Can cooked ham be frozen? - The best way

Ham is one of those foods that is often taken for granted. It is a popular food for parties and family dinners and is sometimes forgotten as a delicious meal option. However, if you are here, we are sure that you know how delicious a good cooked ham can be.

There are so many things you can do with ham, and cooking a ham means you can have leftovers for days! You can cook a ham in a multitude of ways, and you can do many different things with leftovers.

Ham comes in bulk cut portions and you always end up with much more than you need. What do you do with the leftovers? Can cooked ham be frozen?

Yes. Cooked ham freezes quite well as long as you wrap and store it properly. We recommend wrapping it twice in butcher paper and freezing it only up to 6 months for the best flavor. You can technically freeze the ham for 12 months, but thawing and eating it before 6 months will give you the best results.

In this guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know to successfully freeze your cooked ham.

We’ll share various tips and cover multiple topics on how to cook ham and even give you some tips for making good use of leftover ham.

Read on for the most important information about freezing ham and much more.

Your guide to freezing ham

Ham is a form of pork. It is a cut of meat that comes from the leg. The ham is usually preserved by a curing method.

Sometimes the ham is smoked before curing, it all depends on the overall process.

When you buy ham in the store, you can find a multitude of options.  These are some of the titles that you can see on ham packages. 

• honey ham
• city ham
• country ham
• Houndstooth ham
• boneless ham
• Ham Glaze
• ham with bone
• spiral cut ham

These are just a few options, there are also other flavors and types of hams. Another thing to take into account is the amount of ham you may need for a specific dinner.

The recommended estimate is that each person eats at least 1/3 pound of ham . You can base your purchase of ham on that figure.

We always recommend rounding up slightly for those who can eat more than this estimated serving size. With this estimate, you would buy a 4 or 5 pound ham for a gathering of 12 people.

cook the ham

Once you have selected your ham and brought it home, you are once again faced with a multitude of options. First, are you going to marinate the ham or glaze it? How do you plan to cook your ham?

Many people choose to smoke their ham or cook it in the oven.  Baked ham is the traditional way to cook it, but there are many ways to cook a ham.

You can even use the slow cooker or Instant Pot if that’s your preferred cooking method.

The good thing is that you can do many different things with ham. You can flavor it to your liking and make a wide variety of glazes, or you can simply enjoy cooked ham without special additions or your own creations.

Here we share a quick recipe simply as a point of reference.  Remember that there are numerous ways to cook a ham and that we use this one only as an example.

In this recipe, we recommend a glaze as it helps keep the outer layers of the ham from drying out.

1. Start by selecting your ham. For the glaze, we recommend using brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, Dijon, and black pepper. You can also add ginger or cloves if you wish.
2. Place the ham on a roasting tray.
3. Pour some ginger beer or a small cup of orange juice over the ham; this will also keep it moist.
4. Cover the ham or skillet with aluminum foil. This is another measure that works to prevent the ham from drying out.
5. Bake the ham in the oven at 350 degrees. Calculate between 10 and 15 minutes of cooking for each kilo of ham. While the ham is baking, brush it with the glaze every 20-30 minutes. Take the foil off for spreading and put it back on for baking.
6. Bake until you reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees. This will probably take a minimum of 90 minutes, depending on the size of your ham.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Making ham is incredibly easy. However, it takes some time. Even with this method of cooking at a medium oven temperature, you notice that it takes a couple of hours to get a finished ham . You also can’t let it cook and check it in 90 minutes or it will dry out.

Even if you decide not to use a glaze, you should apply some type of moisture to the ham at least every 30 minutes. It’s actually better if you can do it every 15-20 minutes. 

Uses of cooked ham

Obviously, you can eat your cooked ham on its own. You can reheat it or enjoy it cold, and it’s great either way.

It seems there always comes a time when you have to think of something for the leftover ham. You are tired of it but you want to take advantage of it. How can you mix it up?

Lucky for you, we have some great ideas for sharing options for using that cooked ham.

• Ham and corn soup
• hash for breakfast
• ham sandwiches
• Cook it in an omelet
• Add to soups or stews
• use in carbonara
• ham and beans
• Use it as meat in pasta dishes or even mac and cheese
• chicken string
• homemade pizza
• Cover baked potatoes
• Use it in the chef’s salad

These are just a few simple ideas for using up leftover ham, but there are plenty of ways to use ham. Allow yourself creativity to enjoy cooked ham in any way you like. There really are no limitations.

Storing and freezing ham

The ham keeps very well. It should be stored in the fridge or freezer. If you store the ham in the fridge, you can safely do so for up to 5 days. 

To store ham in the fridge, you need to place it in something that seals and can be stored airtight. You can use storage bags or an airtight container (these are my favorite airtight containers).

If you need an alternative option, here are the steps to store your ham in the freezer. 

1. To freeze your cooked ham, we recommend a double layer of protection. This will offer a shield against the meat which will hopefully help prevent it from drying out in the freezer.
2. Start by wrapping the ham in aluminum foil or freezer paper.
3. When the ham is well wrapped, place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag or an airtight container.
4. Label, date and seal the package of cooked ham.
5. Store cooked ham in the freezer for up to 6 months. It can last up to 12 months in the freezer, but for the best flavor, 6 months is the maximum recommended.

Can sliced ham be frozen?

Can sliced ham be frozen?  Yes, you can freeze sliced ham by wrapping each slice individually in freezer-safe plastic wrap and placing them in a freezer bag. Sliced ham will keep fresh in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Use the cooked ham after freezing it

Frozen ham is relatively easy to work with. You can eat it cold or there are several ways to reheat it. The biggest challenge in reheating ham after freezing is preventing it from drying out.

You may want to wrap the ham in aluminum foil, as this will help retain moisture.  Although you don’t need to re-glaze it, you should consider using melted butter or a good moisturizing liquid on the outside of the ham to prevent it from drying out if you bake it.

You can let the ham thaw overnight in the fridge for best results if you plan to reheat it. Letting it thaw will make it easier to work with, regardless of what you are going to do with it. You can also eat the ham cold if you want, instead of reheating it.

Related questions

We hope you find this guide to freezing cooked ham a valuable resource.

Freezing ham is quite simple. It freezes very well and is easy to work with when you are ready to use it.

We invite you to consult the following section of questions and answers for additional information that may be useful to you.

How long can cooked ham be at room temperature?

You should not leave the cooked ham at room temperature for more than 2 hours. It’s best to put it in the fridge shortly after dinner time to reduce the chance of bacteria growing.

How can you tell if cooked ham is bad?

The best ways to tell are by appearance and smell. If the ham starts to smell bad, you have to throw it away. If the ham begins to look slimy, it should be thrown away. Don’t do a taste test.

Can frozen ham be used for 2 years?

The recommended freezing time is based on the quality of the ham. The longer it is frozen, the more its quality deteriorates. It is still safe to eat, but it may not taste the same.