Here's How Long You Can Keep A Fresh Ham Bone To Make Soup Out Of

Winter months call for warm, comforting, flavorful soups. Soup is the perfect hibernation food because it can be prepared in large batches, is easily customizable, and can be very nourishing. One of the best ways to supercharge homemade soups is by using bones to make your broth. By simmering bones in water with spices, onions, garlic, carrots, and other aromatics, you can create a nutritious broth that has collagen, magnesium, zinc, protein, and a plethora of other nutrients that your body needs. Ham bones in particular can be great for making homemade broth and soups because they have rich, salty flavor and impart the same briny taste into any soup they are in. 

Next time you're cooking a ham, don't toss the precious ham bone in the trash. Instead, put the bone into a plastic food storage bag and squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing and putting in the freezer. If you have one on hand, use a vacuum sealer for an even better protection from your freezer's air. The bone should be good in the freezer for up to three months; after that point the flavor begins to deteriorate and it will be more susceptible to freezer burn. If you plan to make your soup within a day or two of removing the bone from your ham, then it's fine to store it in a plastic food storage bag in the refrigerator. 

Before using your frozen ham bone in your favorite soup recipe, inspect it to make sure it hasn't fallen victim to the dreaded freezer burn. You shouldn't worry about your ham bone going bad in the freezer, but a freezer-burnt bone can take on a funky and unappealing flavor at worst, and be totally lacking in flavor at best. It's also nice to allow the frozen bone to thaw and come to room temperature before beginning the cooking process. This helps ensure it cooks evenly and doesn't slow the cooking time down by adding a giant hunk of frozen meat and bone (though, it's not the end of the world if you run out of time and need to use the ham bone right out of the freezer).

Ham bones have the most delicious, smoky marrow that melts beautifully into a broth. One of the best soups to make with a ham bone is herby ham and bean soup. The beans soak up all of the hearty ham flavor and make for a tasty, filling, and gut-healthy soup. Another classic ham bone-based soup is split pea soup. It's a nostalgic, cozy soup that is packed with vegetables and is perfect served alongside warm crusty bread. Corn chowder is another recipe that holds its own against a strong, salty ham flavor. The potatoes are a great medium for the saltiness, and the sweet crunch of corn balances everything out.