Quickest Way to Thaw an 8 Lb Ham

[ChefPaulaB]

I just took an 8 lb ham out of the freezer (a fully cooked smoked one) and I'd really like to make it for dinner tonight (I know, I never think far enough in advance! :blushing... Obviously, I've never cooked a whole ham before, now I'm reading that you're supposed to thaw it in the fridge for a couple days... Any way around this? Microwave? If so, how long? I originally was thinking of Potato Soup with ham but don't have any ham besides the whole from freezer, so I thought I'd make the ham with potatoes tonight and then use the leftovers for soup tomorrow night. I guess, I could put the whole menu on hold until the ham thaws, but then I might be all out of the mood. It really sounds good for tonight. Of course, I could always put the ham back in the freezer and drive myself to the grocery store and buy a ham steak and stick to the soup, but that would be way too easy! Thanks in advance for any thawing tips!

 

[pamperedlinda]

Do Not Thaw It In The Microwave!!!!!

 

[Yakmama]

If you don't mind running up your water bill, the best way to thaw anything out is to put it in a water tight bag (like a big ziploc freezer bag or something) and then put it in a bowl in your sink and turn the water on (about room temperature). Let the water run into the bowl and overflow over the edges. It might take a while (like a couple of hours) but it is the most effective way to thaw things. Make sure you turn it over every half hour or so.

 

[Chef Kearns]

Why not do the ham and potatoes in the slow cooker? I put frozen meat in there all the time. Just cook it all day and it should be wonderful!

 

[crystalscookingnow]

I've heard that the rule of thumb for refrigerator defrosting is 1 hour for every 5 lbs of frozen meat. I would do the water bath (don't do hot water!) or crock pot it.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I've heard that the rule of thumb for refrigerator defrosting is 1 hour for every 5 lbs of frozen meat. I would do the water bath (don't do hot water!) or crock pot it.

I think that might be 5 hrs for every 1 lb of frozen meat.

 

[ChefPaulaB]

Why not do the ham and potatoes in the slow cooker? I put frozen meat in there all the time. Just cook it all day and it should be wonderful!

That could work... have you put a frozen ham in a crock pot before? Any thoughts on how long, high/low, just put whole potatoes in with it? What about a sauce? So many questions, you'd think that I've never cooked before! :blushing: But seriously, love the idea of the crock pot, just need to know how! Thanks!

 

[Chef Kearns]

I have never done a frozen ham. However, I would just put it in on low for about 6 hours then add the potatoes and finsh on high till dinner time. Even if it doesn't heat all the way through you'll have enough hot for dinner tonight and the rest will thaw overnight for the soup.

 

[crystalscookingnow]

I think that might be 5 hrs for every 1 lb of frozen meat.

Yep, that's what I meant. Whoops.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Put it on a piece of our Executive cookware. I often take meat from the freezer and put it on the square griddle - flip it over every time you walk past it and it's thawed in no time.

 

[ChefPaulaB]

oh, wow that's a good idea. I couldn't do the crock pot, the ham was a little too big (tall) for my ginormous crock pot. So, I ended up putting the ham in fridge to make another day and I just have to come up with something else to make for dinner tonight. It's probably too late now to get it to defrost and cook it in time for dinner. So, I'll wait for tomorrow, but the cookware thing is an awesome idea, I'll be using that in the future! Thanks!

 

[Nanisu]

Ok, so this is how I thaw BIG stuff, I do my turkey this way every year--I get a $5 Orange bucket from Home Depot (it's a 5 gallon bucket), put the large--whatever--in it, cover it with cold water, and let it set--change the water about every 1/2 hour. It's way easier than putting it in the sink and covering it with water, and I just lift it, dump the old water out, put the new water in and put it on the counter or wherever in my kitchen. I have done my turkey this way for years. For an 8 lb ham I guess you could use a smaller bucket.....

 

[WonderMonkey]

Why don't you use warm water?

 

[Nanisu]

Because everything I have ever read for safety reasons (I assume so that it doesn't thaw too quickly?) says cold water.