My dad has kept this in his basement for a few years (I think around 3-4 years or so) and I want to eat it. However I don't know much about these things, so I'm not sure if it's edible. Is it edible?

by Crafty_Basket_4774

35 Comments

  1. D-ouble-D-utch

    I’d wipe it down very well with distilled vinegar and clean kitchen towels. Trim it up, slice some and judge by the smell.

    Impossible to tell from a picture but it looks edible to me.

    Edit I know vinegar is not used traditionally. This is what I would do if I found a mysterious ham in my parents’ basement. Stored next to mothballs and cat litter for all I know.

  2. engrish_is_hard00

    Yes give it to me i will eat the whole thing in front of you op 😋

  3. Proper-Photograph-76

    Hasta que no lo abras,no lo sabrás…Ese es de los mejores jamone ibericos del mundo,un 5J de Joselito,Jamon de Jabugo..

  4. CryptoAnarchyst

    definitely not edible… very dangerous… wrap it up really tight and leave it at your front door, then give me your address so I can dispose of it properly.

    Whatever you do DO NOT wipe it down with vinegar, unless you want to destroy a $200 ham.

    Trim the skin and fat pieces from the side, and then just slice the meat… the “mold” on there is the same bacteria that makes cheese what it is… it’s good for you and your digestion.

  5. Doc__Chris

    It is iberico ham (better than serrano), which is generally 3-4 years cured already. It may be very hard to slice.

  6. Strict_Impress2783

    Detective Charles Boyle enters the chat.

  7. Rollablunt667

    Im guessing but :

    My intuition says to me that OP is a stoner that got nothing left to eat at home but that prize his father has left in the basement for 4 fucking years. 😭

  8. InkyPoloma

    Have you double checked that it’s ok with your dad?

  9. Spirit-of-250

    That looks exactly like the meat with the wooden stand and carving knife that Costco sold a couple years ago.

  10. *IF* you cut into this, you can expect your father to *GUT YOU* with the dullest, rustiest knife he can find!

    AND Not GAF!

  11. kvnkillax

    No way to tell unless you cut into it. It’s a cured meat so it depends on the temperature, humidity and light. They have found dried meat aka jerky in Egyptian tombs. Unofficial no one has eaten any but you know someone somewhere…….

  12. FinalEstablishment77

    You have to report back on how cutting into it goes!

  13. MountainOne1486

    It is NOT. Send it my way and I will dispose of it. With some baguette bread and tomato, you can get rid of it safely

  14. You should remove the outer skin before you eat it. Then you can tell if it’s good.

  15. Ok_Salad8147

    just remove the outer layers and it will be fine, mine stored in my basement was eaten by maggots, and it was fine to eat deeper inside.

  16. European here who’s family regularly makes their own dried ham i.e. prosciutto.
    For the love of God do not wipe it or wash it like some one said.

    That said, it is time to eat it and if all is good, you are in for a treat.

    If it was stored in the basement, what was the temperature and moisture?
    Ideal the temp should have been 12-16 °C (50 – 60 F) and the moisture should be ~70% but not any higher than 80% or “bad” mold can ruin it (from the pictures, looks like this is not the case, you have “good” mold). If it was too try, i.e less 60%, it’s still fine, but will be bit tough and dry, a bit harder to cut so be carefull, also might have lost some of it’s taste.

    I ate ~4 year old spanish prosciutto and the taste is strong and really really good. If you have never cut presciutto before, please look up a video or something before you do anything, because what you have here is a 600€ piece of dried meet.
    [https://www.jamonarium.com/en/cinco-jotas-5j-hams/1306-iberico-100-bellota-cinco-jotas-5j-jabugo-ham.html](https://www.jamonarium.com/en/cinco-jotas-5j-hams/1306-iberico-100-bellota-cinco-jotas-5j-jabugo-ham.html)

    In short, you DO NOT want to cut too much off the sides, only what you are about to eat, so you protect the rest. You need a really REALLY sharp, long and thin knife, then cut really small pieces. I repeat, DO NOT trim it any more that you are going to eat right away.
    The link I sen’t you has a short video how they cut it. If you have to hold it in place, use a dry kitchen cloth.

    Serve it with a good aged cheese and sourdough bread 🙂

    After you open it up, do not wrap it in plastic bags, it has to “breath”. But also, now it can’t stay too long. If you do wish to keep some of it longer, your option is to cut it up as you would to serve and then vacume seal it. That way you can keep it in the fridge for months.

    Bon appetit

    Edit: some typos

  17. No-Base-9825

    Looks bad…I’ll help you out and take it off your hands..😊

  18. Civil_Exchange1271

    It’s Otzi the icemans leg. If you eat it you gotta video it. you could go viral….. in more than 1 way.

  19. lawman9000

    He’s just trying to turn it into Iberico. 😂

  20. Sad_Pipe_5814

    Yummy, cinco jotas and joselito are my favorite jamon iberico.

  21. No. You should send it to me for safe disposal…

  22. distressed_

    Cut into it and smell it. It’s probably fine. If it’s a Serrano ham, why did he keep it for 4 years? What were the storage conditions? If he left it in a cryovax unrefigerated, listeria is probably your main concern.

  23. Aggressive-Secret103

    Molds are very common with dry aging you just wipe it away then cut the top layer off

  24. Aggressive-Secret103

    Lol I didn’t read that that was your dad’s he probably spent a pretty penny on it so I’d leave it alone until he breaks it out. If that were mine and someone just ate it without asking there would be consequences.

  25. Free_Ad4077

    What’s wrong with you people that’s disgusting and I like meat.

  26. Free_Ad4077

    Are yall in like some weird country with this