Ham gives a holiday vibe to any occasion. Perhaps you want to cook it for a special family gathering at Christmas or even for a picnic.
Most people tend to love the sweetness of ham, which is why it is an integral part of most holiday meals. There are multiple different recipes leftover ham can be used in, too, so none will waste.
There are also many ways of dressing a whole ham up to serve for a special occasion. A personal favorite is to brush a cooked ham with a marmalade glaze and grill it. This results in a gorgeous, sticky-sweet finish.
We all know how rushed holidays can become with a thousand chores to do and things to remember. It’s easy to forget to remove your ham from the freezer.
Don’t worry – contrary to popular belief. You do not have to thaw a ham before cooking it if you are doing it in a pressure cooker or crockpot.
Crock-Pots are one of the many different types of slow cookers on the market. In fact, they are one of the first types of slow cookers produced and arguably the most popular ones.
They are great for most things, from casseroles to soups to roasts. They are highly efficient in most cases and will save you time, energy, and washing up.
For example, cooking in a slow cooker will allow you to simmer your food at much lower temperatures than other methods such as boiling and frying. So, if you’re interested in cooking frozen ham using your crockpot, keep reading, and we’ll tell you how.
How to Cook Frozen Ham in a Crock-Pot
Cooking a frozen ham in a crockpot is relatively easy, but it will need some time. Generally, it takes about fifty percent longer than a thawed piece.
Therefore, the best is to do it overnight. The main thing you need to worry about for this method is whether your crockpot is large enough to cook your frozen ham.
The process can take as many as 12 hours to complete. However, depending upon the size of the frozen ham, the time it takes to cook fully can vary.
For example, if the frozen ham in question is relatively large in size, you’ll need to leave it for 11-12 hours in the crockpot before it is finally ready.
A small piece may need just 8 hours. You mustn’t try to rush things and only cook them on the low setting. Remember that you want the warmth of the crockpot to slowly thaw the meat through to the center before it starts cooking it.
If you need the ham for a big feast the following day, you can put the ham inside the pot before going to sleep. Then, when you wake up in the morning, you’ll see that your frozen ham has been fully cooked and is ready to be served.
How to Cook the Ham
- Remove the ham from the freezer and remove any wrappings
- Put it into the crockpot along with a cup of liquid. There are many recipes, but we recommend something like pineapple juice, ginger ale, cola, or ginger beer
- Put the lid on and put the crockpot onto a slow cook setting. You don’t want a high temperature here. For a large ham, set the machine to 12 hours
- That’s it! Leave it to cook. When the time is up, check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. It should be at 145 degrees Fahrenheit or more for safety. If not, cook it for longer.
Conclusion
As you can see, it’s quite easy to cook a frozen ham using a crockpot. There isn’t much work to do, and all you really have to do is wait for it to fully cook before you can serve it.