25 year old frozen ham

[zxcvbob]

There's a Cure 81 ham in the bottom of my deep freezer that has been there well over 20 years.    Not sure if it's 25 exactly but thereabouts.  I got it free from Econo Foods for some sale they were doing.  It's still wrapped in thick cryovac plastic and looks vacuum packed (by Hormel, I didn't do anything with it) so I suspect it's not freezer-burned or otherwise oxidized.

When I want ham, which isn't very often, I like to buy bone-in hams and cook them myself -- that's why I haven't done anything with this one.  I'm wondering how to use it?  (if it's still good when I thaw it)   I assume it's fully cooked but I'll need to read the label.  

Ham too salty to use for dogfood...  Grind it up and mix 50:50 with hamburger meat to make ham meatballs?  Boil it whole and see what I get, then slice it for sandwiches, salads, etc?  Slice it and dehydrate it like jerky?  

I have no problem throwing it out if it's gone bad, but I really doubt that it has.

[brimic]

Register it, and have it vote in the next election.

[K Frame]

"otherwise oxidized."

Althought slowed by cold, some enzymatic process simply can't be stopped short of dry curing and thoroughly drying.

My guess is that that is NOT going to be the best voting-age ham you've ever had.

[lupinus]

Well there's only one way to find out.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[charby]

Just toss it in the trash

[just Warren]

I like my ham old and warm.

[zxcvbob]

Just toss it in the trash

"I'm sorry, Dave.  I'm afraid I can't do that."  

If I thaw it out and it stinks or tastes bad, then I can toss it.

[Brad Johnson]

Just toss it in the trash

Are you kidding... ?
A 25 year old ham... ?

YOUTUBE GOLD, BABY!!!!

Brad

[BobR]

Who cares about the ham, I'm impressed you have a deep freeze that old that is still keeping things frozen. They don't make them like that anymore!!!

bob

[charby]

Are you kidding... ?
A 25 year old ham... ?

YOUTUBE GOLD, BABY!!!!

Brad

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Bob isn't a member of those forms social media.

[KD5NRH]

Voting is thinking small. Get it on the ballot.

[HeroHog]

Find some Green Eggs to go with it?

[BlueStarLizzard]

Go for it.

Just make sure you're stocked on extra toilet paper and maybe have an ambulance on standby.

[French G.]

25 is a little old for me. I did sample some 1980s MREs though. Entree went trash unopened. Crackers were still crackers. Cheese spread as fine as it ever was.

Meatwise my oldest is 2014 canned bacon. I usually keep a couple of those 3 lb Hormel canned hams in the fridge and rotate them. Emergency dinner, or a week of ham sandwiches. Three year stated shelf life. I don't eat enough to justify keeping a whole salt ham around, wish I did. That I might let go 25.

[cordex]

A 25 year old ham... ?

YOUTUBE GOLD, BABY!!!!

“Let’s get this out onto a tray. Nice!”

[HeroHog]

In the late 60's I was eating C-Rats on a deer stand. Some was ok, the rest? "It'll make a turd."

[Big Hairy Bee]

Go fishing

https://youtu.be/6hyE_J75T4s

[charby]

"I'm sorry, Dave.  I'm afraid I can't do that."  

If I thaw it out and it stinks or tastes bad, then I can toss it.

One it's Cure 81, so a crappy ham to begin. 2nd, 20 years of aging in above 0 but below 32 is not good for food taste quality. Need to be be -15F or colder for longevity of food storage. 3rd, probably going to taste like a really crappy Cure 81 ham, might even be jerky like because the plastic wrap is not 100% non-permeable.

[just Warren]

All of that just increases the entertainment potential.

[zxcvbob]

One it's Cure 81, so a crappy ham to begin. 2nd, 20 years of aging in above 0 but below 32 is not good for food taste quality. Need to be be -15F or colder for longevity of food storage. 3rd, probably going to taste like a really crappy Cure 81 ham, might even be jerky like because the plastic wrap is not 100% non-permeable.

Not above 0.  I think my freezer is set to -5 but it might be a little colder.  I've thawed other meats out of that freezer that were several years old with no special treatment (wrapped in freezer paper) and they were fine.  But ham doesn't freeze as well as uncured meat, and 25 years is a long time.  I don't know what to expect when I thaw it.  

Probably in a week or so; I have a turkey to deal with now.  I might thaw it to make room for turkey leftovers...
I will do something with it before this end of the year and will post the results

[Scout26]

You need to make a Tube of U video about it.

Discovery
Prep
Eating
Results

Edit to 10 minutes or less.


BTW my first drill in the Reserves in 1983, we were given C-rats stamped 1952.  Yep, 31 years old.   And we ate them with no ill effects, aside from usual effects of eating C-rations.

[charby]

You need to make a Tube of U video about it.

Discovery
Prep
Eating
Results

Edit to 10 minutes or less.


BTW my first drill in the Reserves in 1983, we were given C-rats stamped 1952.  Yep, 31 years old.   And we ate them with no ill effects, aside from usual effects of eating C-rations.

Canned in a environment void of oxygen is different than a freezer.

[Fly320s]

“Let’s get this out onto a tray. Nice!”

I understand the reference.   

Think he wants to try a 25 year old ham?

[Firethorn]

Are you kidding... ?
A 25 year old ham... ?

YOUTUBE GOLD, BABY!!!!

Brad

This might actually be a good option.  Dig up how old it really is, make a video where you explain the circumstances and such, and try it like you'd try a 50 year old can of food.  It hasn't defrosted in that whole time, has it?

Then ask for donations on patreon or something.  

maybe a gofundme for potential medical bills.

[Scout26]

That ham can't be any worse than this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZoHuMwZwTk