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