What to do with a ham bone

[wide awake]

The ham bone can be used in any type of legume soup, adds a lot of flavor. I try to leave some meat on mine and then take it off and remove the bone when ready to serve. Yes, you can freeze it, just like a turkey carcass. I throw mine in plastic grocery bags, then when I am ready to make soup I just throw them in the pot.

 

[NHWX]

Last night I soaked dried black-eyed peas overnight. This morning, I rinsed them, added water, the ham bone with some meat left on it and half a sliced onion to my crockpot. Cooked it on high for 3.5 hours and added a can of tomato sauce and cooked it for another hour and a half. Tomorrow's going to be crazy busy but we'll eat the black-eyed peas, spinach and rice on New Year's for good luck.

My husband's originally from the south and we've done black-eyed peas, rice and greens every year. He usually puts Tabasco on his too.

NHWX

 

[krd315]

My bean soup recipe is "souper" easy

I put the ham bone in the crock pot with one diced onion, one bag of 15 Been Soup beans AND the seasoning packet that comes with it, one bag of lentils and some celery salt. Fill the crock pot to the brim with water.

Cook it all day, fish out the ham bone and it's done!!!

Another vote for the 15 bean soup. it comes with either ham seasoning or cajun seasoning. we find the ham seasoning to be a little salty for our taste so we only use 1/2 of that one. Our favorite is the cajun I love my crockpot!

 

[longing2Batdisney]

Rice is easy. Twice as much water as rice. (So if I use 2 cups rice, 4 cups water.)

Some salt and some butter. Heat to a boil, cover and turn down lower. I turn it to 3 or 4 on my stove.

Cook 20 minutes. DO NOT PICK UP THE LID!

Tada.. rice.

Rice is a staple around here. I make it a few times a week.

if you like a fool proof method for rice
microwave....
heat your water and salt for 3 min (or use ck broth for a better flavor)
add your rice microwave 10 min or until liquid is absorbed (my mcro is 1100 watts)
the above poster did list the correct ratios
(being from New Orleans we are somewhat rice experts---most our dishes call for rice)
and like the other posters I use my ham bone for dried beans (black eye, red beans, white beans and 15 bean soup). I normally wrap mine in plastic and foil and freeze.
Good Luck! enjoy

 

[longing2Batdisney]

Can someone post step by step directions on how make red beans and rice.

Epically the rice part. That mess me up every time.

My rice comes out meshy and nasty. I am point now really thinking buy a rice cooker so have fluffy rice.

you need to be sure to purchase long grain rice if you want fluffy rice
short or medium grain rice is usually mushy

**Red beans/everyone in New Orleans seasons just a little different this is how I cook mine**
1 # dried kidney beans
(soak overnight; if you do not soak overnight you can boil them for about 20 min, drain)
one yellow onion chopped
tbs minced garlic
one green bell pepper chopped
1 can Rotel (or seasoned tomatoes)
1 can chicken broth
1# smoke sausage (sliced)
(if you have a ham bone its great to add)
(I like to add 1# of Tasso--spicy ham)

after your beans have soaked
saute your veggies in about 1 Tbs of veg oil
fry off your sausage
add beans, ck broth, tomatoes, fill pot with water
add ham
bring to boil for 20 min, bring down to simmer
usually about 1 to 1.5 hours stirring occasionally to prevent from sticking
(cook until desired bean texture-- I usually use a potato masher to mash beans lightly -- don't smash like potatoes just to make a little creamery)
add salt and pepper to taste
serve over rice

 

[mom0299]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I am going to make soup this week and I have a question about the 15 bean soup. If I use the dried beans do I have to soak them overnight before putting them in the crockpot with the ham bone? Or can I just put the ham bone, dried beans and water in the crockpot in the morning and let it cook until dinner time?

 

[snowywhite89]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I am going to make soup this week and I have a question about the 15 bean soup. If I use the dried beans do I have to soak them overnight before putting them in the crockpot with the ham bone? Or can I just put the ham bone, dried beans and water in the crockpot in the morning and let it cook until dinner time?

Definitely soak the beans overnight.

 

[vsimeone]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I am going to make soup this week and I have a question about the 15 bean soup. If I use the dried beans do I have to soak them overnight before putting them in the crockpot with the ham bone? Or can I just put the ham bone, dried beans and water in the crockpot in the morning and let it cook until dinner time?

I actually don't soak them overnight. I just rinse them well and then cook them all day - about 10ish hours.

 

[MapleGirl]

One of the best parts of having a ham is making pea soup from the ham bone!

Our super easy recipe:
1 lb of dried split peas (rinsed well)
1 onion, chopped
a handful of baby carrots
ham bone
water

put everything in the crock pot in the order I listed (ham bone on top). Add water until the ham bone is covered or until you run out of room in your crock pot.

Let it cook in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Take the ham bone out and use a stick blender to make the soup smooth. If the soup is too think, add more water.

Delicious!

My mom knows how much I like pea soup so she gave me a couple of frozen ham hocks for Christmas this year!

 

[Iris4474]

Ham & Bean soup. Check out food.com for recipes. Good luck.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

I like to use ham bones for veggie soup. In making ham veggie soup, I boil the bone (we leave some meat still on it) in a pot of water/broth with a bag of frozen soup veggies and a large can of diced tomatos and whatever seasoning you want (salt, pepper, bay leaf, etc). The longer you cook it, the better it tastes and I usually leave it on to simmer on a weekend afternoon.

 

[julirina]

Great ideas -- I just got around to making our Christmas ham yesterday and there's tons of meat left on it -- I think I'll cut it up, freeze the meat and figure out which of these delicious things to make with the bone. I usually do ham & white bean soup (ham broth, bone, cannellini or white northern beans, a handful of chopped onion & carrot) but split pea sounds so yummy...so does red beans & rice. Decisions, decisions!!