On 19 Dec 2018, Ophelia wrote
(in article >):

>
> "Fruitiest of Fruitcakes" wrote in message
> news.com...
>
> On 19 Dec 2018, Sqwertz wrote
> (in article >):
>
> > On Mon, 17 Dec 2018 11:29:41 -0500, wrote:
> >
> > > Most hams are cured because fresh ham has a very short shelf life
> > > unless frozen and freezing makes ham dry and tough.
> > > Also a fresh ham is a large piece of meat that most people simply
> > > don't buy because even half a ham is too much or they haven't a clue
> > > how to prepare it. I always need to special order fresh ham, it's
> > > rare to see it out in the meat case. They come in cryovaced and once
> > > prepared for sale they are only good for 3-4 days.
> >
> > 3-4 days, baloney! They last as long as any other uncured piece of
> > pig. A cryovac leg of ham will last at least 14 days. And they're
> > not uncommon. Here's a 20-pounder packaged on Dec 6th and Sell By
> > Dec 20th.
> >
> > https://i.postimg.cc/zGrbrCkJ/IMG-20181218-145645.jpg
> >
> > Maybe I'll even go back Thursday morning and see if they have it
> > marked down to $1/lb.
> >
> > -sw
>
> The problem we have in the UK with those vac packed hams, is that the meat
> is
> impregnated with various chemicals (not just salt) in order for it to soak
> up
> as much water as possible. Therefore its weight will increase and a certain
> percentage of what we pay for is simply water.
>
> This puts me off buying anything in those vacuum packs. In fact, I now only
> buy meat from an organic farmer who uses overnight delivery. His meats
> arrive
> in butchers paper, but with a couple of dry ice coolpacks and insulated
> inside a cardboard box with rough lambswool.
>
> ==
>
> I always buy a big chunk of gammon and cook it. I then slice it up and pack
> in small quantities for the freezer.

I tend to do that with joints of other meat. I buy the largest cuts of boned
shoulder of pork and lamb I can find, plus a big rolled flank of beef and
then just do as you do. Slice them up and freeze them.

When there are only two of you, you dont need to cook a great deal of meat
at once.

I can usually cut most roasting joints into 4 or 5 pieces, which lasts us for
weeks.

The farm also sell half chickens, which is enough for us over a weekend and
any left over gets curried the next day.

> I am not paying good money for the
> chemicals in those vacuum packs!
>
> I do it with various other meats too. D. prefers it but it doesn't stop him
> liking spam. And no, I won't be trying to make my own<g>

Yes, it is strange. I make all the fuss over organic meat and then buy cans
of spam and corned beef because I like them fried.

At Christmas I tend to roast ham on 24th and turkey on 25th. The left over
ham, and some of the turkey, is cubed up and cooked in turkey stock, then I
make pastry and put the meat into various sized pies and freeze those for
eating later in the new year.