Ham bone shelf life

[carianna-in-wa]

Hey all. I've had the leftover ham and the bone in my fridge for like 3 weeks or so. I forgot about it - oops. I pulled it out today and smelled it and it smells like ham. No whiff of anything off at all.

Risk it in a soup? Toss it? I usually err on the side of caution - but ham is cured, so I'm thinking maybe its shelf life is actually longer than recommended by "official" sources?

 

[carianna-in-wa]

I want to make the soup right now if it's okay - so any immediate feedback would be awesome! smileys/smile.gif

 

[lisainla]

Cured and cooked actually has a shorter shelf life than uncooked or uncured.

3 - 5 days is the refrigerated storage recommendation for a cured and cooked by the consumer ham.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Ham/index.asp#10

 

[michael-in-phoenix]

Since ham is salt-cured it usually has a decent shelf life in the fridge.

3 weeks? That's pushing it, if you ask me.

But what are you really risking? I mean, when I make soup with a ham bone, I start it simmering in water first. Once I have a decent broth, I strain out the bone and any solids and continue with the beans and veggies.

I think if you simmer the bone in some water and see what you get, you would have a pretty good idea if it were viable, and all you've risked is a gallon of water and some time simmering.

Michael

 

[michael-in-phoenix]

Wow. That seems really conservative! 3 to 5 days? A big ham is likely...

...to sit cold in my fridge for at least 6 to 7 days before I make soup. I've never killed anyone.

Michael

 

[carianna-in-wa]

I'm going for it. I think I'll call it "Death by Ham Soup"

 

[carianna-in-wa]

I guess what I don't get is why it's perfectly okay to hang and cure for months on end, and then

become completely non-viable 3-5 days after it transfers to my fridge.

 

[lisainla]

Unless it was a "country ham", it was not likely cured by the hanging/drying method.

Country Hams are usually uncut pieces, and through the curing process are what you might say "sealed" in from contamination.

Once cooked and cut, the pathogens/bacteria/etc will enter the meat.

Will it definitely be off in 3 or 7 or even 10 days in the fridge? Maybe not - but the recommendations by the USDA would have to be in the conservative side.

 

[lisainla]

Will it definitely be off in 3 or 7 or even 10 days in the fridge? Maybe not, assuming it was

handled properly after cooking - cut into smaller chunks and cooled quickly enough to slow the action of the bacteria, etc that proliferate when cooking and cutting.

I would imagine the USDA recommendations would tend to be on the conservative side.

 

[michael-in-phoenix]

Thanks for the info, Lisa. I should probably watch my habits a bit more closely.