Help, opinions please.

When did it fall out? If you add the number of days it has been out to the use-by date, do you get a new reasonable use-by date? Bear in mind that it would take a while to defrost.

Ham is cured and keeps pretty well even unfrozen. They used to hang from the kitchen ceiling for months!

That's the trouble Elegran I don't know how long it's been out.

Given that the weather has been cool and ham is a preserved product, and from what you say it has not been out for many days, I would smell iot and if it seems OK cook it well. What is it's best before date, which probably assumes cool storage ?

I would cook it well and eat it. Ham keeps well - it is very salty.

Is the freezer somewhere cold or in a warm room?
If is in a colder place then probably fine. Hams are in chiller cabinet in supermarkets after all and as cured meat it will be useable I'd have thought.

Thanks all, I think I'll risk it. It looks/smells fine.

Will let DH have first taste

Go for it!

Yep, go for it.
You will know as soon as you unwrap it if it's not ok.

Smoked or unsmoked? Smoked would have kept better. But, so long as it smells ok...

Cook it and trust your own senses. If it smells odd give them sausages and mash, otherwise -enjoy and hide the sell by label!

Bin it and get another. There's plenty of bargains to be had.

"Given that the weather has been cool "

Yes, but the back of the freezer is giving off heat.

I have my own ham question - how long can you keep Gammon in the fridge once cooked? I want to cook it Christmas eve for tea, but have enough left for Saturday 'grab and growl'buffet .will it be Ok ?

Would think so susie

Susie I think so, that's within 3 days which is my yardstick (more or less).

Nina "if in doubt, ..." For 10 quid (and I hate waste too) I'd rather replace it and eat with relish, than with "long teeth" because I know that the ham has been out of the freezer. In other words it's a mind thing too, once you know...

I cook a gammon on Xmas eve and we eat it for weeks! It sits in the fridge and is a source of dinners ( with chips and coleslaw) and sandwiches for a long time. Cooked hams on the deli counter of supermarkets are more than 3 days old surely?

However, as to the fell out of the freezer joint, I wouldn't eat it as it has been frozen and defrosted without being cooked, and even if it is likely to be ok once I have got the idea in my mind that it isnt right......

Trust your nose !!

GillT57 - frozen meat NEEDS to be defrosted before cooking.

In the bin I think!!!!!

Not sure about the one that fell out of the freezer - if it has been in a cold place it should be ok, if it has been catching the warm air from the back of the freezer be a bit wary. Smell it and if unsure buy another one.

As for cooked ham, it should keep for a lot longer than 3 days if wrapped and refrigerated. We have eaten ham from a home cooked gammon for a couple of weeks afterwards.

I'm a bit worried about my fridge. If I put the dial on 5 the temperature is about 7/8 and yet salad stuff seems to freeze [it isn't a proper fridge thermometer; I lent that to someone so I'm using an ordinary thermometer]. I remembered that I turned the temperature up because of the freezing but the S.O. was puzzled that milk, bought on the same day as he bought his seemed to go off much quicker in my fridge. It's a lousy fridge anyway; doesn't seem to have much storage capacity, but I'm loathe to buy another.

I turned my main fridge up and hope stuff doesn't freeze, so far so good.

The old larder fridge in the kitchen has a knob that can be accidentally turned up and I have sometimes found frozen lettuce etc at the bottom, so now we set it then take the knob off! The milk seems fine, not sure of the temperature in there.

Nina did I meet you looking at the brandy in Waitrose yesterday ? I got chatting to a lady who had had exactly the same thing happen to her though I think it was salmon in her case. She had come in especially to ask the advice of the manageress but I don't know what the outcome was. She wasn't too happy either.

I would definitely be throwing out salmon unless it had only just defrosted!

Sorry Nonnie what I meant was meat which had been defrosted needs to be cooked and shouldnt be re-frozen.