Ham

A plump, juicy ham is often a classic choice for the holidays — perfect as a centerpiece meal and then for delicious lunchtime sandwiches or a quick budget-friendly dinner. But all ham is not created equal, and we think the more you know about your meat, the better. Learn all about preparing your ham below and read about some of our ham producers.

• The Scoop on our Hams
• Choosing the Right Ham
• Holiday Ham Cooking Tips & Recipes
• What To Do with Leftovers?

Here's one way to cook up those fabulous leftovers into a delicious soup.

The Scoop on our Hams

We partner with dedicated family-owned farms and producers to make sure that our hams are the best for your special celebrations. Our hams are from pigs raised to meet our high standards, which means:

• Raised with no antibiotics – ever
• Raised with no added growth hormones*
• No animal byproducts in the feed
• No added nitrates or nitrites
• Raised without gestation or farrowing crates

In addition, our hams contain no artificial ingredients or preservatives. No water is added, so they are full of flavor. Learn more about the farms where the animals are raised.

* Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in raising pork.

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Choosing the Right Ham

Here's a handy guide to determine which ham is just right for your holiday celebration.

• Boneless – No bones for easy slicing.
• Semi-Boneless – Small portion of bone is left in.
• Bone-In – Full bone left in; Bone can be used to flavor soups and beans.
• Spiral-Cut – A perfectly cut spiral-sliced ham for easy serving. Can be bone-in or boneless.
• Glazed – A coating made of sugar, honey or maple syrup and spices for a sweet coating.
• Fully Cooked – Ready to serve as is but can be reheated.
• Uncured – No added preservatives.
• Seasoned – Glazed or smoked for additional flavor.
• Slow-Smoked – traditionally slow cooked over smoke.

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Holiday Ham Cooking Tips & Recipes

Flavorful and elegant, ham is a great choice for the holidays and so easy to prepare. Most pre-cooked hams require only an hour or so in the oven and it's easy to prepare a deliciously simple glaze. Try these recipes:

• Honey-Glazed Ham with Fresh Pineapple Chutney
• Roasted Spiral-Sliced Ham with Maple and Orange Marmalade Glaze
• Mango and Orange Glazed Ham with Scallion-Cheddar Biscuits

And our tips for a perfectly cooked centerpiece ham:

• Once a ham is fully cooked, it can be served at a warm or cool temperature but never straight out of the refrigerator.
• One advantage to buying a bone-in ham is to have the ham bone – great for soups and beans.
• Allow for ½ to ¾ lbs per serving for a bone-in ham.
• Allow for ¼ to ½ lbs per serving for a boneless ham.
• Let the ham sit at room temperature for about an hour before cooking.
• Scoring the skin of the ham adds to a beautiful presentation. Cut ¼" deep crosswise into 1" to 2" squares to create classic diamond shapes.
• If you chose to glaze your ham, don't coat the ham with the glaze until the last hour of cooking to avoid burning.
• Don't baste ham with the drippings as they can be really salty. Try pineapple juice, instead.
• If you use cloves to spice up your ham, be sure and remove the cloves before slicing and serving.

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What To Do with Leftovers?

Well, that's almost the best part! Few main courses hold such versatility for leftovers as ham. Beyond favorites such as ham sandwiches and ham soup, try:

• Ham and Roasted Pear Crostini
• Creamy Cucumber Chive Cups
• Ham with Buttermilk-Chive Biscuits

Ham and eggs are a legendary combination and they work well together served side by side breakfast-style, or as a frittata, omelet or quiche.

• Ham and Mushroom Frittata
• Mini Ham and Cheese Quiches

Cubed ham makes a great addition to your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe as well as in scalloped or au gratin potatoes. Leftover ham can add nice flavor to fried rice and is a perfect seasoning for collard or turnip greens.

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