I left a fully cooked honeybaked ham out overnight, and i am planning on making it into soup-is that ok?

Question

I plan to make soup out of fully cured ham that was left out overnight-since it will cook another two hours, should it be safe to eat ?

Answer 1

Using the ham and the bone would be great for soup! The ham has already been cooked (cured) and since it has been left out in the "Food Danger Zone" has probably had bacteria grow on it. However cooking the ham (boiling it in soup) above 212 degrees will kill any bacteria that may have developed. Also you may want to consider putting the ham and bone in a pot with water only, bring it to a boil and then dump it all into a sink and colender. This will get a lot of the fat or scum out of the soup. Then put the ham back into the same pot, add your stock or water and seasoning with carrots, onions etc. You will have a lot less skimming. Just don't eat the soup cold or let it stand out.