Storage of cooked ham...

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jpinmaryland

Sous Chef
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Sep 16, 2004
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I bought a fairly large fully cooked ham w/ a bone in there. It is also said to be smoked. This is for Easter. My wife thinks it should go in the freezer. I think refrigerator is fine, as it says "keep refrigerated" and I am thinking it is fully cooked as well as smoked so it will keep reasonably well for a week or so.

Also freezing stuff can mess up the texture of the meat and such so I say "no." What do the rest of you think??
 
I share your wife's concerns but I think you are right. Make sure you store it in the middle to upper part of the refrigerator where it is the coldest. By the time it would take the ham to fully freeze, it would be time to thaw it. You could almost start thawing a turkey for Easter, it's getting closer than you think.
How are you going to cook the ham? What kind of sides do you like? I'm planning to grill (weather permitting).
 
A fully-cooked smoked ham should do just fine in the refrigerator for a week or two (or more) ... as long as you don't puncture the plastic wrapper! Once you breach the wrapper - the count-down begins ... only count on about 1-week after you do that - unless you freeze it.
 
StirBlue said:
I share your wife's concerns but I think you are right. Make sure you store it in the middle to upper part of the refrigerator where it is the coldest. By the time it would take the ham to fully freeze, it would be time to thaw it. You could almost start thawing a turkey for Easter, it's getting closer than you think.
How are you going to cook the ham? What kind of sides do you like? I'm planning to grill (weather permitting).

I agree. However, I disagree about where it should be stored in the refrigerator. You can store it in the refrigerator. Except, the coldest part of any refrigerator is in the lower rear portion. Cold falls. Just raise your lowest shelf and place the ham in the far rear corner. It should be fine until you want to serve it.
 
Michael in FtW said:
A fully-cooked smoked ham should do just fine in the refrigerator for a week or two (or more) ... as long as you don't puncture the plastic wrapper! Once you breach the wrapper - the count-down begins ... only count on about 1-week after you do that - unless you freeze it.

I know you know for sure. Where is the coldest part of the refrigerator? Does it depend on whether you have a top or bottom freezer compartment?
I may have to move a few things around.
 
It's perfectly fine in the refrigerator until easter. If you want to remove a bit of the saltiness from it, soak it water the night before you roast it.
 
okay thanks. As for sides we thought we'd wait to see what was on sale at the store. Last year we did asparagus which I always like although may not be in season.
 
You can freeze the leftover Ham. I do all the time. Ham isn't the most suitable item to freeze. But as long as you wrap it very well and don't park it for in the freezer for too long the ham will work perfectly fine for things like Jambalaya, soups, gumbo etc. I wrap thick slices indivdually in a couple of layers of plastic wrap or strech n seal, and then wrap the whole thing together in foil, label, date, and use within 2 months.
 
Doesn't the package have a 'Use by' date on it, or best if Used by...?
 
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