after smoking ham storage.

[don24]

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.

[beefmann]

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

[Tenpoint5]

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.

[don24]

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.

[Habanero Smoker]

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.