One of the foods most used for its softness and versatility for breakfast, snacks and dinner is York ham or cooked ham. It’s freshly cut flavor and its nutritional value make it a perfect sausage for both children and adults. In addition, its amount of carbohydrates is quite low and it has a lot of protein, ideal for bone development. It also has a recommended amount of iron for people who tend to have low levels or have anemia.
However, one of the disadvantages that we can find in this food is that it is one of the most difficult to keep fresh. If we buy it freshly cut in the supermarket, it will only last a few days and it will develop a strong odor and stifle. For this reason, we must take into account how to preserve the York or cooked ham
Essential tricks to extend the life of cooked ham
You already know, ham is by no means an eternal food. In fact, it is one of the stiffs that last the least. If we achieve optimal storage conditions, we can extend its life in the fridge for about 4 or 5 days, so let’s try it! Here are some tricks to enjoy ham for more days:
Vacuum pack it
Instead of buying the packages that are already made, with the corresponding preservatives they have, in many delicatessens they cut the York ham at the moment and give you the possibility of vacuum-packing it. In this way, you will take this food freshly cut and it will last much longer if the idea is not to consume it that same day. Another option is that if you have a canner at home you can do it yourself. In the long run, it is possible that having this kitchen instrument will be profitable if you plan to pack more sausages.
Use a lunch box
Normally we tend to wrap the cold meat in the paper that they have provided us in the delicatessen, or even in silver paper. If you are going to do this practice, it is best to change the paper every two days, so you will be able to lengthen the York ham a little more because the humidity conditions that are maintained in these wrappers make it gain more and more flavor.
But if the idea of changing the paper from time to time does not convince you, you can also use an airtight lunch box. In this way you can enjoy cooked ham for many more days in perfect conditions for any of those delicious dishes that you can make with it.
Freeze it
Although we already know that frozen York ham will not taste the same as fresh, you should try putting it in the freezer because it really isn’t that bad. It is a perfect option if, for example, you are going on vacation and you still have this product at home but you don’t want to throw it away. If you freeze it, you can extend its conservation for as long as you want.
On the other hand, if you use it for snacks, you can directly freeze the entire sandwich (bread included) by putting it in a labeled plastic bag. You will only have to take it out a few hours before and let it thaw at room temperature.
How to get the most out of York ham
- Cooked ham is one of the foods that spoils the fastest, as we said at the beginning. However, if it starts to have a kind of stifle and a very characteristic smell, do not think that it is completely spoiled and that, therefore, you should throw it away. There are still ways to take advantage of its flavor: you can grill it in a pan and accompany it with peppers, pineapple or any other complement that you like. And you will have a delicious dinner!
- In any case, you should keep in mind that York or cooked ham is better to eat fresh to enjoy each and every one of its properties. Therefore, if possible, we recommend that you buy less to avoid throwing it away, and go to the butcher or supermarket more frequently. Remember that freshly cut you will enjoy its flavor more.