Storing cured meats

THE 7 GOLDEN RULES

The problem of food preservation is a matter that has vexed man since the earliest times. In fact, we can find traces of effective meat preservation systems - such as salting or smoking - already in lesser technologically advanced eras. The same etymology of the term "salami" (salumen in Latin) derives from the salt used to preserve meat. It was only starting from the nineteenth century that more sophisticated methods began to be used to guarantee meat and sausages an even longer life, in addition to ensuring fitness for consumption.

If once the primary need was to ensure the edibility of a food for as long as possible, today we also want our foods, once purchased, to maintain their fragrance and freshness, as well as those organoleptic properties that determine their quality. The practice of buying the classic hectogram of pre-sliced ham is an established custom as it meets the need for practicality, as well as that of possibly avoiding the need for a slicer or an expert hand. But even in this case, some rules should be respected to preserve, at home and in the best way possible, a product whose organoleptic properties can easily be altered.

So what can we do to maximise the preservation of cold cuts and for longer? First and foremost not all cold cuts are the same and not all are preserved in the same way. In general, more seasoned cold cuts keep better, without losing aroma and flavour, than cooked or fresh ones. It is also necessary to distinguish whole cured meats from those in sections or sliced, loose or vacuum-packed. In any case, never freeze them as doing so would result in deterioration of all the organoleptic characteristics.

Here are some practical tips to consume cold cuts safely: a few but simple rules are enough to guarantee the best flavours, while avoiding unnecessary waste.

1. As obvious as it may seem, we must, first of all, be sure that we have purchased a good product that has been processed according to the best traditions, as well as in compliance with the hygiene regulations in force. As a matter of fact, the quality of the product is the prerequisite for the correct preservation of a cold cut.

2. If you wish to keep a small quantity of cold cuts at home, ideally choose whole pieces or large vacuum-packed slices, in order to be able to slice them only when they are to be consumed, thus avoiding the slices oxidising.

3. Large and whole cured meats must be hung in the cellar or in any case in a cool, dry and well-ventilated place, without placing the product on any surface to prevent mould or humidity marks from forming. They can be kept in these places even after cutting, but once the first slice has been removed, the product must be protected by covering the surface with gauze, or by wrapping it with a cotton or linen cloth or even a film.

4. For vacuum packed cold cuts, unopened, a distinction must be made: while cured products (such as raw hams, salamis, coppa and pancetta) need only be stored in a cool, dry place, ideally in the cellar, cooked products (such as cooked hams and mortadella) should actually be kept at 4/5° C, therefore in the refrigerator.

5. Cold cuts sliced at the counter should ideally always be consumed on that same day: the oxidation process - that is the chemical reaction between the fatty parts and the air - is rapid and immediately begins to produce its effects altering taste and with a noticeable change in colour. It goes without saying that, in this case, the advice is to buy only the quantity of product necessary for immediate consumption.

6. The same applies to pre-sliced salami in trays: rapid consumption is always preferable and for this reason, we emphasise the importance of never letting the product exceed the expiry date shown on the package. Instead, once the tray has been opened, the maximum recommended storage time is one day for cooked products and 2-3 days for seasoned products. It is also preferable to keep them in airtight containers, or to first wrap them in baking paper and then in a sheet of aluminium foil, so that they do not undergo the oxidation process and do not absorb the "odours" of other foods.

7. But which part of the refrigerator is best suited to store cold cuts? There are various answers to this question. For the cooked sliced or cooked salami slices, we must first safeguard the product, so it is better to use the meat/cheese compartment. The colder temperature of the lower part of the refrigerator is in fact essential to extend the useful life of the product, preventing it from deteriorating too quickly. Seasoned products, both sliced and sectioned, can instead even be safely kept in the upper and less cold part of the refrigerator. However, it must be said that from an organoleptic point of view, the precise location of the cold cuts within the fridge is a false problem: it is true that the cold tends to harden the meat and reduce its aroma, but this problem can be easily resolved by taking the product out of the fridge approximately fifteen minutes before consumption (as stated for the trays).