Cooking a spiral ham how to#

As the ham rests, the temperature will continue to increase to the recommended serving level of 145☏. Once the thickest section of the meat reads 140☏, remove the roasting pan from the oven. By checking the internal temperature of the ham it will ensure that you remove it from the oven just at the right time. One of the most valuable kitchen tools that you can ever have is an Instant Read Digital Thermometer. Towards the end of the cooking process make a ham glaze and brush it over the surface of the ham. You want to keep the ham covered as much as possible. However, be sure to have the liquid ready and handy before removing the foil. This is the time that you can also add more liquid if needed. Baste & Add More Liquid As The Spiral Ham CooksĪs your spiral ham cooks baste quickly remove the lid and baste the every 30 minutes. This will allow enough time for the center to become warm and the outer slices to remain moist. Instead, keep the oven at 275☏ and reheat the covered ham for 15 minutes per pound. Although you may find instructions to turn the oven on 325☏ or above when reheating a spiral ham, doing so will put you at risk for having a ham that is less than desirable. Low & Slow Cooking TemperatureĪnother crucial key to keep the ham from drying out is to reheat it using the low and slow method. Covering the roasting pan will allow the juices to remain inside the pan, keeping the ham nice and moist. There is no need to actually wrap the ham itself in foil. Just be sure that it fights tightly around the edges and there are no holes for the liquid to escape. However, a simple cover of aluminum foil will work just as well. If the pan has a lid and it can be tight and secure over top of the ham you can use it.

Cooking a spiral ham how to#

One of the best tips that I can give you on how to cook a spiral ham so that it stays moist is to tightly cover the roasting pan. This will allow the folds of the spiral cut ham to remain tight during the reheating process.Īs the ham bakes, the meat will remain moist because the juices can’t easily escape. In order to prevent the meat from drying out, place the ham face side down in the roasting pan. You don’t want to add too much liquid as the ham will then boil rather than reheat. The important point here is to start with a little liquid so that you have just a slight amount of moisture inside the pan. However, you can use just about any liquid that you prefer. I prefer to use a combination of chicken stock and orange juice. Add A Little Liquid At A Timeīefore you start cooking a spiral ham place 1/2 cup of liquid in the bottom of the roasting pan. This will allow the ham to reheat evenly and not burn (and dry out) on the edges that touch the pan.

Make sure that your ham can fit completely inside of your roasting pan without touching the sides. Many of the cheaper, grocery store hams have been injected with solutions and sometimes artificial flavors.Īlthough you can still reheat the ham with the instructions listed below, it is best to purchase one with no additives. Whenever possible, purchase a good quality ham from a butcher shop. Therefore, if you will have a total of 10 individuals at your holiday table, you will want to purchase at least a 5 pound boneless ham or a 7.5 pound bone in ham. This will allow you to have enough leftover ham to enjoy over the next few days. However, I would always suggest that you base the number of serving on adult portions.

Of course, the amount will depend on if you are serving all adults versus a combination of adults and children.

However if you have a bone-in ham plan on increasing that amount to 3/4 pound per person. When you are serving a spiral sliced ham, plan on approximately 1/2 pound per person if it is a boneless ham. Now that you know how to pick out a fully cooked spiral ham, it is time to determine how large of a ham to purchase.

Instead of seeing instructions on how to cook the ham, it should include instructions on how to reheat it. Here you will find the words ‘fully cooked’ or ‘previously cooked’.Īnd if you can’t seem to find where that is labeled, look for the baking instructions. Instead, you are reheating a piece of meat that has already been fully cooked.Īlthough it would be rare to find a spiral ham that hasn’t been previously cooked, it is best to check the label on the front of the package. In fact, to make things clear, you really don’t cook a spiral ham.