first of all "hey you guys" ive been gone a while and starting back up. ok want to cure and smoke a ham and I know that resting for at least a week is best. how long can a smoked and cured ham be stored. I've got next week off and its gonna be my only real chance for the long smoke needed for a ham and would like to get my Christmas ham done if I wont be a problem.
hey Don,
go ahead and cure your ham for 7 days, if you can use a wet cure for 7 days, then slice and vac seal it all .. then just a reheat,,, Now id you can vac seal it whole with out cutting it great,
i have cured, smoked and sealed ham, Canadian bacon,. pastrami for up to 6 months with no problems..
wet cure :
1/2 gal apple cider
1/2 gal water
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 - 1 cup brown sugar
3 oz insta cure # 1 ( by weight not volume )4 tbsp onion powder
4 tbsp garlic powder
3 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp ground cloves
mix together let set, remove foam... mix again, let set and remove foam... prep pork ham shank or boston shoulder, , then back to cure remove any foam and mix again,,, place meat into Tupperware container or bucket pour mix one last time ( very important here .. some of the seasonings will sink to the bottom ) and pour over the meat... place into fridge and let stand 24 hours,,, then once a day rotate top to bottom
rub ( optional )
2 1/2 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
2 1/2 tbsp ground mustard
can double for larger cuts
good luck
If you planning on reheating the whole ham in the oven. Then you can pull the ham out of the smoker at 145, since you'll be heating to 152-155 before serving. If your planning on slicing and serving as cold sandwiches then wait to pull until 152.
I don't have a vacseal machine (looks like I should). after smoking it gets wrapped in many layers of plastic wrap. what would you say is the longest it can stay that way.
The current USDA recommended internal temperature for a fully cooked/smoked cured ham is 145°F. The lasted USDA reheating instruction for fully cooked cured hams is to reheat at 325°F to an internal temperature of 140°F; though they add this temperatures is recommended for USDA inspected hams.
For storage, to have the maximum amount of safety, it shouldn't be stored no longer than 7 days in the refrigerator, but I have gone two weeks. After that time it should be moved to the freezer.
For large cuts of meat injecting the ham with 10% brine/cure is recommended, and helps speed up the curing process.
Using a plastic wrap will work, but you should add a layer of foil on the outside that helps keep the plastic wrap from loosening, and as air tight as possible. It can be stored for about 6 months in the freezer.