You can tell if a ham is bad by the smell and color and feel.
When a ham is bad the ham will become slimy or have a tacky texture and a sour smell and or discoloration such as green hues, black or brown spots gray color or mold growth on the surface of the ham.
If the ham has a gray, brown or green discoloration or oily or slimy texture or black spots the ham is bad and should be thrown out.
Or if the ham has a sour smell and not a salty or smoky aroma then the ham is bad and should be thrown out.
The white spots on a ham are tyrosine crystals and are small crystallizations of tyrosine which is an amino acid that forms on the ham during the curing process and is a sign of a high quality ham.
The white spots are not harmful and indicate that the ham has gone through proper aging and maturation.
The tyrosine crystals signify a well cured ham with proper maturation and are a natural byproduct of the curing process.
To keep your ham moist you should cook the ham on low heat and slowly cook it.
Cover the ham with foil to trap in moisture and add broth or juice to the bottom of the pan, which will make steam while the ham is baking.
Avoid overcooking the ham as it will dry out the ham.
Cook the ham at a lower temperature for a longer time which will prevent loss of moisture.
Wrap the ham in some aluminum foil to make a steamy environment while the ham is baking and periodically baste your ham with some liquid or glaze which also keeps the ham moist.
You can also keep a ham moist while refrigerating it by keeping the ham in a wet towel or use a wet ham bag.
Soak the towel or ham bag in vinegar and water and place the ham in the ham bag or towel to keep it moist.
The ham bag can also be used in the oven to keep the ham moist while cooking it.
However the towel cannot be used in the oven or it will catch fire.
If you don't have a ham bag you can use a clean towel or a clean pillowcase or clean calico fabric.
Soak the towel, pillowcase or clean calico fabric in some water and white vinegar before wrapping the ham with it to keep it moist and prevent bacteria growth.
And make sure that any of the fabric you use to cover the ham, fully covers the ham.
When using a ham bag you soak the ham bag in a solution of vinegar and water.
Soak the ham bag in a solution of vinegar and water and wring out any excess water and then place your ham in the ham bag.
Ham when kept in a ham bag will last up to 10 days in the refrigerator.
You can keep the ham for 6 months or sometimes longer by freezing it.
Ham bags are often made of cotton, calico or polypropylene.
Cotton is the traditional material used for making ham bags as cotton is breathable and allows the air to circulate around the ham.
Cotton ham bags can also be used for curing and smoking hams and as a way to preserve the hams while they dry.
Calico is a sturdy and eco friendly material that some ham bags are made of.
And some ham and poultry bags are made from spunbonded polypropylene.
The purpose of a ham bag is to keep your ham moist and fresh when in the refrigerator.
The ham bag allows the ham to breathe while also protecting the ham from any external elements.
The ham bag when kept wet, helps to keep the ham from drying out while it's refrigerated.
If you put a wet towel over the ham in the refrigerator it will also keep the ham from drying out.
To use the ham bag to keep your ham moist and fresh.
Soak the ham bag in a solution of vinegar and water and wring out any excess water and then place your ham in the ham bag.
Then place the ham bag with the ham in the coldest part of your refrigerator.
And re-soak the ham bag in the solution of vinegar and water every few days or when the ham bag dries out.
Ham bags also protect the ham from any pests and insects.
When the ham in the ham bag is stored properly the ham in the ham bag can last up to 10 days in the refrigerator.
You can also cook the ham in the ham bag.
Cooking the ham in the ham bag helps to keep the ham moist and reduce the amount of cleanup needed after cooking.
To prepare the ham in the ham bag for cooking, you can rub the ham with some brown sugar or coat the ham with flour.
You can also add some pineapple rings to your ham.
To prepare the ham in the ham bag for cooking, close the ham bag with a tie and cut a few slits in the top of the bag to allow steam to escape.
Then place the ham fat side up in the ham bag in a preheated oven at around 325 F to 350 F for a few hours.
Let the ham cool down before carving the ham so that the hams juices stay in the ham.
Fresh ham should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 F.