Since the meat industry, especially that of Iberian products, has expanded beyond our borders, the method of preserving meat, especially cured meat, has progressively evolved in recent years. This has led to finding the best way to distribute and sell it worldwide while ensuring its perfect preservation, even without refrigeration, with a minimum risk to the product's perfect preservation for 3 to 6 months, without freezing in the case of cured products.

Vacuum packaging in slices allows maintaining its properties without the fear of it losing its magnificent qualities during the export process, while also making it easier for consumption, already sliced and ready to eat. Now, even some households have simpler vacuum sealing machines, albeit few.

However, the most convenient option is to buy it ready or have our trusted butcher do it for us after cutting it to our liking. This way, we can buy ham or Iberian sausages and keep them at home for months without worrying about them drying out too much or losing their aroma and texture.

Why Buy Sliced Ham and Iberian Sausages?

The vacuum technology has not only benefited the export of our Iberian products worldwide, but it has also changed the ways and frequency of consuming already cured products, among others. Those of us of a certain age surely remember the times when, if we craved ham, we went to our trusted store and asked for the grams of ham we wanted, and it was wrapped in the only way possible, i.e., in special paper with the inside of the paper laminated. This specific treatment for food use allows charcuterie products not to stick to the paper and keeps them fresh and ventilated but does not extend the shelf life of the cured product. This fantastic method is still used today but is only advisable if we plan to consume the ham or sausages within a maximum of 48 hours, as otherwise, they lose their texture and flavor properties and oxidize more quickly when in contact with oxygen. This time constraint was resolved with the arrival of vacuum packaging. Now, this is one of the many advantages of buying pre-sliced and vacuum-sealed ham. Let's list the main ones:

Convenience and Variety

Comparing having a whole ham or shoulder at home to vacuum-sealed slices allows us to consume the product over a minimum of three months, while the shoulder should be consumed within two weeks (less in summer) if we want to enjoy the nuances of texture and flavor while they last. For ham, it would be about three weeks or less. Few families can meet these deadlines, unless they have many people at home or receive many visitors, so it is highly recommended to buy ham according to your needs and desires.

Space is also a factor; a shoulder or ham in the kitchen takes up space with its corresponding ham holder, while the vacuum-sealed pouches hardly take up space in the refrigerator or pantry. Likewise, buying in pouches allows us to vary the flavors of the ham as we please or according to the occasion without being limited to a single type of ham for many days or forced to buy 5 kg or 8 kg of a shoulder and ham, respectively. If we want a pouch, that's what we'll buy.

Taste and Texture

Both are closely related to the shelf life of a ham or shoulder. The longer it takes us to consume a piece, the more it will lose its original flavor and texture, which is a shame for such a precious product that should always provide pleasure when consumed.

If we vacuum-seal it already sliced and keep it in a cool place at room temperature of about 10-15°C, both the texture and flavor will remain intact until at least the expiration date. If the temperature is higher, especially in summer, it is advisable to store them in the refrigerator and take them out a few minutes before consumption.

IMPORTANT: start consuming it when the slices can be easily separated without breaking, as the slices will have reached room temperature, allowing you to appreciate the aromas and maximum flavor.

Yield and Cutting

If you love ham, you may enjoy having a whole piece at home and cutting it yourself, taking a slice directly to your mouth without using a plate. What a pleasure! But remember that if you are not a skilled cutter or cut occasionally, two things will happen:

• You will not get the maximum yield from a piece you spent money on, nor will you get the maximum flavor if the cut is not right.
• The meat will end up drying out due to infrequent cutting and lose its properties.