Are my ham hocks still okay to eat? How long do they last?!
I thought smoked meat lasted a long time? But I don't want to poison myself.
I don't cook with ham hocks much.....
Answers: I bought some. They are smoked and have been in the fridge. But the package says sell by January 8th?
I thought smoked meat lasted a long time? But I don't want to poison myself.
I don't cook with ham hocks much.....
Smoking is a form of cooking or adding a smokey flavor to meats. Fresh meats can be smoked for added flavor but smoking alone will not act as a preservative. If the meat is salt or sugar cured it has been subjected to a process that removes much of the water content of the meat. If the ham hocks are salt cured and smoked they should be fine. If they are fresh ham hocks that are only smoked for flavor, I would be careful. Packaged bacon for example is hardwood smoked but is not salt cured, therefore it has a limited shelf life. Salt cured smoked bacon on the other hand will last for months or years if none of he outer portion of the cured product has not been cut away. The sell by date indicates to me that it is a fresh product, therefore I would err on the side of caution.
They will be just fine. You can simmer in water (with onions celery and carrots) to cover for about two hours. The subsequent broth will make really good pea soup.
thats a good question......i've been eating Christmas ham up until a couple of days ago.......without any ill effects....i decided not to push it any longer
If they aren't frozen I would throw them out. I bet they're spoiled. I wouldn't eat them.