If youāve prepared a delicious ham on the bone for Sunday roast and arenāt sure what to do with the leftovers, slicing and freezing is an excellent way of preserving them, to ensure you have access to ham whenever you need it.
Can You Freeze Ham Slices?
Yes, you can freeze ham slices for up to 2 months. Stack slices of cooked ham using greaseproof paper then pop them into a freezer bag before freezing.
Do Do Ham Slices freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Ham Slices? Yes
How to Freeze Ham Slices
As mentioned, to freeze leftover ham, itās a good idea to slice it beforehand. If you donāt, you will have to defrost the whole meat, which might not be too convenient, depending on how you plan on using it.
Slice your ham as you please; we find thick and juicy slices are the best! Hereās how to freeze your sliced ham.
- Leave to Cool: If youāve recently taken your ham out of the oven, ensure it has cooled to room temperature before you freeze it. You should never place warm or hot meat directly in the freezer.
- Stack your Slices: Once youāve cut your ham into slices, stack them on top of each other, separating them with a slice of greaseproof paper. Itās essential that you do this, or the slices will stick together in the freezer.
- Place in a Freezer-Safe Bag: Put your stacked ham inside a freezer-safe bag. Push as much of the air as possible out of the bag as possible before you seal it to protect your ham slices from freezer burn.
- Label and Freeze: Youāre ready to place your ham slices in the freezer. Remember to mark the bag with the date the meat was cooked, as well as the use-by date, which is two months from the day you initially freeze your ham.
3 Tips for Freezing Ham Slices
Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing ham slices to have the best results:
Wrap Individually to Protect
If youāre worried about freezer burn, you can wrap your ham slices individually in cling film before you place them in a freezer-safe bag. While this isnāt overly environmentally friendly, it will help preserve your ham if you prefer.
Freeze Whole
If youāre planning to use your ham as a whole (for a roast dinner in the future, for instance), itās perfectly safe to freeze it without slicing it up beforehand. Simply wrap it in cling film and transfer it to a freezer-safe bag.
Freeze Shop-Bought
You can also freeze shop-bought ham slices, they donāt necessarily have to be from freshly cooked ham. If this is the case, just check the use-by date before freezing.
How Long Can You Freeze Ham Slices?
You can freeze ham slices for around two months.
If you think you will use your ham within two days of cooking it, you can always preserve the slices in the refrigerator, instead of freezing them.
However, you should never store your ham at room temperature, as this will allow harmful bacteria to grow on the meat and could cause illness.
When carefully wrapped in foil or cling film, ham slices will keep in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
How Do You Defrost Ham Slices?
When youāre ready to defrost your ham slices, the safest method is to remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
You should never thaw your ham or any other meat for that matter at room temperature or in the sink.
If youāre in a hurry, itās possible to defrost your ham in the microwave, by placing it in water in an airtight bag, and microwaving it on the lowest setting. If you do this, you need to cook your ham straight away after thawing.
Can You Refreeze Ham Slices?
Providing you have defrosted your ham slices safely in the refrigerator, itās perfectly safe to refreeze any you havenāt used after youāve thawed them.
That being said, we always recommend that you only try and take out what you need, as refreezing meat could affect the taste and overall texture, particularly if you do it more than once.
Do Ham Slices Freeze Well?
Ham slices freeze exceptionally well.
If youāre worried about freezer burn, as has been mentioned, you could always wrap your slices individually in cling film before placing them in a freezer-safe bag.
While weāve focused on ham slices in this guide, ham of any type freezes extremely well. So, if you plan on dicing it for use in a curry or stew, or even leaving it whole to enjoy as a family shortly, you will find that your ham will be extremely well preserved in the freezer.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing ham slices or ham in general, then these may help:
You can freeze supermarket-bought ham, provided that you do so before the use-by date. If you haven’t unsealed the ham, then you can freeze it in the packet you bought it in.
Yes, if the packet is unopened, then you can freeze packet ham as it is. If the ham is opened, then you’ll need to wrap it before freezing it.
