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England is heading into a second lockdown where trips to the supermarket will need to be absolutely essential. Stockpilers seem to be panic-buying the essentials, leaving others concerned they may run out of food. Freezing your food during lockdown is one way buy in bulk and visit the shops less. But can you freeze ham?
Can you freeze ham?
You can freeze ham in order to defrost it and eat it later.
All types of ham can be frozen: sliced, smoked, off the bone, cooked ham, and everything in-between.
Freezing ham is a great way to avoid waste, and it tastes exactly the same once it defrosts.
If your kids love ham sandwiches, this is one way to make sure they always have lunch to take to school.
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How do you freeze ham?
In order to freeze ham successfully, you have to store it properly.
If your ham isn't pre-sliced, use a sharp nice to slice it.
Thicker slices defrost better, so keep that in mind.
Divide the slices into portions and pop each portion into a freezer bag or zip bag, getting rid of any excess air.
Label each bag with a permanent marker with:
- What is in the bag
- When you froze it
- When you want to eat it again (e.g. for lunch on Wednesday)
Stack the bags flat in the freezer drawer.
If you have ham on the bone, make sure it is cool before you put it in the freezer.
After leaving it in the fridge, make sure you dry it off with kitchen roll to get rid of excess moisture.
Then pop it in a freezer or zip bag and coat this in aluminium foil to protect it.
After you've done this, put it inside another plastic bag and label it up.
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How do you defrost ham?
Always defrost any meat slowly in the fridge.
Don't leave frozen meat sitting on the kitchen counter, or in the sink.
Do not try to defrost meat in the microwave either, as this partially cooks it.
Just keep the bags sealed and stick it in the freezer.