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Freezing Ham Steaks

post #1 of 8
7/18/09 at 2:13pm
Thread Starter 
I used to buy ham steaks at the local grocery store when they would go on sale and toss them in the freezer as they made great meals when on the run or working late.

I have read that you should not freeze ham because of the high sodium content and the ham could go rancid even in the freezer. Now I am reading you can freeze them no problem and they won't go rancid :confused:

What is the correct answer? Can I freeze ham steaks or not? I have not purchased any in a long time and starting to miss them.

Thanks,

Brian
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post #2 of 8
7/18/09 at 2:45pm
I don't know about the science of it, but I freeze ham products all the time. Haven't killed anyone yet.
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post #3 of 8
7/18/09 at 5:57pm
Doesn't make sense to me, either: salt is a preservative. Freezing is a method of preservation. Why would one cancel out the other? Not to mention the fact that commercially produced ham is treated with other preservatives.

I also freeze ham, in steaks or thick chunks. The only thing I've found I have to worry about is freezer burn from not wrapping it well enough.

Disclaimer: although I just worked on a book on charcuterie (which included a recipe for prosciutto and discussions of the properties of salt and nitrites) for The Culinary Institute of America, I am no expert on the preservation of meats. :p
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post #4 of 8
7/19/09 at 6:57pm
Frozen ham steaks - never had a problem with them. Great for a morning after the night before quick breakfast (or lunch!) with a fried agg ontop of a piece of toast/english muffin, lashings of tomaote sauce and mustard, hot coffee, orange juice.

Then back to bed.

Even sliced smoked leg ham. You buy a joint at Christmas or Easter thinking you'll get thru it all, but end up with 5 times as much as you needed. It's a great stand by.
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post #5 of 8
7/20/09 at 1:03am
Like the others, I freeze ham portions of various cuts and sizes from time to time. The main effect that I see is that the cell walls are broken up a bit and the defrosted ham is a tad more watery and mushy, but it still tastes like the ham that went into the freezer. Higher quality hams with less initial water content tend to freeze better than the ham like food product with a bazillion per cent added water. Check the labels. Garbage in, garbage out.

Just the other day I made up a small batch of cheese grits, added some bits of previously frozen ham, topped with a couple of really sunny side up eggs and sopped it all up with some toasted English muffins. Real butter was involved. That, my friends, was a *breakfast*

mjb.
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post #6 of 8
10/7/09 at 1:16pm
I freeze ham all the time. I have noticed that they don't last as long in the freezer as other meats, but I have had no problems. That being said, I would definately recomend cooking it thouroghly just to make sure ;)

-Damon from amazing-easy-recipes.com
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post #7 of 8
10/7/09 at 1:34pm
Only problem with ham frozen is in our homes we can't freeze quick enough. The cells of the ham seem to break down and when thawed the ham will throw water like a sponge. The better grade of hams will see this less then the cheap pressed and formed stuff. When you look at a Ham the fewer pieces you see to form it the better it is. Naturally one solid piece from the leg is best. Same thing applies to cooked or smoked turkey breast that are more then 2 pieces joined together.:chef:
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post #8 of 8
10/8/09 at 7:29pm
I have frozen my leftover Missouri country hams for years. I've got some pieces that are a couple of years old - I just ate a couple of pieces this morning, and I'm still here. They are not as quite as good as fresh, but still great country ham.

We get a whole country ham - cooked - every Christmas and have it for dinner,then gnaw on it for a month or so: what James Beard called The Ham In Residence. I then cut it up, cutting as much as I can in slices suitable for sandwiches, and the rest in lumps to be ground up for wonderful ham salad. All is vac-packed and frozen. Been doing this for years, and we're all still kicking. :bounce:

I know that packaged ham steaks are mostly water, but I've had good luck freezing them for short-term storage.

Mike
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