I froze a whole Cook's Ham?

Question

Now I'm defrosting it and making bean soup. My questions is being that the ham is huge, can I use half of it and re-freeze the rest, or is that something that your not suposed to do?

I'm hoping that's an old rule and want to be safe. If you do give an answer, please explain how you came up with your information.

Answer 1

dude, yea defrost. next time don't put it in the freezer just in the fridge. put your ham in the water for faster defrost =D

Answer 2

Refreezing
Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through defrosting. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asp#14

The key here is defrosting the ham in a refrigerator where bacteria are less likely to grow on the meat. Another key is heating the ham to a high enough temperature during the cooking process to kill any lingering bacteria. Defrosted meat usually is a little drier than the fresh product as some of the cell walls are damaged and cannot retain moisture.

Answer 3

I believe that this whole refreezing thing is an old wives tale. Yes, you can refreeze the ham. I was going to go into the whole temperature thing but you already have a very good answer above mine.

Close your mouth, you're letting flys in...(funny avatar)

You have a good day!!!