Christmas Ham Glazes with Victoria Taylor’s Seasonings
I know its tiring to think of the next big holiday meal already. We have barely recovered from Thanksgiving! But Ham is really one of the easiest and tastiest dishes to prepare. With that thought in mind, I developed 4 easy and delicious glaze recipes for the Christmas or Holiday party Ham. I also included a sweet & tangy cranberry sauce (made with Pie Spice) and a pineapple salsa (made with Smoky Paprika Chipotle Seasoning) to serve with your Ham.
Ham Glazes
I invite you to try one of these glaze recipes this holiday season. Fifteen to thirty minutes before ham is done, spread glaze over ham, then finish baking. If using a precooked ham, apply glaze at the beginning, warm ham 10-15 minutes.
New – Orange Glaze with Ginger Citrus Seasoning
- ½ cup sweet orange marmalade
- 1 tablespoon Victoria Taylor’s Ginger Citrus Seasoning
Combine orange marmalade and Ginger Citrus Seasoning in small bowl; mix well. Brush over ham 30 minutes before finish baking. Makes about ½ cup.
New – Kansas City Glaze
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Victoria Taylor’s Kansas City Seasoning
Combine tomato paste, syrup, vinegar and Kansas City Seasoning in saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Brush over ham during last 30 minutes of baking. Makes about 1/3 cup.
New – Honey-Glazed with Mulling Spice
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Victoria Taylor’s Mulling Spice
- ¼ teaspoon dried mustard
- 4 slices canned pineapple
- 2 maraschino cherries, halved
For glaze, combine brown sugar, honey, Mulling Spice, and dried mustard in a small saucepan; stir well. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Set aside. About 15 minutes prior to ham coming out of the oven; arrange pineapple slices with cherries in the center on top of ham; spoon on glaze. Bake 15 minutes basting once with drippings. Makes about ½ cup.
New – Cranberry Glaze with Cinnamon Chili Rub
- 6 ounces fresh cranberries
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Victoria Taylor’s Cinnamon Chili Rub
In medium saucepan, cook fresh cranberries with maple syrup until skins pop open; about 10 minutes. Stir in Cinnamon Chili Rub, cook 1-2 minutes. Using hand held blender or food processor puree mixture. Brush over ham 30 minutes before finish baking. Makes about 1 cup.
Ham Accompaniments using Victoria Taylor’s Seasonings
Cranberry Sauce with Pie Seasoning
- 1 bag (12 ounce) fresh cranberries
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Victoria Taylor’s Pie Seasoning
In large saucepan, cook fresh cranberries with maple syrup until skins pop open; about 10 minutes. Stir in Pie Seasoning, cook 1-2 minutes. For a smooth sauce, using hand held blender or food processor puree mixture. Serve with ham, or use as a condiment on a ham sandwich. Makes about 2 cups.
Pineapple Salsa with Smoky Paprika Chipotle
- 2 cups fresh diced pineapple or 1 can (20 ounce) crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
- (Tip: If using fresh pineapple, substitute lime juice if unable to capture fresh juice)
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- 1 tablespoon Victoria Taylor’s Smoky Paprika Chipotle Seasoning
In a bowl combine pineapple, bell pepper, red onions and cilantro. Add pineapple juice and Smoky Chipotle Seasoning; stir well to combine. Serve with ham as a side dish. Makes about 2½ cups.
Assorted Ham Tips
Tips When Buying Ham
- Hams are available as fully-cooked (most popular and is ready to eat), “cook before eating” (not completely cooked and should be cooked), and country (distinctively flavored, cured).
- Hams are most often sold as either boneless or bone-in. Bone-in hams are marketed whole, in halves, in butt or shank portions, or center cut slices. Boneless are easy to slice, have little or no waste, and are often the best buy although the price is higher. They are sold whole or cut into halves or quarters.
- Canned hams are available either as a whole piece of boneless meat or formed from bits of meat held together with a gelatin mixture (generally the smaller canned ham).
- Choose firm, plump hams that are rosy pink and finely grained. Country hams range in color from pale pink to deep red.
Storage
- Store fresh ham in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Cured hams can be kept up to one week in the refrigerator in their original wrapping.
- Canned ham should be stored according to label directions.
- Freezing is not generally recommended for ham because flavor and texture changes, but these changes are minimal if the ham is frozen less than 2 months in an airtight container.
Preparation
- Ham can be baked, grilled, sautéed, broiled or simmered.
- Even if a ham is “fully cooked” its flavor is improved by heating.
- Remove all but ¼- to ½ -inch of the fat from the ham before glazing. Cook fat side up so the fat will partially melt as the meat roasts and will self-baste.
- If ham is not cooked, cook at 325ºF to an internal temperature of 160ºF.
- If reheating ham, internal temperature should be 140ºF—about 8 to 10 minutes per pound in a 325ºF oven.
Miscellaneous
- Don’t worry about the iridescence on the surface of ham—it’s simply a reaction some curing agents have to air and light.
- A ham bone should always be saved for later use. Simply freeze to flavor soups, stews, beans or broth.
- Left over ham? Enjoy grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. Try Cranberry Sauce with Victoria Taylor’s Pie Seasoning instead of mayonnaise or mustard.
