How to store, heat and serve your heritage ham
The hams are fully cooked, ready to eat. Though it’s not strictly necessary, I’d recommend heating it up in the oven before serving. It’ll add a couple of hours to the prep time, but it’ll also make a stunning, steaming centerpiece on your holiday table.
Store
Store your ham in the freezer until two days before you want to eat it, then put it in the fridge.
Heat
Take the ham out of the fridge and set it on the counter for one hour before heating. It’s fully cooked and ready to eat but if you’d like to serve it warm, here’s how.
- Heat oven to 325°F.
- Remove ham from packaging (note the weight on the label) and place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan on the oven’s roasting rack.
- Cover the bottom of the pan with an inch of water. (Or stock, wine, cider, etc.)
- Cover the pan and ham tightly with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes per pound. You want the internal temperature of the ham to reach 110-120°F. Use a probe thermometer. The ham is already cooked, so it’s always been safe to eat. We’re just heating it.
- Glazing optional. If you wish to apply a glaze—which is neither included nor required—remove the ham from the oven with about 30 minutes of cooking time left . Baste with your favorite glaze and return to the oven uncovered. Repeat basting several times in the remaining 30 minutes. You may need to add liquid to the bottom of the roasting pan as it evaporates.
- Remove ham from the oven and let cool on the counter loosely covered with foil.
Serve
Let the the ham to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Leftover ham will keep in your fridge for 1 week, or it can be frozen for up to 6 months.
How to store and serve cheese
How should the cheese be stored?
Hard cheeses have been carefully selected to withstand a longer transit time. Don’t worry if it arrives a bit warm or a bit cold – cheese is durable. Hard, aged cheeses stay good for a long time. Many days for sure. Sometimes weeks. Bigger hunks of cheese last longer. If it looks and smelled as expected, it’s likely still great.
Soft cheeses and cheese spreads (like pimento and liptauer) are best eaten within a week or two of receiving them.
We wrap hand-cut wedges of cheese in a cheese bag before shipment, and you can continue to keep the cheese in that cheese bag. The next best option would be parchment or wax paper. After you open the cheese for a nibble, any remainders can be put back into the bag and closed with a simple roll or fold.
Store cheese in the fridge, ideally in the spot closest to 50 degrees. That will likely be the door of your refrigerator or in a drawer where the temperature is consistent but not too cold. Do not freeze your cheese! Cheese is a living thing. Freezing will stop the natural processes that keep cheese so tasty.
What if it’s got a little mold on it? A little mold is no problem. It’s a good sign, it means the cheese is alive. Scrape it off with a knife. But if there’s a lot of mold and it’s turning dark and funky it’s time to say goodbye.
What’s the best way to serve cheese?
Regardless of the kind of cheese, it’s best to take it out of the fridge about 20 to 30 minutes before serving it. Cheese tastes better at room temperature. It makes a world of difference: the aromas expand, becoming more complex; more of the fat spreads on your tongue, which makes the flavor more intense. When cheese is warm you’ll eat less of it and enjoy it more.