Not So Fast With That Ham Sandwich! Here’s How Long Ham Really Lasts in the Fridge
Homes around the country celebrate Easter, Christmas and other holidays by making ham the star of the meal. In fact, Americans purchase over 300 million pounds of ham over the holidays. Ham is also popular for celebratory meals because of its versatility, says Chef Ann Eley , director of training at Famous Toastery. "You can pair ham with an array of sides and you can put many flavorings on ham from rubs to glazes and sauces on the side," she says.
Ham allows you to give guests options and enables everyone to be happy they can customize their plate for their palate. Ham is also “in season” for the Easter holiday and is typically readily available. (Turkeys have been more impacted by weather and bird viruses, which you don’t see today with swine, notes Eley).
But just how long does ham last in the fridge ? That answer can vary, so we turned to the experts to weigh in before you make your third ham sandwich of the week.
Facts About Buying Ham
- Hams are sold based on different criteria: you’ll find them bone-in, partially boned or boneless. Ham from the shank end of a hog is fattier. The butt end of the hog is easier to slice and leaner.
- Ham is sold fresh or cured. Cured hams are wet-cured or dry-cured. Wet-cured ham is brined, where it is soaked in a liquid-salt mixture. Then it’s soaked. A dry-cured ham is covered with salt. It’s stored until it absorbs the salt, which preserves it.
- Ham is fully cooked, partially cooked or uncooked. Fully cooked ham has been heated to 148° F internally. Partially cooked ham is at 137° F. If a ham is uncooked or partially cooked, it should be baked before serving. If it’s fully cooked, it needs to be heated.
How Long Does Ham Last in a Fridge?
"As a general guideline, your ham will last for five days," says Daniel Hlusak , culinary director at Titan Hospitality Group in Crofton, Maryland. "Thinly sliced deli ham tends to have a shorter shelf life (he says to check the packaging) and larger hams such as a picnic or spiral can last the full five days."
Be sure the ham is properly cooled at first, says Hlusak. If hot, the ham should be cooked, and uncovered until below 49° F before covering. The wrap or lid will insulate it.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Famous Toastery , the renowned better breakfast franchise known for its Famously Fresh and simple-scratch menu, is proud to announce a strong start to the second half of 2024 marked by newly-signed franchise agreements, an initial rollout of a fresh new aesthetic, and growing strategic partnerships. Forward Momentum for Franchise Growth Famous Toastery signaled a bold new step to expanding its regional footprint with a 5-unit deal in Raleigh, NC, signed by Anuj, Hina and Nisang Patel. This marks a pivotal milestone as Famous Toastery emerges as a brand optimal for multi-unit agreements due to its increasing demand and popularity in a myriad of communities. Furthering the brand's presence in the area, Famous Toastery also added its first franchise in Fuquay-Varina, NC with a signed agreement by Larry Terhune. Beyond this expansion in its home state, Famous Toastery is expecting strategic, nationwide growth to come to fruition by the end of 2024. "We are thrilled to bring the Famously Fresh flavors of Famous Toastery to new communities with these deals," said Mike Sebazco, President of Famous Toastery. "Expanding our Raleigh footprint and adding the Fuquay-Varina community to our Famous Toastery family while broadening our franchise offerings with multi-unit owners signals our positive momentum forward, and we are proud to have them represent our brand."
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This is the story of how a 24-unit regional breakfast-and-lunch chain with a marketing staff of two pulled off the title sponsorship of a nationally televised college bowl game … on six weeks’ notice. Stadium renovations forced the move of the 2023 Bahamas Bowl to Charlotte, N.C.—the home turf of Famous Toastery. The chain had recently inked a partnership with NASCAR driver (and 2021 Daytona 500 champ) Michael McDowell, who connected ESPN events with Famous Toastery, according to VP of Marketing Lorna Martinez. And, thus, the Famous Toastery Bowl, which took place on Dec. 18 between Western Kentucky University and Old Dominion University at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, was born, complete with toast mascot racing at half time, the chain’s first TV ad, and WKU’s victory celebration that featured players with fistfuls of toast, making “toast angels” on the field and throwing slices of bread into the sky. “We are a small bunch when it comes to Famous Toastery,” Martinez said. “You would think that a brand like this has, you know, at least some sort of division of PR or marketing. We’re a marketing team of two … We’re a small group but we all knew we would pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and make this happen. So, I think that’s the beauty of it. It felt like, all right, this is our underdog brand that could, the little engine that could … And, so, there was never a doubt in our minds that, you know, six weeks, let’s just get it done.” Getting it done included a long punch list, one most sponsors take a year to complete. Among the tasks: Creating a media plan to announce the bowl game, preparing for the coin toss and half-time show, building a 30-second TV spot from scratch, creating a logo, writing radio ads, developing a social media strategy and, perhaps most importantly, figuring out how to capitalize on the Famous Toastery Bowl long after the stadium had emptied.
