10 Great Recipes For a Leftover Ham Bone | Red Beans and Eric (2024)

FAQs

Can you use a ham bone more than once for soup? ›

Although you may be able to use a ham bone again for soup, if not all of the meat comes off of the bone, most of the flavor you can get from the bone will be used up the first time you use it to make soup. If you want to try to reuse the bone, refrigerate it and use it again within a couple of days.

If you're not going to make use of the bone immediately, freeze it. Place the ham bone in a freezer bag and make sure the top is well-sealed. It's best to use a vacuum bag to get all the air out and ensure freshness. If you don't have that option, remove as much air as possible from the bag.

Use leftover ham in soup

Both the ham bone and the hock contain scraps of meat, leftover fat, bone marrow, and collagen, all of which will infuse a rich, smoky flavor into soups like split pea and ham soup, herby ham and bean soup, and cicerchia soup over the course of a few hours of gentle cooking time.

Broth made from animal bones simmered up to 20 hours can heal your gut, boost your immune system, reduce cellulite, strengthen teeth and bones, tackle inflammation and much more.

Can dogs eat ham bones? No, always avoid ham bones. Pups can easily break off pieces of bone, which can cause life-threatening blockages in the digestive system. When cooked, these bones are also very soft and can splinter if your dog chews them, which could cause damage to their mouth and/or digestive system.

Christmas ham stored in the fridge, either on the bone or carved off and wrapped in plastic and foil, will keep perfectly well for up to two weeks. Ham wrapped in plastic and foil and then frozen will last in the freezer for up to a month.

Is a ham hock the same as a ham bone? No, but they can definitely be used in the same way—both are usually smoked, so they add similar flavor to a dish. A ham bone will have more usable meat on it than a ham hock.

Bone broth should be cooked for a minimum of 12 hours.

Although a richer, thicker stock is achieved with 24 to 48 hours. The slow cooker is ideal if you'd like a 48-hour broth.

Freezer storage time is for quality only. Frozen hams remain safe indefinitely. For more information, see Ham and Food Safety.

Be sure to hang on to the ham bone, too. It can be used to make soup, broth, and many other tasty recipes. If you're not up for making any of those things now, you can always freeze the ham bone for later. It can go right into the stockpot without thawing it first.

Can milk be frozen? ›

People can freeze most milk, including breast milk or human milk. Frozen milk retains its nutritional profile when it thaws, and the sooner someone freezes it, the better the milk quality after thawing. The enzymes and fat-soluble vitamins it contains may decrease very slightly but largely remain the same.

Use a sharp knife, and, beginning at hock end, cut to bone the length of the ham. Follow bones with point of knife as you cut. Loosen meat from bones. Remove bones.

This heart-friendly fat helps raise HDL levels (good cholesterol) and lower LDL levels (bad cholesterol). In short, we can state that to make a good quality ham, it is essential that the piece contains some fat. The decision to eat it, or not, is entirely ours.

If your ham has both the fat layer and skin on top, it's called a rind-on ham. It should be scored through the tough, inedible skin to help render the fat underneath. When it's roasted, you carve off that skin and fat layer and then slice the meat.

Ham contains important nutrients such as selenium, phosphorous, and B vitamins, but it also comes with some health risks. Eating ham, along with other red meats, may raise the risk of heart disease and cancer, affect your life expectancy, and take a toll on the environment.

Hams are either ready-to-eat or not. Ready-to-eat hams include prosciutto and cooked hams; they can be eaten right out of the package. Fresh hams and hams that are only treated to destroy trichinae (which may include heating, freezing or curing in the processing plant) must be cooked by the consumer before eating.

With the shank or lower leg to the carver's right, steady the ham with a fork and locate the notch where the aitch bone sits. Cut through the ham alongside the aitch bone until reaching the femur (center bone). Make a similar cut on the opposite end of the ham just before the shank.

Christmas ham stored in the fridge, either on the bone or carved off and wrapped in plastic and foil, will keep perfectly well for up to two weeks. Ham wrapped in plastic and foil and then frozen will last in the freezer for up to a month.