You don't need to live in Spain to be able to enjoy a good Spanish ham.
All the same, you do need to pay attention to a few simple pieces of advice to be able to get the full benefit of this exquisite product.
Does Spanish ham go bad?
A ham or a shoulder is a cured product. That means that thanks to an artisanal process, the raw meat has been converted into dried/cured meat.
The moment when the hams and shoulders arrive on the market is when they are at their optimal stage of curing.
When buying a ham, we don't need to be afraid that it will go bad. This is something that, except for on very rare occasions, does not happen.
What does happen is that the ham continues its natural drying process.
Once you start slicing it, a ham can be preserved without any problems for several weeks (or months) if it is stored properly.
Some advice from a Spanish grandma:
- Unwrap Serrano or Iberian ham, even though you won't cut it just yet.
- Store it in a cool dry place. The ideal temperature is around 18-23ºC.
- Do not store it in the refrigerator!
- Cover the exposed meat with some slices of the ham's own fat. Change the fat slices when they start to dry out or begin to turn a yellowish color.
- Cover the cut area with plastic wrap.
- Cover it with a cloth to protect it from light (delivered with our hams)
- Remove any mold formation with a cloth and some olive oil.
- Cut a few slices regularly (although we're sure that won't be a problem!).