I’ve savored Prosciutto both sliced and whole, often visitors ask whether this preserved dry-cured meat goes bad, so here is the answer.
If you’re a fan of cured meats you’re in the right place – my blog Eat Cured Meat is all about the slowest food around!
Prosciutto is one of the most popular Italian cured meats used in appetizers and pasta dishes.
This thinly shaved pork has a delightfully salty-sweet flavor. However, it can potentially be ‘too dry’ or make you sick if you eat it past its expiration date.
Prosciutto lasts for a long time, but will eventually go bad. The shelf life of prosciutto depends on how it is packaged and stored. Sliced fresh prosciutto only lasts for a few days, while the whole prosciutto cured and dried pork leg can last for many years in hermetically sealed packaging.
Prosciutto can last a long time if it’s properly stored. However, you need to know how to inspect it to make sure it’s still safe to eat. Keep reading to learn more about how long different forms of prosciutto can be stored without going bad.
Even though prosciutto is a form of cured pork, this curing process only partially preserves the meat. Like all meat, prosciutto will eventually begin to break down from bacteria in the environment and rot.
The process of the prosciutto going bad can be slowed down by proper packaging and refrigeration, but these safeguards won’t stop it entirely.
Generally, prosciutto can last up to a year when properly stored. Sliced prosciutto has a shorter life than an uncut chunk of meat. Since prosciutto is sold in slices far more often than solid chunks, we’ll focus on sliced prosciutto.
Given that this beloved salted pork has a delicate flavor, try to buy thin slices in a quantity that you can eat the same day.
If you somehow dont manage to store all your proscuitto immediately in your tummy, you can safely store this Italian specialty in the refrigerator or even the freezer for months, if its wrapped correctly.
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How Long Does Prosciutto Last Before Going Bad?
The amount of time prosciutto can be stored before spoiling depends entirely on how it is packaged and stored.
The shelf life of whole vacuum-sealed prosciutto pieces is much longer than the pre-sliced fresh prosciutto you’ll find in your grocery deli section.
For my experimenting and testing at home, I’ve found that 2-3 years is the maximum I will vacpac store prosciutto in the fridge, with no light – ideally in a brown paper bag.
I vacpac with reusable sous vide bags all my finished whole muscle dry-cured meats. They so far have lasted 1-2 years with issues.
Here’s a breakdown of the shelf life expectations you can have for each type of prosciutto:
- Freshly sliced prosciutto: Freshly sliced prosciutto from the grocery store will only last 5-7 days in the refrigerator before spoiling. Sliced prosciutto is very perishable because the flat slices of meat give bacteria plenty of surface area to colonize. (Source: Foods Guy)
- Whole Prosciutto: Whole vacuum-sealed prosciutto pieces can be stored up to 12 months in refrigeration as long as the packaging hasn’t been broken. Once the hermetic seal has been broken and the prosciutto has been partially sliced, the piece of pork can be stored in refrigeration for up to 40 days. (Source: Parma Crown)
- Frozen prosciutto: Freezing prosciutto is not generally recommended as a storage option since freezing and defrosting the meat can have serious negative impacts on the flavor and texture. Once frozen, a piece of prosciutto can last in the freeze for up to three months without spoiling.
I’ve had a friend who brought a frozen piece of Parma prosciutto on a hunting trip, we sliced is and ate it with no issues. But he had no idea it was cured/dried meat!
Since prosciutto may spoil when it’s 5 days old or when it’s 130 days old depending on how it has been stored and packaged, it’s up to the person storing it to ensure that the packaging date is properly marked and they know how to tell whether the meat has begun to spoil.
As with all spoiled meat, it is far safer to throw questionable prosciutto out and get some fresh from the store than it is to be hospitalized with food poisoning – common sense tries to prevail.
How can I tell if my meat’s gone bad?
FAQ
How do you know if prosciutto has gone bad?
How long does prosciutto last in fridge?
How long can you age prosciutto?
How long can cured meat be left out?
Does prosciutto go bad?
Though the drying process of preparing Prosciutto gives it a longer shelf life than other pork products, it can still go bad. Grocery stores sell Prosciutto in packaging that features vacuum sealing. As long as you don’t tamper with the package, it can last for up to two months.
Is pasta bad for gout patients?
Pasta has a high glycemic index which means eating a lot of it can increase blood sugar levels and since uric acid is a metabolite of sugar, it may also increase thereby worsening the symptoms of gout.
Is prosciutto safe to eat?
But prosciutto is safe to eat as it is — ideally freshly sliced. This is typical for many cured and aged meats, including salami, capicola, speck, which are similar to prosciutto but with their own unique signatures.
Can you eat old prosciutto if it smells bad?
If your opened prosciutto sits in the fridge for over a week, discard it for safety reasons. Yes, even if it seems to be perfectly fine. If you’ve ever seen or smelt old ham, you will know if your prosciutto is spoiled or not. In my experience, the altered smell is the first sign that your ham isn’t safe to eat anymore.