Would You Believe?

Today is National Glazed Spiral Ham Day. Yeah, a little late for Easter, I know. However; since Easter can fall as late as April 25, maybe the Ham people were rolling the dice in that April 15 and Easter might be one and the same. Mind you, that hasn’t happened since 2001. Of course, with the popularity of an Easter Ham, it’s not like we aren’t going to think Glaze Spiral Ham even without a National Day.

Besides, it doesn’t need to be Easter to have a delicious Ham Supper. Lord know we shouldn’t have to wait until Christmas either. With all this social separation, I’m thinking once the Fasten Seat-Belt Sign is removed and we are free to roam about the country again, all these family gatherings that went by the wayside are going to take center stage. And with any luck, a delicious spiral glaze ham to feed an army will be part of the party.

We’ve had Spiral Hams since 1952 when a man named Harry Hoenselaar came up with a spiral slicer. Harry invented a device that made it possible for an entire bone-in ham to be sliced in one continuous; even spiral. And he did this in the basement of his Detroit, Michigan home. Harry went on to found the HoneyBaked Ham Company in 1957; featuring his patented sliced ham. Harry’s patent expired in 1981; and now we can have a spiral glazed ham right out of the meat counter of our local grocery store. Still, if it weren’t for Harry, we’d still be hacking away at our hams. So thank, Harry!

Honey Glazed Spiral Ham
10-12 lbs bone-in fully-cooked Spiral-cut Ham
3/4 cup Honey
1/2 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Pineapple Juice
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

Heat oven to 280-degrees F. Place the ham, cut side down, in a large turkey-size roasting bag. Place bag inside a roasting pan. Cut a few slits in the bag to vent.

Note: If you don’t have a roasting bag, place ham in a roasting pan, cut side down. Cover pan tightly with foil to allow steam to build up inside and keep the meat moist.

Place roasting pan in the lower half of the oven. Cook undisturbed for 3 hours.

Mix honey, brown sugar, pineapple juice and mustard in a small bowl until well blended. If mixture is too thick, thin with a little more pineapple juice. Remove ham from the oven. Cut open the bag. Pour the glaze over the ham, letting it run down the sides and into the spiral cuts.

Return the ham to the oven,and let glaze for about 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Transfer to a cutting board, slice the spirals away from the bone. Arrange ham on a serving platter.

When serving, be sure to include all the pan drippings. This is delicious spooned over the ham.