Cranberry Orange Glazed Spiral Ham
This time of year, I always buy ham. Sure I buy my Easter Ham, but I usually buy a second and third ham simply because the prices are so low.
I have lucked into as little as $1.47 / pound for spiral sliced, smoked ham on the bone. That is an amazing price any time of year. You will probably notice it’s the big hams that are left, but that’s exactly what you want…
Smoked, unglazed ham is my favorite. Because it is already cooked, it only needs to be heated through (usually 10 to 12 minutes per pound). And if you opt to make your own easy glaze, then it’s like having a whole different experience with each ham.
Plus ham stores wonderfully. A recent purchase would have stored, unopened, in the refrigerator until June 5. Then once it is baked, you can refrigerate the leftovers sealed in a tight container for up to 1 week or freeze them for up to 3 months. That means you can enjoy the ham you bought and baked today in July! That’s awesome news for now and when it sweltering outside, you won’t have to heat up the kitchen.
So buy that super discounted ham, now. Enjoy it a few nights this week for dinner, then freeze the rest for further down the road. Today’s recipe for Cranberry-Orange and Clove Glazed Ham is a treat any time of the year and steers clear of super sugary glazes of old, but packs in the flavor.
Suggested menu:
Cranberry-Orange and Clove Glazed Ham
Fresh green beans
Sliced apples
Cranberry- Orange and Clove Glazed Ham
Start to finish: under 15 minutes prep, approx. 1 1/3 hours unattended baking
Serves 24 generously
1 (10 to 12 pound) smoked, spiral sliced (unglazed) bone-in ham
1 can (14 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce
1/2 cup fresh squeezed or natural orange juice *
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking pan with foil. Make sure the pan is large enough to accommodate the sliced side of the ham before unwrapping. Then unwrap the ham and place sliced-side down, pouring all the package juices over the top of ham.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, juice, clove, garlic and mustard. Mix well. Spoon the glaze over the ham, trying to cover all the exposed sides. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes per pound. Half way through baking, carefully spoon the juices and glaze that has pooled in the bottom of the pan over the top of the ham and continue baking. In the last 15 to 20 minutes, if the ham begins to darken too much, place a sheet of foil over it and continue baking until warmed through completely.
3. Serve immediately or cool to room temperature and store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Ham may also be sliced or chopped and frozen, tightly sealed, for up to 3 months.
* Cooks Note: “Natural” or “Not from Concentrate” orange juice tends to be less sugary than juice from concentrate. But any breakfast style orange juice can be used in equal amounts but will affect the nutritional carbohydrates data.
Approximate Values Per 3 ounce serving: 124 calories , 6.5 g fat (2 g saturated), 43 mg cholesterol, 12 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 986 mg sodium
Originally Published April 27, 2014
(Alicia Ross is the co-author of "Desperation Dinners!" (Workman, 1997), "Desperation Entertaining!" (Workman, 2002) and "Cheap. Fast. Good!" (Workman, 2006).
