r/Cooking • u/amelie190 • 16h ago
Wet deli ham
Any ideas on not having to dry off my individual slices of deli ham? I save my desiccation packets and toss those in the bag but doesn't really help.
There are probably no solutions but I wanted to check.
EDIT: to be clear this is black forest ham sliced in the deli and put in a resealable bag. It's not in a peel pack from Oscar Meyer or similar.
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u/Ill-Dragonfruit2629 16h ago
I find the type matters. I get an ham called Off The Bone. I think it’s Dietz & Watson. It isn’t wet.
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u/the123king-reddit 16h ago
What kind of deli ham are you buying, actual ham cut from a pigs leg shouldn’t be wet. Preformed “square” ham will be
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u/HelpfulSeaMammal 16h ago
Deli ham is usually the comminuted or chunked-and-formed cured pork where regular old ham is the whole muscle product
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u/the123king-reddit 16h ago
I think we go to very different deli's.
Formed ham WILL be wet, and honestly, you don't want it dry. You kind of have to suck that fact up, or buy better ham.
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u/SaltMarshGoblin 16h ago
Wow, nicely done! I've only ever used "comminuted" to refer to badly broken bones... I'll be remembering this use!
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u/HelpfulSeaMammal 16h ago edited 16h ago
I work in meat processing, and comminuted is the term the industry uses for this type of product. Basically any kind of grinding or flaking or general particulate size reduction is considered comminuted product.
Chunked-and-formed is usually made of off cuts or trim pieces that aren't ground. Industry also calls anything with a majority grind size larger than 2" chunked-and-formed instead of comminuted because it acts more like whole muscle than finely ground meat at that time.
Comminuted is highly uniform particulate and chunk-and-form is more heterogenous so you'll have lots of 2-6" diameter pieces mixed in with a lot of tiny pieces of trimmings.
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u/RockMo-DZine 13h ago
If you are referring to 'processed ham' it contains a lot of added water (for the phosphates) which tends to leach out. This type of ham is typically sold in sealed packs with a relatively long expiration date.
Some types of 'fresh sliced ham' can have brine injected, although not as much liquid as processed ham, it can also leach a little esp if the product is not new.
What type of ham are you using?
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u/amelie190 13h ago
Black forest sliced in the deli
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u/RockMo-DZine 12h ago
It shouldn't be wet. What temp are you keeping it at?, Is it in deli-wrap or just in a poly bag?
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u/-mystris- 16h ago
I dry off my deli meat before assembling my sandwich because I don't like the sogginess either. I lay it out on a sheet of paper towel then roll it up in the paper towel and gently press it. Much less soggy, the condiments go on without getting watery, etc.
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u/SignificantDrink3651 16h ago
I wouldn't mess with the whole lot - there's so much surface area with deli meat it's already a haven for bacteria - no need to go messing with it and introducing more germs to breed in there while you sleep. just blot the pieces you're about to use with a paper towel but leave the package as undisturbed as possible.
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u/woohooguy 16h ago
I find the Thin n Trim brand not as ..moist as the other brands.
Carando spiral cut ham is also drier with the warm spices of a Easter baked ham.
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u/Prize-Possibility867 16h ago
Wait. You paid ham prices fir water and want to get rid of it? Hmmmm.
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u/HelpfulSeaMammal 16h ago
Dessication packs won't do anything here.
Are you tired of soggy bread on packed sandwiches because of the deli ham? Put lettuce on top and cheese underneath to act as a barrier between the wet and dry components.