# Need to cook ham? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2014, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-cook-ham/707261 "2014-12-15T04:46:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-cook-ham/707261/1 "2014-12-15T04:46:56Z")
With a pre-cooked, bone-in ham, does it improve the flavor any to cook it in the oven when I get it and then put it back in the fridge as opposed to just cutting off cold pieces to microwave to eat at lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-cook-ham/707261/2 "2014-12-15T04:56:44Z")
If you’re not putting any kind of glaze (brown sugar, cloves, pineapple, 7up or what have you) and you’re not cooking it in such a way that it’s going to get roasted/browned, all you’re doing is warming it up. Warming it may bring out the flavors that you might not notice if it’s cold (and it’ll uncongeal (is that a word) the globs of fat) but you can go ahead and just slice it and eat it, just like you would any other pre-cooked meat. Microwave it if you want it warmed up. ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-cook-ham/707261/3 "2014-12-15T19:51:34Z")
Ok, sounds good. Once I break the seal how long will it keep in the fridge? Until the expiration date or sometime sooner (I’ll normally toss pre-sliced deli meet after a week). ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-cook-ham/707261/4 "2014-12-15T19:59:16Z")
[Cooked Ham](http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/hamstoragechart.html), vacuum sealed at plant, undated or dated; opened 3 to 5 days ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-cook-ham/707261/5 "2014-12-15T20:24:26Z")
It’s tastier if you brown it. I use ginger ale as a glaze. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-cook-ham/707261/6 "2014-12-16T03:27:55Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > [Cooked Ham](http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/hamstoragechart.html), vacuum sealed at plant, undated or dated; opened > > 3 to 5 days The numbers on that site are paranoidly short (typical of the government’s views on food “safety”). Pre-cooked ham’s lifespan is way longer than 3-5 days. If it goes bad in less than 2 weeks, it was probably bad when you got it, or you left it out of the fridge. If you aren’t out of ham (or sick of eating ham) before the whole thing goes bad, you’re doin something wrong. But no, there’s no need to heat it unless you like it warm, or are glazing it. If you’re eating it cold, just keep it cold all along. That’s my experience/opinion, not advice, not my fault if anyone gets stick, blah blah blah ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-cook-ham/707261/7 "2014-12-16T04:04:10Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > The numbers on that site are paranoidly short (typical of the government’s views on food “safety”)…] To be honest, I actually thought the same thing. I would have thought 7 days at a minimum. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-to-cook-ham/707261/8 "2014-12-16T04:24:15Z")
If it’s a big ol’ ham and just you to eat it, consider cutting it up all a once (even after a few days just hanging out in the fridge) and freezing it in serving sizes you’ll use. You can just grab a baggie out of the freezer and take it to work, defrosting until lunch and then microwave hot. Or if you’re eating it at home, you can pan-fry it from frozen and get some caramelized goodness that way.