| The ham is the traditional centerpiece for | | | | their methods to get more and more moisture |
| Easter, Christmas, holidays, and other | | | | into the meat. Labels will read ham, ham |
| special gatherings. Almost any meal is made | | | | with natural juices, water-added ham, and ham |
| special with a ham. Many options are | | | | with X% added water. Obviously, ham and ham |
| available in choosing a mail order ham online | | | | with natural juices will have the least |
| in the quest to make the choice your ham | | | | amount of water diluting the natural taste of |
| centerpiece a success. You can not judge the | | | | ham and its added spices. Adding more and |
| value of your mail order ham online by the | | | | more water will help drive down the cost of |
| price per pound; you need to look beyond the | | | | the ham, but generally does little to enhance |
| price for differences in hams that are | | | | the flavor and texture of the ham itself.The |
| available.Nutrition labels are a great place | | | | method of smoking the ham will be yet another |
| to start your comparisons of the ham. The | | | | factor that creates differences from one |
| nutrifacts gives information about the | | | | brand of ham to another. The traditional |
| calories, fat, cholesterol, protein, and | | | | method of smoking ham was to use specially |
| sodium contents of the ham. Generally, | | | | selected logs of hard woods that would |
| nutrifacts for ham are healthy since ham is a | | | | enhance the sweeteners and spices that the |
| relatively lean cut of meat before anything | | | | ham maker chose. Soon, processors found that |
| is added. When comparing hams, be certain | | | | their ham tasted better with hickory wood, |
| that you note the serving size that has been | | | | applewood, or even dried corn cobs. One of |
| used to establish the nutritional statistics | | | | the newest technologies is a processed |
| of the ham.Although nutrition information is | | | | natural smoke that is converted to a liquid |
| very similar from one ham manufacturer to | | | | form and is applied to the hams during the |
| another, there are several factors that will | | | | cooking process. This process has helped to |
| present distinguishable differences in hams. | | | | shorten the processing cycle of the ham. |
| These factors may represent differences in | | | | Many specialty processors still choose to |
| flavor and texture profile from one brand of | | | | stay with the natural wood of their choice to |
| ham to another. These factors are bone-in | | | | enhance the special blend of spices that |
| ham versus boneless, slow curing of ham | | | | gives their ham its unique flavor |
| versus efficient curing, water levels added | | | | properties.Much like the lengthened curing |
| to the ham, different methods of smoking the | | | | process of the ham, many ham processors feel |
| ham, cooking duration, and, of course, the | | | | that slow cooking ham at a lower temperature |
| ingredients included the cure or marinade of | | | | maintains the natural meat texture and cooks |
| the ham.Bone-in hams provide 2-3 servings per | | | | the spice flavors into the ham. Again, |
| pound and tend to highlight the added | | | | technology has been introduced to shorten the |
| ingredients. The natural fats of the ham help | | | | cooking cycles and reach the safe internal |
| to enhance the ingredients that are added to | | | | temperatures quicker. Some argue that the |
| the cure (marinade). Although you may want | | | | quick process changes the ham texture too |
| to trim the fat away when consuming the ham, | | | | much, and doe not allow the flavors of the |
| cooking the ham with its natural fat will | | | | ham and ingredients to blend during the |
| bring out the unique differences in many | | | | cooking process.Probably the one area that |
| spices and sweeteners used to make the ham. | | | | each ham maker will argue that his is the |
| Boneless hams provide 4-5 servings per pound. | | | | best is in the ingredients he chooses for the |
| Boneless hams usually have all visible fats | | | | cure or marinade of the ham. Each cure has |
| removed when preparing the ham for smoking | | | | one or two prominent ingredients that help to |
| and cooking. Boneless hams are extremely | | | | give unique taste and aroma properties to a |
| simple, however if you do not mind trimming | | | | ham. Maple syrup, honey, and brown sugar are |
| away a little fat, you will probably enjoy | | | | three primary ingredients that specialty ham |
| the flavor profile of the bone-in ham more | | | | processors may choose to build their cure |
| than the boneless ham. If carving is a | | | | recipe. In addition to the base ingredient, |
| concern, try a pre-sliced spiral sliced ham | | | | many other spices may be added to further |
| with the bone-in.Another factor that presents | | | | enhance a unique recipe preference to cure a |
| definitive differences in hams from one brand | | | | ham.As you can see, a good centerpiece |
| to another is the method of curing the ham. | | | | holiday ham for your Easter, Christmas, or |
| Ham is made with a flavorful cure, a marinade | | | | special celebration meal goes well beyond the |
| of water and brine that gives the ham its | | | | price per pound or an attractive package. |
| typical taste and appearance. Technology | | | | There are many ways to make a ham less |
| advancements have helped the ham curing | | | | expensive, but like any good recipe, if you |
| process (adding ingredients through moisture | | | | short cut the cycle and ingredients it may |
| enhancements) to become a much more efficient | | | | not taste as good and bring pleasure to you |
| process than the early days of ham | | | | and your guests that you may expect. Choose |
| processing. Equipment has helped the process | | | | your ham wisely, and enjoy one of the best |
| of getting the ingredients into the ham | | | | tasting meal traditions.You must insist on |
| quickly to get the ham to the store quicker. | | | | quality and the distinctive, elusive, |
| Although the efficiency factor helps reduce | | | | one-of-a-kind flavor in your ham that can |
| the costs of production of some hams, it is | | | | never be mass-produced by machinery or rushed |
| not always effective in maximizing the flavor | | | | through the curing and smoking process. |
| enhancement factor. Whether using new | | | | Whether you need a holiday ham, or are buying |
| technology or traditional methods, slowing | | | | a ham online just because you love the |
| the curing process will bring out the unique | | | | flavor, the very best maple syrup brine |
| differences from the added ingredients. | | | | cured, cob and applewood smoked hams, made in |
| Getting the ingredients into the meat is only | | | | the New England tradition in one of the few |
| half of the process, giving them a chance to | | | | smokehouses left that controls quality from |
| work before cooking is the second half.Water | | | | beginning to endcome from |
| is the medium in which ham makers use to get | | | | |
| different ingredients into the meat. Over | | | | MeatGourmet. |
| the years, some ham makers have improved | | | | |