How Long Will Ham Keep in the Fridge?

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Ham is one of those seductive dishes that we can’t get enough of. After all, there is no such thing as a bad moment to eat ham.

While huge hams are intended for the holidays, deli meat may be used to create sandwiches for lunch or picnics.

Nobody wants their ham to go bad, particularly if you’re in charge of the Christmas meal this year.

Knowing how long your ham lasts in the fridge is the only way to keep it from rotting.

Types of Ham

Before you go shopping, you should select what kind of ham you want to buy.

Understanding what kind of ham you have can help you estimate how long it will keep in the fridge.

Fresh Hams

The hind leg is used to make new hams. Fresh hams are neither smoked or cured.

Fresh hams have a delicate pink hue and a taste similar to pork roast.

Fresh hams are frequently too large to eat in one sitting. Fortunately, you can freeze the cooked ham.

If you have a desire, thaw the ham in the refrigerator overnight.

Dry-cured Ham

Dry-cured hams, commonly known as country hams, are made from the animal’s hind leg.

Dry-cured hams are preserved without the use of water.

This ham is cured with a mixture of sugar spices such pickling spice, salt, and phosphates.

Dry-cured hams, like dry-aged steaks, may be hung to dry for months or even a year. The drying procedure permits the ham to further dehydrate.

As a consequence, the cured ham has a large, powerful taste.

Wet-cured Hams

Wet-cured hams, as you would expect, are the polar opposite of dry-cured hams.

Nitrates, salt, liquid smoke, sugar, spices, and honey are used to preserve wet-cured hams.

When the hams are submerged in the brining solution, they must be cooked.

Wet-cured hams, as opposed to dry-cured hams, are made in a matter of days. As a result, they are mass-produced and quite simple to find.

The taste of wet-cured ham is not as strong as that of dry-cured ham. They are, nonetheless, juicy and have a faint sweet taste.

Smoked Hams

You may smoke your own ham at home, or you can buy smoked ham. The ham must be wet or dry-cured before it can be smoked.

Smoked hams are darker in color than unsmoked hams. They’re often smoked using hardwoods like hickory or maple.

Smoking ham helps to cure it even more by removing extra moisture. As a result, smoked hams keep longer than fresh or cured hams.

How To Store Ham

The way the ham is kept affects both its taste and how long it will remain in the fridge. If you do not properly store your ham, it will deteriorate quicker.

How To Store Ham in the Fridge

To put your ham in the fridge, grab a big tea towel or a fresh pillowcase large enough to cover the whole ham.

2 teaspoons of white vinegar with 4 cups of water. Combine 2 and 1

Soak the tea towel or pillowcase in the vinegar mixture until it is completely saturated.

Take the tea towel or pillowcase and squeeze out the moisture until it no longer drips.

Put the ham in the pillowcase or tea towel. If you’re using a tea towel, don’t wrap it too tightly around the ham.

There must be adequate space around the ham for air to flow.

Check that your refrigerator is at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the ham in the refrigerator’s coldest region.

The rear portion of the refrigerator is generally the coolest.

Place the ham away from ready-to-eat meals.

Any moisture produced by the ham might infect other goods in your refrigerator.

Continue these instructions every three days to keep the tea towel or pillowcase from drying out.

When you’re ready to serve your ham, shave off the quantity you need, then wrap it up and store it in the fridge.

Never leave your ham out for more than 2 hours at room temperature. This will inhibit the development of microorganisms.

How To Store Ham in the Freezer

It’s debatable if ham can be frozen without losing its texture or taste.

Hams, on the other hand, may preserve their texture and taste if frozen properly and used promptly.

If you do not plan to cook the ham, put it in the freezer as soon as you get home. Keep in mind that the faster you freeze the ham, the better.

The ham should be stored in its original package. If the ham’s packaging has been tampered with, wrap it firmly in plastic wrap or heavy-duty aluminum foil.

It may be preferable to double wrap the ham to prevent it from drying out.

If the ham has been opened, place it in a freezer-safe airtight container or ziplock bag.

To make it simpler to freeze, chop the ham into smaller pieces.

Put the ham in the bottom bin of the freezer to freeze as quickly as possible.

In fact, it may be advisable to keep the ham in a deep freezer rather than the freezer of your refrigerator.

Your refrigerator’s freezer may have an unpredictable temperature, prolonging the freezing process.

How Long Does Ham Last in the Fridge

Finally, how the ham was prepared and stored will determine how long it will last in the fridge.

A cooked ham may be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days. If the ham is cured, it may only be good for 3-4 days.

If you buy a cooked ham, it will keep in the fridge for up to a week if unopened.

By freezing it for 1-2 months, you may extend the shelf life of ham.

Final Thoughts

Hams are so enticing that you can’t help but buy one when they’re on sale.

Nevertheless, before you put that ham in your shopping basket, you need know how long it will keep in the fridge.

You may also be interested in the following:

How Long Will Chicken Keep In The Fridge?
How Long Will Turkey Keep In The Fridge?
How Long Can Ground Turkey Be Stored In The Fridge?
How Long Will Pork Keep In The Fridge?
How Long Will Bacon Last In The Fridge?
How Long Will Sausage Keep In The Fridge?
How Long Will Hot Dogs Last In The Fridge?

FAQs

Can I eat ham after 10 days?

Fully cooked hams may be eaten cold or warmed to an internal temperature of 140°F. Refrigerate both plastic-wrapped and vacuum-packaged hams. A plastic-wrapped ham will last for approximately a week. A vacuum-packaged ham should be eaten within 1 week of the “sell by” date or before the “use by” date.

Does ham go bad in the refrigerator?

Most ham will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.

After 5 days, trash your ham since it has gone rotten. A whole ham will keep in the fridge for about a week. Prosciutto, dry Italian ham, Spanish ham, and Serrano ham may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 months.

How can you tell if ham is spoiled?

A dull, slimy meat and a foul odor are two prominent characteristics of poor ham. When the ham has ruined, the pink flesh will begin to become grey.

How long does Christmas ham last in the fridge?

Ham leftovers

If you make a huge ham, you will almost certainly have plenty of leftovers. Use these tips and methods to ensure you treat them appropriately. The ham will keep for approximately two weeks after being opened. Ham may be frozen for up to four weeks.

Can 7 day old ham be eaten?

When Is It Time to Toss Out Ham? If your ham has been in the fridge for more than five days after it was opened, or in the freezer for more than six months, it is advisable to discard it. Ham that has been exposed to temperatures exceeding 40°F should likewise be discarded.

Is cooked ham good after 7 days?

Information. Refrigerate spiral-cut hams and leftovers from consumer-cooked hams for three to five days or freeze for one to two months. Maintain your refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or less, and your freezer at or near 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

How long is a fully cooked ham good for?

According to the site, spiral hams that have been opened and cooked at home will keep fresh in the refrigerator for three to five days, while country ham will survive for up to a week.

How long does cold cut ham last in fridge?

Before opening, keep packaged lunch meats in the refrigerator for two weeks. After opening a box of lunch meats or purchasing sliced lunch meats from a deli, you may store them in the refrigerator for three to five days.

How long will a honey baked ham last in the refrigerator?

If you prefer to refrigerate your items, Honey Baked Ham may be kept in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days and Honey Baked Turkey Breast for 5 to 7 days.

Can old ham make you sick?

As deli meat spoils, it becomes a breeding ground for germs. As a result, if you or your kid consume outdated deli meat, you may get serious food poisoning. Nausea, stomach pains, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever are all possible symptoms.