How long can you keep ham once it has been cooked?  Does anyone know please?

I wouldn't keep it in the fridge for more than 2 days.

> How long can you keep ham once it has been cooked?

The answer can depend on the type of joint, whether you have cooked it, or whether you've bought it already cooked, and also whether it has been sliced.

A joint cooked at home will easily keep up to 5 or 6 days and even up to 7 or 8 is likely to be ok.  Meat on the bone I'd probably aim to eat by day 4 or 5.   Either way you should cut only what you can eat in one serving. Meat bought sliced from the supermarket counter should be eaten within 48 hours.  Packet sliced ham, once exposed to light turns a revolting grey colour and even if kept in the fridge I wouldn't risk it after 2 or 3 days.  Italian dried hams last for ages.

All of this depends on your fridge running at the correct temperature, many fridges are too warm so it's always worth investing in a thermometer to be sure yours is running ok. Between 1°C - 5°C

Apparently a proper piece of gammon, treated well before cooking, then kept at the optimum temperature and not wrapped in clingfilm or foil but greaseproof paper, will last for 2 weeks.  I'd never get a joint to last that long!!

Oh thanks - it was a large gammon that I cooked Christmas Eve.  It has been kept in a fridge that is in the garage - nice and cold.  I ate some earlier - seemed fine but my OH didn't like it.  Not too much left now -

> seemed fine but my OH didn't like it.

My mother in law says we are all too quick to chuck good food out and that sell by dates were an idea instituted by supermarkets (I suspect by that she means devils work!!).  She also maintains that home cooked food will always last longer than shop bought stuff and I think she probably makes a good point.

The only exception is bread, my Grandpa (a baker) used to say that good bread shouldn't last more than a day and all the stuff they put in to extend shelf life just ruins a perfectly good loaf!

6 weeks for ham on the bone- according to delias harrod expert

we hav a ham we cooked christmas eve and I'm still eating it.  Looks, smells and tastes fine to me and I will continue to eat it untill by looking/smelling/tasteing sences say otherwise :)

I cooked ours on the 23rd and we finished it yesterday.
Not been off the loo since but apart from that I'm fine.

Nah - only kidding - it was lovely, chips & beans too yum !!.

> Not been off the loo since

LOL!  Oh well I will continue to eat it then - I am sure it is on the counter in Tesco's for longer!  OH thinks nothing of buying sliced from there and keeping it for ages.  Best part of Christmas for me - cold meat, mash and peas with some pickle. 

>How long can you keep ham once it has been cooked?  Does anyone know please?

About 5 minutes in our house LOL