Gosh, I'd never heard of keeping a ham in a bag...but it makes sense. Mine goes into the fridge in a pan or on a plate, loosely covered with plastic wrap, allowing a bit of air to circulate but keeping it from getting dried out.

Of course, it doesn't stay there long. After the initial meal and a few sandwiches, I generally start wanting the bone for a pot of soup or beans so I cut all the meat off, and then the chunks go into a fridge container to be used in more sandwiches, omelets, or just munched on.

I store mine in a heavy clear plastic bag that I request from my butcher.

Haven't heard of a ham bag neither. But of course we only have a cooked ham once a year. I wrap the ham in tin foil then a ziploc bag, into the chiller of the fridge. My best strategy: Try to finish eating it as soon as possible! LOL

Al

I do what Al does....but after a second meal, I cut the meat from the bone and either make soup from the bone of freeze it for later.....and I may parcel out some of the rest to freeze in meal sized portions.
Linda C

I haven't heard of ham bags either, & found a site, below, that gives some information. It & other sites say that ham keeps longer in a fabric bag than in foil and/or plastic. Who knew?

Here is a link that might be useful: Calico ham bag

I use a Ham Bag too
{{gwi:1472198}}

I thought ham bags were for smoked or country hams, but not in the fridge. That seems odd to me, as it's not going to keep air out.

You dip the bag in a vinegar and water solution, and wring it out. You don't necessarily want to keep _all_ the air out, as that can result in the ham turning sticky and unpleasant, especially if it's a large ham and takes a bit of using up.

Here on the farm we run 3 refrig. and they are all usuallly pretty full so I take it off the bone the day I cook it. I like to get the mess of cutting board, meat slicer, etc. out of the way all at one time. I freeze the ham bone for later use. Then I usually either slice it all or leave some as large chunks. I vacuum seal it all. Then depending on what's going on and how big the ham is I leave it in the frig or freeze some of the meat for later use. I'm not sure what you mean by sticky ham but I've never noticed mine being unpleasant in any way storing it like this.

Well, vacuum sealing is somewhat different, but I find just wrapping in plastic wrap the ham can develop a kind of unpleasant smelling slime on the outside. It washes off and the ham underneath has no smell but it's not nice.

Preferably in my tummy! :-)

I usually remove the meat from the bone, keep a little in a Tupperware container in the fridge for sandwiches and freeze the rest (sliced and portioned or chopped for soup).
The bone is frozen or cooked up for beans.

I haven't had any slime issues either.

Deanna

I also have ham maybe twice a year, and my "tradition" is that if I have ham today, I get to have bean soup tomorrow. I like the soup far better than the ham!

Any leftover ham gets sliced and used for scalloped potatoes and ham, which is one of Ashley's favorites, she likes THAT better than the original ham too.

Any left after that goes into the freezer in portions that can be used individually because I'll never eat it before it spoils, no matter how I store it.

I never heard of a ham bag before, that's interesting. My ham never seems to get slimy either, but I don't try to store it for very long since mine are the homegrown and smoked hams and don't have any of the nitrate/nitrite type preservatives that commercial hams have.

Annie

Just tossed my christmas ham bone in the soup pot yesterday. I had green peas in my hand but a craving for lentil soup took hold and so lentils it is. I was so hungry for soup I ate almost two quarts between lunch and dinner.... ahh heaven (good thing I was working alone). Last week it was bean soup made with kidney beans and black beans.... with some fresh cayenne peppers. It turns our gray and funny looking because lots of people at work ask me what the hal is that. I don't care it has a hearty smokey peppery taste I like.

The slime would probably be bacterial growth. Far as I know it won't hurt you. Beef often has it if stored awhile. Bad bacteria stink like rot... no danger you will accidentally eat it. As noted in a previous post you can just rinse it off.

As for my ham... a chunk of lean stuff for sandwiches, the bone in the soup pot yesterday, and fattier chunks went into the freezer for soup later. About 10 pounds of ham in the freezer right now which will be all used up by the end of March.

: )
lyra