Refreezing ham, both in cooked or raw form, is grist for the mill for upcoming holidays meal prep. Leftover ham is even tastier than freshly cooked ham. So, to lock its texture and taste for healthy intake, can you refreeze ham?
You can refreeze ham meat, but it must be entirely thawed in the refrigerator. Before placing it in the freezer, slice the ham into pieces and wrap it on a baking sheet. So, you can now store it for almost three months in the freezer-safe bag. Also, please do not leave ham for more than two hours as it gets dry due to moisture loss.
Here is a list of the best ways to handle ham meat and the best practices to refreeze it. You would love to follow them as they make sure that you eat safe and healthy ham meat.
Table of Contents
How to Refreeze Ham Meat?
Following are a few steps that you must follow to refreeze ham meat:
Thaw the ham entirely
As a matter of importance, defrost the ham following the ideal process as improper thawing can take its moisture and flavor out. Also, after cooking, the meat will turn dry and unflavored. So, to avoid any such blunders, make sure that you thaw ham properly.
We would recommend you defrost the meat by placing it in the refrigerator. Although this method is slower than microwaving or using hot water, it is the safest concerning temperature control. It also keeps both taste and texture of the ham intact.
Additionally, make sure that no liquid has spilt on the meat while it was defrosting. It can make the ham change its color or taste when you refreeze it.
Slice ham into portion-size
The next step in refreezing ham meat is slicing the meat into smaller pieces. There are three reasons for making small pieces:
Firstly, they will freeze faster, and secondly, they will also defrost more quickly. It makes it easy to cook the ham when you need to do it immediately.
Lastly, small pieces are easy to get cooked without the need of defrosting the whole batch. Otherwise, it might be unsafe for the rest of the unconsumed meat as defrosting, again and again, leads to moisture loss and spoils the food.
Freezer-safe packaging
The next step is to carefully place the sliced pieces of ham on a baking sheet and then wrap each one of them separately into an aluminium foil. Make sure you cover the aluminium foil around the meat very tightly. It makes them less spacious, and you get to put a lot of ham in the freezer.
Now, put it in the freezer and wait overnight so it can freeze well. Once the ham is frozen well, the next step is to put them in a Ziploc bag. It is highly suggested as these bags are safe from getting freezer burns or air contact with the food.
Lastly, place the bag with wrapped ham in the freezer horizontally as it doesn’t get stuck this way, and it becomes easy to take out the desired freeze ham.
For How Long the Ham Can Be Left Out?
It would be best if you noticed the time the ham was left out before you took it to refreeze. Whether in cooked or raw form, the ham meat must not be left out for more than two hours.
Otherwise, the pesticides can attack the meat when left out for too long, making it unhealthy. If the temperature is above 100 Fahrenheit, you can leave the ham out only for one hour. It is because the higher temperature can cause bacteria to attack the meat more easily.
So, ensure to refreeze the meat within an hour.
For How Long the Ham Can Be Stored In Freezer?
For cooked ham, store it in the freezer for almost three months. So, you can keep your leftover ham from Easter or Christmas or a large dinner that you hosted for three months.
It’s a long duration, and it can make you enjoy the meat with its flavor and moisture intact. In case you feel that the meat has started to lose its moisture when you defrost after a week or more, then try to eat all of it within one month.
For partly cooked ham meat, store it in the freezer for more than four months. The condition is that you must have followed all the safety measures.
How Many Times Can You Refreeze Cooked Ham?
You can refreeze cooked ham meat only twice, but if you try to refreeze it more than twice, it will start losing its color, texture, and taste. It will become dry, and no one likes to eat dry meat, so try to consume all of it within two times of refreezing it.
Conclusion
Refreezing ham meat is safe in both raw and cooked forms. Whenever you try to refreeze ham, make sure that you follow the correct and safe thawing methods. Also, it is best if you refreeze sliced ham meat and then wrap it with aluminium foil.
By following these methods, you avoid any risk of bacterial contamination and ensure a healthy meal prep.
Lastly, please place it in the freezer-safe bag or container so you can Shoreham meat for almost a longer duration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you refreeze fully smoked ham meat?
Yes, you can refreeze fully smoked meat. It is entirely safe to do so. You must ensure that you follow the safety methods of wrapping it and zip-locking it properly to store it in the freezer.
Why is it not safe to refreeze ham which is left out for two hours at high temperatures?
It is unsafe to refreeze ham meat left out for more than an hour at high temperatures because higher temperatures make the bacteria attack the meat faster and more efficiently.
How do you know if ham meat is spoiled?
The best way to know if ham meat is spoiled is to smell it. The bad ham has a sour smell, and sometimes it has a changed texture too.
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