How long does ham last?
Ham keeps for 6 to 9 months in the fridge. Freezing ham, canned (“keep refrigerated” label), is not recommended; fully cooked, bone-in, whole keeps up to 1 to 2 months in the freezer. USDA lists 20 kinds of ham; the first is shown here and all are in the table below.
canned (“keep refrigerated” label)
No guideline
6 to 9 months
from the package date
Not recommended
All kinds of ham, side by side
| Kind | Pantry | Fridge | After opening | Freezer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| canned (“keep refrigerated” label) | no guideline | 6 to 9 months | no guideline | Not recommended |
| fully cooked, bone-in, whole | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| fully cooked, bone-in, half | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| fully cooked, slices, half, or spiral cut | no guideline | 3 to 4 days | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| fully cooked, arm picnic shoulder, boneless | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| fully cooked, canned, boneless (refrigerated) | no guideline | 6 to 9 months | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months |
| fully cooked, vacuum packed, boneless | no guideline | 2 weeks | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| fresh, cook-before-eating, bone-in, whole | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| fresh, cook-before-eating, bone-in, half | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| fresh, cook-before-eating, shank or butt portion, bone-in | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| fresh, cook-before-eating, arm picnic shoulder, boneless | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| fresh, cook-before-eating, shoulder roll (butt), boneless | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| fresh, uncooked, whole leg, bone-in | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| fresh, uncooked, whole leg, boneless | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| fresh, uncooked, half leg, bone-in | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| country ham (whole or half) | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| shelf-stable cans | 6 to 9 months | no guideline | 5 to 14 days | no guideline |
| pre-packaged, luncheon/deli meat | no guideline | 2 weeks | 3 to 5 days | Not recommended |
| uncured, fresh, cooked | no guideline | 3 to 4 days | no guideline | 3 to 4 months |
| uncured, fresh, uncooked | no guideline | 3 to 5 days | no guideline | 6 months |
No guideline: USDA gives no time for that place, usually because the food is not stored that way.
- pre-packaged, luncheon/deli meat: Freezing not recommended.
How to tell ham has gone bad
- Cooked ham that has spoiled smells sour or off and feels slimy or sticky. Throw it out, whether it is a whole ham or deli slices.
- Mould on a dry-cured country ham is normal and USDA says not to discard the ham. Wash it with hot water and scrub the mould off with a stiff vegetable brush before cooking.
- Mould on any other ham, including cooked ham and sliced ham, is a reason to throw the whole piece out. USDA lists lunch meats among the foods that cannot be trimmed.
- Spiral cut ham and leftovers from a cooked ham keep 3 to 5 days in the fridge; an opened pack of deli ham 3 to 5 days. Unopened vacuum packed ham keeps to its use-by date.
Sources: Hams and Food Safety (USDA FSIS); Ask FSIS: mold on a country ham; Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous? (USDA FSIS). The times on this page are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
Storage habits that make the difference
Refrigerate opened bacon, ham, sausage and hot dogs in their original packaging or a sealed container, and use within about a week. Freeze anything you will not use in time; vacuum-sealed cuts freeze especially well. Keep these products toward the back of the fridge, where the temperature is steadiest.
More in meat: smoked or processed
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). Times assume a fridge at 40 F (4 C) and a freezer at 0 F (-18 C). How we decode the data.