Melted ham in the oven in the evening of Eve. When the meat thermometer reads 75 degrees, the ham is cooked. That’s how it goes, but you could have made the biggest mistake much earlier.
When you cook ham to at least +75 degrees, all disease-causing bacteria are destroyed. The biggest risk is during the thawing phase of the ham. Mostphotos
Thawing the frozen Christmas ham at room temperature is the responsibility of HKFoods’ meat business manager Mikko Järvinen according to the biggest mistake you can make in making Christmas ham.
At room temperature, the surface parts of the ham heat up quickly and too much, while the inside is still frozen. This can cause excessive bacterial growth on the surface of the ham, which in the worst case can even cause food poisoning.
Frozen ham is best thawed in an unopened package in the refrigerator or alternatively outside if the outside temperature is between -2 and +5 degrees. Slow thawing also keeps the ham juicy.
The most important thing is to remember to take the frozen ham to the refrigerator in time to thaw, because thawing takes time. It is better to thaw the ham a day too early than too late, because the thawed ham will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
This is how long it takes to thaw ham in the refrigerator:
* 2–4 kg ham for about 2–3 days.
* 6–8 kg ham for about 3–4 days.
* 10–12 kg ham for about 4–5 days.
Source: HKFoods
Thawing Christmas ham takes time. All Over Press
READ ALSO
Remember these things when handling Christmas ham
* Wash your hands before handling the ham and also take care of the cleanliness of the tools, Remember that raw and cooked meat must be handled with separate tools.
* Thaw frozen ham in the refrigerator. The melting temperature must not rise above +6 degrees. Fry the ham as quickly as possible after thawing.
* Cook the ham to at least +75 degrees, because at this temperature all disease-causing bacteria, including MRSA bacteria, are destroyed. Use a meat thermometer to help.
* Cool the cooked ham quickly, e.g. protected outside, and then put it in the refrigerator. The ham must be stored below +6 degrees all the time.
* Cut only the necessary number of slices of the ham for the serving dish, instead of bringing the whole ham to the table. Discard the slices that were warm.
* Properly stored ham stays good for about a week, i.e. until the New Year.
Source: Food Agency