Help me buy a ham!

[windycitymom]

I signed up through our church to provide a Christmas meal for the needy. We were given a list of items to provide - including a "ham". Help - my family doesn't eat ham and I have never bought a ham. Our grocery store has coupons for $10 off a ham but you have a choice of: Spiral, Shank or Butt Portion ham. I also saw that Aldi's has canned ham, but can I assume fresh is better? Which ham would you buy? Thanks.

p.s. Our Christmas dinner will include a Jennie-O Butterball turkey that goes from freezer to the oven with no prep! (this is delicious and easy

 

[leadfootlevi]

I would do the spiral - it's the easiest and probably comes with a packet of glaze.

 

[cinnamon-sugah]

We buy a spiral ham for Christmas because it's a little special. If I am just cooking a ham, we but the butt and I cook it in an oven roasting bag with a can of coke poured over top. Yummy! Most spiral hams just require warming since they are already seasoned. The other choices, the family will need to season and cook.

 

[marthachick]

I would do sprial ham also. Most families can eat several meals off a spiral ham. Canned ham is not good. I wouldn't buy that for anyone. And bless you for helping out those less fortunate.

 

[tinkmom2]

I have always made bone in ham or the shank. It always turns out great! I always have leftovers and use the bone to make soups afterwards. Also I like you can control the size of the slice. With the spiral it comes presliced.

 

[stefplus3]

Another vote for spiral....I cook a lot but wouldn't know what to do with a raw ham, lol.

 

[cinnamon-sugah]

Another vote for spiral....I cook a lot but wouldn't know what to do with a raw ham, lol.

If you get the butt or shank, just put it in an oven roasting bag, pour a can of coke over top of it (has to be coke and has to be a can- don't know why it just doesn't come out right otherwise). 325 deg for 25 minutes per pound. It comes out almost as good as those expensive spiral hams! I usually cook it on Sunday and we eat it for 3 or 4 meals!

 

[mickeymaker2003]

The Aldi's spiral sliced hams are awesome. I think they are Appleton brand. They taste good, come with glaze and are considerably less expensive than other brands. I would recommend them.

 

[Tanbellisima]

Hi Windy City Mom,


How nice of you to buy this family a ham.

What we do when we help with needy family meals is we buy
the bone in ham. And a large bag of beans and a bag of rice.
That way after Christmas the family can cut up some ham and put it
in some boiling water with some beans and salt and the ham bone.
The ham bone makes a tasty soup or pot of beans.
The family can have a whole new meal.
We write up a little recipe card and slip it into the Christmas card or bag of groceries. It is a nice way for the family to make more out of their food gift. A bag of beans runs $1.50 to $2.00 usually. And they can steam up the rice or boil it separately. This is such a great way to make use of the bone in the ham.

Many blessing for a Happy Holiday! ♥

 

[Tanbellisima]

I have always made bone in ham or the shank. It always turns out great! I always have leftovers and use the bone to make soups afterwards. Also I like you can control the size of the slice. With the spiral it comes presliced.

Hi TinkMom♥

I didn't read the posts before I replied but you and my family think alike.
Ham shank makes the best pot of beans etc......
Or spinach and ham bone soup. ☺

Merry Christmas to you!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I would go with spiral.

Avoid a canned ham - they are disgusting.

 

[snowy76]

The Aldi's spiral sliced hams are awesome. I think they are Appleton brand. They taste good, come with glaze and are considerably less expensive than other brands. I would recommend them.

This. It's great quality and excellent value. Also idiot-proof for cooking, which is always a plus for me

We've had this ham for our Xmas brunch for the last 5 years or so.

 

[marko]

Another vote for the Appleton Spiral Ham from Aldi's

 

[windycitymom]

I just bought a fresh 7.75 lb. Safeway Spiral Ham and paid only $5.62 for it! Dominicks (a local grocery chain in the Chicago area) had a coupon where if you spend $20 you can save $10 off a ham...it came to 88 cents a lb. (I saved more since the tag on the ham said $27). The half shank ham was 58 cents a pound.

I sure wish my family ate ham since that is an awesome price!!! Maybe I'll go back and buy one since I eat ham. Jewel also has a similar promotion going on.

 

[EPCOT is a verb]

Okay, I went to Aldi today to buy an Appleton spiral ham. My family thinks I am crazy for buying something because my "internet friends" recommended it!

 

[MommaluvsDis]

I have always made bone in ham or the shank. It always turns out great! I always have leftovers and use the bone to make soups afterwards. Also I like you can control the size of the slice. With the spiral it comes presliced.

How do you cook your bone in ham? I bought one for Christmas.

 

[windycitymom]

Okay, I went to Aldi today to buy an Appleton spiral ham. My family thinks I am crazy for buying something because my "internet friends" recommended it!

Tell them you aren't the only one I've tried and bought several things based on recommendations here. I love this board!

 

[tinkmom2]

How do you cook your bone in ham? I bought one for Christmas.

In Milwaukee we have Cooks bone in ham. I love the flavor. My sprial ham experience didn't go well one year and I never went back!
This is what I do. My ham has cooking instructions on it. Mine is precooked so I only have to bake it around 20-25minutes a lb. at about 325 degrees. It should have heating instructions on yours. If your ham is not precooked you can also get times on the internet.

I make a basting liquid
2 cups gingerale
1 cup oj
1 can of juice from ringed pineapple

Then I make slits like a checkerboard over the back skin of the ham so it looks cross hatched and I insert whole cloves in each of the checkerboards. I take the rings of pineapple and stick them over the backside of the ham using cloves to hold them in.

Our ham generally cooks for about 3-4 hours.

I baste it about twice a hour with the liquid. I use a turkey baster. Sometimes around halfway in the cooking time I put foil over it. I save the bone and freeze some of the ham and make scallopped potatoes and ham split pea soup or potato soup.
Hope that helps!
Merry Christmas!

 

[crazelion]

The Aldi's spiral sliced hams are awesome. I think they are Appleton brand. They taste good, come with glaze and are considerably less expensive than other brands. I would recommend them.

Another vote for Adili's hams. They is so good and cheap.

 

[MommaluvsDis]

In Milwaukee we have Cooks bone in ham. I love the flavor. My sprial ham experience didn't go well one year and I never went back!
This is what I do. My ham has cooking instructions on it. Mine is precooked so I only have to bake it around 20-25minutes a lb. at about 325 degrees. It should have heating instructions on yours. If your ham is not precooked you can also get times on the internet.

I make a basting liquid
2 cups gingerale
1 cup oj
1 can of juice from ringed pineapple

Then I make slits like a checkerboard over the back skin of the ham so it looks cross hatched and I insert whole cloves in each of the checkerboards. I take the rings of pineapple and stick them over the backside of the ham using cloves to hold them in.

Our ham generally cooks for about 3-4 hours.

I baste it about twice a hour with the liquid. I use a turkey baster. Sometimes around halfway in the cooking time I put foil over it. I save the bone and freeze some of the ham and make scallopped potatoes and ham split pea soup or potato soup.
Hope that helps!
Merry Christmas!

Sounds great! Thanks and Merry Christmas!