Serrano ham is an exquisite and delicious product from Spain which cannot be missing from our table. There are a thousand types and, of course, a fairly wide price range for all kinds of pockets.
If you are such a fan of Serrano ham like us, you will surely be interested in learning how to preserve it to enjoy its full flavor for as long as it lasts in the ham holder at home (which we suspect will not be long): P
You have come to the right place! In this article, we give you the keys to preserve Serrano ham (whether you have already started it or it is still waiting for you to hit the first cut). By applying these tricks you can always be sure that, when you go to consume it, it will continue with the same flavor and freshness as the first day.
The best way to preserve Serrano ham (if you haven’t started it yet)
- It is possible that your ham is in a vacuum pack that you have not opened yet or that you have a shoulder and you have not yet started to cut it. If so, you should know that the ham can last two months or even a little longer completely intact and without losing its properties.
- If your case is that of the shoulder, it is best to leave it in the original packaging (if this is a cloth that allows the ham to breathe) and, in both cases, keep it in a cool and dry place (such as a pantry), not exposed in the sun and not in the cold of a fridge.
- If the shoulder comes packaged in plastic, you should remove the wrapper and let the piece breathe in the open air. In this way, you will prevent it from suffering alterations in its properties. You should also take into account that ham is very susceptible to changes in temperature, so if you have it in the kitchen, keep it away from any possible source of heat.
Tricks to preserve Serrano ham (if you have already started it)
- If, on the contrary, you have already started your shoulder, we also have some recommendations so that you can preserve it properly. On the one hand, keep it in a ham holder at room temperature, out of the sun and place several cotton cloths on top when you go to stop eating (they could be the original cloths that the ham itself came with). Although hams do not have an expiration date, it is true that they dry out and become salty over time.
- Therefore, a very good way to keep it as it was on the first day is, without a doubt, to save the bacon that we removed in the first parts. If when you start the ham you save those first layers of fat and after cutting it each time, you put them back on top “as a lid” to finish wrapping it with the cloths that we have mentioned, the ham will not be exposed to the air and it will be preserved for much longer in its original state. Likewise, you should not cut the bacon excessively as it is a way to preserve the ham, it acts as a protector of its meat.
- If you are going to use the ham in less than two days, that is, you are going to cut another bit in a few hours or the next day, you can also choose to cover it (instead of with cotton cloths) with a layer of transparent film paper This trick is not recommended if you don’t cut and eat the ham often since, by leaving it for several days, it can very easily cause mold.
- Another thing that you should keep in mind is that specialized ham makers recommend eating a ham in less than a month. From 16 to 25 days specifically. If you think that this is not possible, you can have a part sliced to continue having a ham with all its properties that (this one) can easily last several months.
- On the other hand, if you do not have a shoulder, but you have Serrano ham stored in vacuum plastic containers that you have already opened, you can also follow the steps that we have previously recommended. That is to say: choose a place at room temperature to keep the ham (if you put it in the fridge it will lose all its flavor), wrap it well in film so that it does not dry out in the air and do not leave it in the sun.
- And ready! Now you know how to preserve Serrano ham so that it maintains all its properties whenever you eat it. You only have to enjoy it while you continue reading all our cooking tricks. There will be nothing that resists you!