How to store ham

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.