When a piece of meat is salted, at least two things happen: Moisture is drawn out of the meat, and salt penetrates into it. At first, only the outside of the meat will be salty. In time, the salt will penetrate deeper and deeper into the meat, tending to equalize the salt content. Salt equalization in a large ham may require 2 months, which includes a curing period of about 40 days and a salt equalization period of about 20 days. Salt equalization is a very important step in curing country hams.