ShelfLife
How long does ham last?
A whole, bone-in cooked ham keeps about 1 week in the fridge from purchase. Spiral-cut or sliced ham keeps 3 to 4 days, and a sealed vacuum-packed boneless ham about 2 weeks. All freeze for 1 to 2 months.
| Food | Fridge | Freezer |
|---|---|---|
| Whole cooked ham, bone-in | 1 weekfrom purchase | 1–2 monthsfrom purchase |
| Spiral-cut or sliced cooked ham | 3–4 daysfrom purchase | 1–2 monthsfrom purchase |
| Vacuum-packed boneless cooked ham | 2 weeksfrom purchase | 1–2 monthsfrom purchase |
Fridge at 4 °C (40 °F) or colder, freezer at −18 °C (0 °F). Freezer times are for best quality: food kept frozen stays safe, but slowly loses taste and texture. These times are USDA guidance, not a guarantee. When in doubt, throw it out.
How to tell if ham has gone bad
- A sour, ammonia or yeasty smell.
- A slimy or sticky surface, or a gray-green sheen. A rainbow shimmer on sliced ham is light reflecting off the cut surface and isn't a sign of spoilage on its own.
- Mold, or any patches of off color.
- More than 3 to 4 days since you cooked or opened it.
How to store ham
- Keep ham in its packaging, or wrapped tightly in foil or plastic, in the coldest part of the fridge.
- Refrigerate a served ham within 2 hours. Slice the meat off the bone first: it cools faster and stores more easily.
- Treat leftover ham like other cooked meat: 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
- Keep the bone for soup: it freezes well for a couple of months.
Can you freeze ham?
Yes, for 1 to 2 months. Ham is cured, and salty cured meat loses flavor and texture in the freezer faster than fresh meat, so it's not worth freezing it longer. Freeze it in meal-sized portions, tightly wrapped, and thaw it in the fridge. Frozen ham is best in soups, casseroles, omelets and pasta.
Questions
Do you need to reheat a fully cooked ham?
No, a fully cooked ham can be eaten cold. To serve it hot, the USDA's guidance is 60 °C (140 °F) for a ham from a sealed, USDA-inspected package, and 74 °C (165 °F) for leftovers or ham repackaged elsewhere.
How long does leftover ham last?
3 to 4 days in the fridge, and 1 to 2 months in the freezer.
Can you eat ham after the use-by date?
Follow the date on a sealed package and the times above once opened or cooked. If ham smells sour or feels slimy, throw it out whatever the date says.
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Storage times: USDA FoodKeeper (Food Safety and Inspection Service), public domain. Text by ShelfLife.