How Long Does Prosciutto Last? Signs if Prosciutto Has Gone Bad

Prosciutto is a festival dish. It is kind of a ham that people usually make on Christmas or other festivities.

Ham is such a variety of meat that one can smoke, grill, or fry, according to their taste.

Well, one of the most concerning things with ham is that its shelf life is too small. Therefore, you will have to eat it before the expiry.

We cannot deny the fact that just like other meals, the life of prosciutto will also depend on various other factors like where you store it, how you store it, what was the temperature and so on.

Considering all these elements, we shall look on how long will it last.

How Long Does Prosciutto Last?

You see, you can either refrigerate ham or frozen it. Either ways, the life of prosciutto will vary. Let’s take a look:

So, these are some conditions in which ham is stored for a specific period. We will take a thorough look:

• Cured Ham (Uncooked): The store picked ham or in other words, the cured ham in uncooked form can last for as long as 5 – 7-days in a refrigerator. However, its life as a frozen meal is as long as 3 – 4 months.
• Cured Ham (Cooked): Life of cooked meals is relatively lesser than uncooked ones. Same is the case with cooked cured ham which will last for 2 – 3-days in a refrigerator and for a month in a freezer.
• Vacuum Sealed Ham (Cooked): The cooked ham when is not brought in any contact with air and stored in a refrigerator will last for 2-weeks and can be frozen for 1 – 2-months.
• Country Ham (Uncooked): Country ham lasts better in a refrigerator than a freezer. You can store the uncooked variety in a refrigerator for 2 – 3-months and freeze it for a month.
• Country ham (Cooked): Well, the cooked country ham will last for up to 7-days in a refrigerator and for a month in a freezer.
• Luncheon Meat Ham (Unopened): If you haven’t opened the luncheon meat ham then expect it to last for 2-weeks in a refrigerator and for 1 – 2-months in a freezer.
• Luncheon Meat Ham (Opened): The opened luncheon meat will stay edible in a refrigerator for 3 – 5-days and in a freezer for 1 – 2-months.
• Cooked Ham, Whole Store Wrap: Well, if you haven’t sliced the ham and after cooking it whole, you are putting it in an air-tight wrap then expect it to stay for 7-days in a refrigerator and for 1 – 2-months in a freezer in eatable condition.
• Cooked Ham with Label Keep Refrigerated: If you have bought cooked ham with a label to keep it refrigerated then it should stay fresh for 7-days in a refrigerator and for up to 2-months in a freezer.
• Cooked Ham Slices: The slices of cooked ham last shorter than saved whole. It will survive for 3 – 5-days in a refrigerator and for 1 – 2-months in a freezer.
• Cooked Ham, Vacuum Sealed, Dated, Unopened: Well, any ham variety that you are purchasing in sealed and dated, in unopened condition will last till its expiry date in a refrigerator. Also, it can be stored for 1 – 2-months in a freezer.

Signs if Prosciutto Has Gone Bad

There are common signs that prosciutto has gone bad:

1. Packaged Date

The expiry date mentioned on the package is the maximum time that a ham can go on without turning bad.

You will be able to find the package date on the label. Follow it to stay safe and healthy.

2. Color

The color can also help in determining if prosciutto has gone bad or still in the consumable condition.

The meat fat has white or ivory color and the ham has reddish-pink color. These are the natural shades of ham.

If it starts to appear grey, green or blue then it is a clear indication of expired ham.

3.  Smell

Fresh meat is odorless. However, if you start to experience sour or foul smell from the ham then you should simply throw it.

4. Surface

By touching the surface of meat, you can identify its state. It should be moist or dry but if on touching you find it slippery then perhaps the batch has gone bad.

Most Recommended Prosciutto Products

And here are some of the best prosciuttos out there:

1. Italian Prosciutto Ham Whole Boneless

Photo: Carmen & Lola Eat España!

One of the best products in prosciutto ham is this product from Carmen & Lola Eat Espana. It is dry cured and can last for 12-month. The average weight of this product is 13-pounds.

This product is a great source of iron, niacin, vitamin B-12, and zinc. It will be very beneficial for your health. It comes with mild flavor and sweet taste.

You can store it on room temperature for a long time. However, if you have opened it then make sure to store it in the refrigerator.

You are recommended not to freeze the ham. The only thing that you will not approve is the high cost of this product.

Pros:

• Mild flavor and sweet taste
• High capacity
• Can last for 12-month

Cons:

• Price seems a bit unfair

2. Creminelle – Italian Sliced Prosciutto

Photo: Cremimelli Seattle

This is another amazing product that you can find in this category. The components are pork and sea salt and this is a handmade product made under supervision of the artisans.

The brand is very particular about keeping the hygiene as the main priority. The flavor of the ham is really appreciable.

It does not have artificial flavors, nitrate, nitrite, cheese, etc. This is an award-winning product, and you will really like the taste. But yes, the quantity of 2-ounces is very small.

Pros:

• Comes with sea salt
• Hygienically made
• Free of artificial flavors

Cons:

• Very small quantity

Conclusion

Prosciutto can be a perfect festive meal. We would like to share a tip; freezing can impact the taste of prosciutto.

You should rather refrigerate the ham to retain the taste.

The life of prosciutto will largely impact if it is opened. Make sure to follow the storage timeline according to how we have described above.

Enjoy the prosciutto at its best flavors and taste.