Fruity Holiday Ham Recipes

RITA'S SWEET HOLIDAY BAKED HAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, mix together the maple syrup, orange juice, ginger ale, brown sugar and honey. Stir in the juice from the maraschino cherries, and half of the cherries. Score the outer edge of the ham with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern. Cuts should be about 1/4 inch deep. This will allow the ham to soak up the juice.
• Place the ham into an oven bag, and carefully pour the juice mixture over it, keeping all of the juice in the bag. It may look like there is too much juice, but the ham will soak it up while baking. Place the pineapples onto the top of the ham, and secure with toothpicks. Place cherries into the centers of the rings, and secure with toothpicks also. Tie the end of the bag closed with the ties provided, place in a large roasting pan, and cut a few small slits in the top of the oven bag.
• Bake the ham for 2 hours in the preheated oven. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees F (80 degrees C) when done. Be sure not to touch the bone when taking the temperature. Remove ham from bag to a serving plate, and let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

HOLIDAY HAM

Steps:

• Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Secure pineapple and cherries to ham with toothpicks. Combine brown sugar and seasoned salt; rub over ham. Gently pour pineapple juice over ham., Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until a thermometer reads 140° and ham is heated through. Baste frequently with brown sugar mixture.

HOLIDAY HAM, THREE WAYS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F, with the rack in the lower third of oven. If your ham has a layer of fat, use a sharp paring knife to score the fat in a diamond crosshatch pattern, about 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch deep.
• For Tangy Peach Mustard Ham or Sweet and Spicy Jerk Ham:
• In a medium bowl, mix together the glaze ingredients of your choice. Brush all over ham (reserving some glaze for basting while cooking).
• For Smoky BBQ Ham:
• Brush the ham with maple syrup (reserving some syrup for basting while cooking). Combine the rest of the ingredients in a medium bowl, then rub all over ham, pressing into syrup to adhere.
• Position roasting rack in roasting pan; pour 2 cups water into pan and place prepared ham on rack. Cover pan with foil and bake 1 hour. Remove pan from oven, remove foil, and brush ham with reserved glaze or maple syrup. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.
• Return ham to oven uncovered. Bake until glaze has caramelized and the ham's internal temp reads 135°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the middle of the ham (avoiding bone), brushing with more glaze or syrup if desired, 40 minutes to 1 hour more.
• Let rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with biscuits or rolls, mustard, and pickles.
• Do Ahead
• Glazes can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. Rub (without maple syrup) can be made up to 1 month in advance and kept at room temperature.