Most hams are not ruined by cooking. They are ruined by the fridge. A leg that was excellent on Christmas Day can be dry and tired by the 28th, and it is almost always a storage problem.
The plastic has to come off
Ham needs to breathe. Sealed in plastic it sweats, and the surface goes slimy. Take it out of whatever it came in before it goes in the fridge.
The ham bag
A ham bag is a loose cotton bag that keeps the leg covered without sealing it. It is the single thing that makes the difference.
You do not have to buy one. A clean pillowcase works, and so does a tea towel. Cotton, not synthetic.
The vinegar rinse
Soak the bag in water with a splash of white vinegar, wring it out so it is damp rather than wet, and wrap the leg in it. Re-damp it every couple of days.
The vinegar slows surface spoilage. It does not make the ham taste of vinegar.
How long it keeps
Stored this way, in the coldest part of the fridge, the traditional ham should last around 10 days, the natural ham will last around 5 days.
The two cures do not behave identically, so check the figure above against the ham you have.
Freezing
Sliced ham freezes reasonably. A whole leg does not, because the texture suffers and you cannot carve it frozen anyway.
The bone is the exception. Bag it and freeze it, and it will make soup months later.
Ask us
Ask at the counter when you collect and we will send you off knowing exactly how to keep it. We would rather you ate it at its best.
Related: tips for freezing meat.
