5 Easy Ham Glazes for Holiday Hams
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Before you reach for that packet, take a second to see how simple it is to make your own easy ham glaze recipes.
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History Behind the Holiday Ham
While turkey will be forever tied to Thanksgiving, and a goose has historical ties to Christmas, ham has the longest holiday history of all. In fact, it spans more than 15 centuries!
Wild boar was a staple at Yuletide celebrations as early as the 4th century. Early Germanic people groups were known to serve it for festivals. A tradition that has been passed down for centuries.
What Size Ham Do You Need?
Martha Stewart uses this rule of thumb per person:
- 3/4 pound bone-in per person or
- 1/2 pound boneless per person.
Therefore, a 16-pound ham will serve 18 to 20 people.
Ham Glazes
The holidays are just around the corner and holiday hams are on the menu.
And yes, holiday hams come with little packets. And yes, they work just fine.
But if you want to switch it up a bit and try something new… that also happens to be easy… we’ve got some great recipes and ideas for that oh-so-delicious holiday ham.
We’ve gathered 5 delicious and easy ham glaze recipes for your holiday ham you’ll want to look at before opening that packet.
When to Glaze a Ham
Fine Cooking says, “The ham is ready to glaze when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the ham registers 105° to 110°F. (it should take about 15 minutes per pound).”
Easy and Delicious Glazes for Holiday Hams
These easy ham glaze recipes are made with ingredients you may already have on hand. Unless otherwise noted, brush the glaze over the ham during the last 45 minutes of baking.
1. Maple Brown Sugar Glaze
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice or pineapple juice
- 2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard or grainy mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch ground cloves
Whisk together ingredients and pour over ham.
2. Honey Glaze
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 10 whole cloves
Combine ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes. Remove cloves before pouring over ham.
3. Easy Honey Baked Ham Glaze
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Whisk together honey, brown sugar and mustard. Pour over ham.
4. Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon pineapple juice
In a small bowl, mix all ingredients with whisk until well blended. Brush glaze over ham during the last 45 minutes of baking.
5. Pineapple, Apricot, and Ginger Glaze
Instead of laying pineapple rings on the ham, blend the fruit with apricot preserves and fresh ginger for a slightly tropical kick that has some spicy heat from the ginger.
Combine 1 cup crushed pineapple in pineapple juice, 1 cup apricot preserves, and 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a full boil. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and let cool to room temperature.
6. Cola-Pineapple Glaze
- 1 can Coke or Dr. Pepper
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
Combine cola or Dr. Pepper, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and mustard in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.