Preparing Your Cured Ham

Now that you have your ham, we want to make sure you fully enjoy preparing and serving it to your family and friends! 

Storage, thawing and early preparation:

You have ordered your ham, it has now arrived and it looks great! So, what's next? 

Store your ham in the freezer and decide when to begin thawing in relationship of when you are going to serve it. The safest way to thaw your ham, or any meat is to move it from the freezer to the refrigerator. As a rule of thumb, it takes about 4 to 6 hour per pound to fully thaw. 

Heating:

Robinson Family Farms hams are delivered fully cooked, ready to thaw, warm and serve. Our processors carefully and gently smoke our hams to perfection so they can be safely sampled or served right out of the refrigerator.  

We do realize most people prefer to serve their ham warm. So, once it is thawed, remove from the refrigerator, and let it sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before putting it into the oven. 

Heating instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F as you ham is in resting.  Place a rack inside of a roasting pan and pour enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan. (If you do not have a rack, you may add a little bit of water to cover the bottom of the pan and then place the ham cut side down.) We suggest lining your pan with aluminum foil and if you have the option, place the cut side down. 

Cover the ham with the aluminum foil and seal the foil around the edges of the pan. 

Warm your ham in the oven for about 15 minutes per pound. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of your ham as you near the end of your time to ensure the meat thermometer is up to 140°F when you finish warming it. 

If you prefer to add a glaze, this is one we like to use:

I grew up eating a brown sugar pineapple glazed ham. Yum, it always tasted so good. 

-1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
-½ cup crushed pineapple or pineapple juice
-2 tablespoons butter

Warm on the stove in a small saucepan and brush on your ham before placing it in the oven. Reserve a bit of your glaze and about 15 minutes before it comes out, I would baste it again. Once removed from the oven keep the ham covered in foil and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve and enjoy!

I grew up with a simple glaze recipe, however, you could add a tablespoon of soy sauce to help reduce the sweet, add a couple of tablespoons of ground mustard or apple cider vinegar or even a ½ teaspoon of garlic powder. 

I did a bit of searching and other suggested ideas include these herbs and spices: garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, cloves, cinnamon, and mustard.

Have fun be creative and most of all enjoy your ham.