Honey Glaze for Ham: Easy Recipe, Timing and Safe Temperatures

Honey glaze recipe

Simmer the ingredients in a small saucepan for two to three minutes until smooth and slightly thickened. A warm glaze brushes on more easily and clings better than a cold one. This makes enough for an 8 to 10 pound ham.

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Dijon or whole-grain mustard
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (or another 1/4 cup honey)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Timing: when to glaze

Honey and sugar burn if they spend too long in the oven, so do not glaze at the start. Reheat the ham covered with foil, cut side down, in a roasting pan with a splash of water. In the last 20 to 30 minutes, remove the foil, brush on a third of the glaze, and return it to the oven. Brush again every 10 minutes. For a deeper crust, turn the oven up to 400°F for the last 5 minutes and watch it closely.

Safe temperatures for ham

Use a thermometer, not the clock. According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, a fully cooked ham packaged in a USDA-inspected plant should be reheated to 140°F. A fresh or uncooked ham must reach 145°F and rest for at least 3 minutes. Leftover cooked ham, or ham not packaged in an inspected plant, should be reheated to 165°F.

Which honey to use

Ham loves strong flavors, so this is a good place for a bolder honey. Pure Raw or wildflower gives a classic glaze. A glaze made partly with buckwheat honey is darker, with a molasses-like depth that is wonderful with smoky ham. Orange blossom honey with orange juice and zest gives a brighter, citrusy glaze.

Glaze variations

Swap a few ingredients to change the style.

• Honey bourbon: add 2 tablespoons bourbon and a pinch of black pepper
• Honey pineapple: replace vinegar with 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• Honey orange: orange juice and zest with orange blossom honey
• Honey chipotle: 1 minced chipotle in adobo for smoky heat
• Honey maple: half honey, half maple syrup

Leftovers

Refrigerate leftover ham within two hours and use it within three to five days, or freeze it. Leftover glaze is excellent brushed on pork chops or stirred into baked beans. See honey glazed pork chops for another use.

How to score and stud a ham

If your ham is not spiral-cut, scoring helps the glaze sink in. Use a sharp knife to cut a diamond pattern about 1/4 inch deep across the fat side, with lines about an inch apart. For the classic look, press a whole clove into the center of each diamond. As the ham heats, the fat renders through the cuts and mixes with the honey glaze, creating a sticky, caramelized crust.

For a spiral ham, brush glaze between some of the slices as well as over the top, but go gently so the slices do not dry out. Keep the ham covered until the final glazing stage so the thin slices stay moist.

How much ham to buy

Plan on about 3/4 pound per person for a bone-in ham and about 1/2 pound per person for boneless, with more if you want leftovers. An 8 to 10 pound bone-in ham serves about 12 people.