Handling ham: How can I store and prepare fully cooked ham?

There are two types of hams: fully cooked, which are ready-to-eat right out of the package and those that require cooking before eating. Fully cooked hams may be

eaten cold or reheated to 140 °F. When storing these hams, see the "best if used by" dates on the label. These are dates recommended by the manufacturer to indicate when a product will be of best flavor or quality. Use store-wrapped cooked ham portions within three to five days.

"Cook-before-eating" hams must be cooked to 145 °F and allowed to rest for at least three minutes to destroy harmful bacteria that may be present. Use within seven days.