How to store a whole spanish ham?

[crostonian]

A friend of mine has just brought me back from Spain a whole Serano style ham on the bone. The problem is I've no idea of the best way to store it. I have no garage or outhouse, my utilty room has a condensor tumble drier in it so isn't the driest of places and my fridge isn't big enough. The rest of the house probably isn't cool enough. Any suggestions apart from having it for breakfast, lunch and tea for the next week!

[anonymous-user]

I can store it for you!

I am interested in the replies as im tempted to buy a whole Jamon Iberico

[Baryonyx]

I would store it as they do, in the open air in a cool room. If you don't have something like this, you're probably going to have to butcher it and keep it in the fridge.

Putting it near a source of moisture will ruin it, and if it gets wet enough it will perish.

[Mobile Chicane]

I'd slice / dice as much as you can and freeze it.

If not, cover it with a pillowcase and hang it in, say, a covered porch.

It's quite cool at the moment, and provided you can keep it dry you 'should' be ok.

[crostonian]

Yes, think my dads garage covered in a pillow case may be the best bet.

With regard to freezing - could I cut it into say 4 or 5 sections and freeze it or would I be ruining the texture/flavour?

[dazco]

Are you eating it now, or starting to?

The Spanish just put them on the bar and cover the cut bit with a tea towel.

I had one once, I love it but by Christ did I get fed up of it. I did not have a stand for it and it became a right pain in butt to cut.

[sleep envy]

The best you can do (and I know this is sacrilege) if to cut it into quarters and get it vac-packed, you can then leave it in the fridge. Putting it into a fridge without sealing it will ruin it within weeks.

[sleep envy]

crostonian said:

Yes, think my dads garage covered in a pillow case may be the best bet.

With regard to freezing - could I cut it into say 4 or 5 sections and freeze it or would I be ruining the texture/flavour?

If you are going to hang it, don't cover it - the fabric will attract moisture and it will rot. Hams should be hung with nothing touching them.

Don't freeze it whatever you do - you'll ruin it.

[anonymous-user]

sleep envy said:

If you are going to hang it, don't cover it - the fabric will attract moisture and it will rot. Hams should be hung with nothing touching them.

Don't freeze it whatever you do - you'll ruin it.

would a fly sheet or mozi net work if it wasnt touching (done that with game)? Any ideas on the best temperature and humidity level?

[sleep envy]

MonkeyMatt said:

would a fly sheet or mozi net work if it wasnt touching (done that with game)? Any ideas on the best temperature and humidity level?

there's nothing to stop you (as long as the fabric doesn't touch the ham) but in my experience you don't really need to cover them as they're cured, game is slightly different as it will attract flies seeing as they game is still raw

I'd be very wary of storing both recently shot game anywhere near hams though - you may attract things you don't want, I've lost a few pheasants along the way

in terms of actual figures for temp and humidity, I've no idea as I've never measured it however as dry, cool and dark as you can - I store mine in a garage which a half undercroft, if they dry out a little too much a few days before I want to eat it I wrap the ham in a teatowel, place it in a baking tray and pour a glass of good red wine over it, making sure it doesn't sit in the wine - it will bring back some moisture to the salame (don't do this with prosciutto though)

I've helped my grandfather make hams (felino, prosciutto, coppa and pancetta), he didn't use much science however his wine cellar was freezing cold even in mid 30's heat in Italy and he didn't regulate the humidity - they were the best I've ever tasted

[Mobile Chicane]

I'd cover it somewhere dry to keep the flies off (hence the pillowcase suggestion), but I think the northern european climate is too damp to air-dry meat, or preserve it.

There's a reason northern european cured meats are boiled / smoked, whereas southern european (or alpine) meats are air-dried.

In all honesty I'd slice / chop and freeze it in useable portions. You don't want to defrost a whole chunk, cut a bit off, then have to re-freeze it.

Eat it within a year or so. The fatty element will go rancid even if frozen.

[GCH]

Did he bring you serrano(white foot) or iberico (black foot)? There is a bit of a difference but they are both superb.

They keep just fine- they are aged for up to 5yrs after all- provided they are covered. Most (proper) tapas places store it by putting some of the fat back on top of where you have been slicing it and then sometimes covering it with cling film or a tea towel. Thats it really, as they do last and dont need much special treatment.
If you do slice it all as you havent got the space (and there is an art to slicing it properly) then get it vacuum packed and they will keep a while in the fridge.

Dont eat it cold though- leave it to warm to room temperature for about 20 or 30mins before eating or it will taste awful.

By the way, the fat itself is amazing for roast potatoes.

Mobile Chicane said:

I'd slice / dice as much as you can and freeze it.

Will ruin it completely.

Edited by GCH on Sunday 15th April 23:42

[Pothole]

GIYF as usual, perhaps?

http://www.proper-spanish-tapas.com/storing-serran...

[Mobile Chicane]

GCH said:

Did he bring you serrano(white foot) or iberico (black foot)? There is a bit of a difference but they are both superb.

They keep just fine- they are aged for up to 5yrs after all- provided they are covered. Most (proper) tapas places store it by putting some of the fat back on top of where you have been slicing it and then sometimes covering it with cling film or a tea towel. Thats it really, as they do last and dont need much special treatment.
If you do slice it all as you havent got the space (and there is an art to slicing it properly) then get it vacuum packed and they will keep a while in the fridge.

Dont eat it cold though- leave it to warm to room temperature for about 20 or 30mins before eating or it will taste awful.

By the way, the fat itself is amazing for roast potatoes.

Mobile Chicane said:

I'd slice / dice as much as you can and freeze it.

Will ruin it completely.

'They keep just fine' - where? Perhaps in southern Andalusia. In damp Britain I don't think so...

[21TonyK]

I had one last summer, kept it on a stand on the side in the kitchen. Lasted about a month that way, odd bit of mold towards the end but that can be cut off like cheese. If it's easily accessible with a knife next to it it won't last more than a month.

[redtwin]

I was trying to imagine how large a ham could possibly be to last more than a couple weeks in my house but I failed.

[Bill]

Mobile Chicane said:

'They keep just fine' - where? Perhaps in southern Andalusia. In damp Britain I don't think so...

I've cured a couple here (in Bristol, so not even the driest part of the country) before. You need to keep it covered when you initially hang it but once cured it's fine uncovered somewhere cool and ideally draughty.

[Melman Giraffe]

Mobile Chicane said:

I'd slice / dice as much as you can and freeze it.

.

This^^^

If you don't it WILL dry out and be ruined. You have been warned!!

[ScoobyDood]

Melman Giraffe said:

Mobile Chicane said:

I'd slice / dice as much as you can and freeze it.

.

This^^^

If you don't it WILL dry out and be ruined. You have been warned!!

Don't agree, Had one from my brother back in September and kept it hanging in the garage - Finished it 2 weeks ago. If you have no garage/outbuildoing then slice & Freeze - Keep the fatty bits for cooking with (or making stock)

[dazco]

Eat the fat