Why does store bought ham (at least in Australia) go off within a couple weeks but there is ham that is aged for years?
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Aged hams like parma hams are cured in a process that exposes most of the ham to enough salt to take out up to a third of the water weight in the haunch. They are kept in an environment that exposes them to little else in the way of contaminants. The “off” parts are cut away before the product is wrapped in an impermeable container for shipping. Christmas hams are brined and then wrapped in a similar container. Even deli hams like cooked ham and chipped ham have a preservative laden fluid pumped into them. All of these products are shipped whole and hermetically sealed away. In your fridge, it usually has its surface area maximized. Its protective container is removed. The environment has drastically changed. Also, except in the case of parma ham, there’s a lot of fluid in the ham for bacteria to enjoy.
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