How to Make a Better Easter Ham

By Jessica McLaughlin
Most of us indulge in a big meal at Easter and that's when ham takes centre stage. Here are five tips to help you perfect your Easter ham.

1. Roasting Temperature
If you've got more time for your ham, roast at a lower temperature; it will make the ham deliciously moist and flavourful. For a slow roast use a low temperature of 160C or 325F (no less than 100C or 200F). But if you didn't get a start on that ham as early as you were hoping, go for a moderate roast; the temperature should be 170-180C (340-360F).

2. Keep Those Salty Drippings at the Bottom of the Pan
Many holiday meals involve turkey, so we're used to basting that bird in its own juices. But with a ham you don't want to baste with the drippings; ham juices are too salty. That doesn't mean you don't baste at all. For instance, if you're using ginger ale on your ham, you'll want to baste with it straight from the bottle or can and not from the bottom of the pan.

3. A Juicy Ham is an Un-pierced Ham
To avoid losing any of those precious juices trapped inside the ham, don't pierce the skin when turning it. Try using wood spoons, spatulas or large tongs to maneuver the meat.

4. Slathering on Some Flavour
Reserve your glaze until the end of the cooking process; this results in a more finished look for the ham. Applying the glaze in the last 30 minutes of cooking will also allow for enough time to add the extra flavour. Here are some delicious glazes to try:

- Bourbon Glaze
- Rum Glaze
- Adult and Children's Glaze
- Cranberry Glaze
- Apple Glaze
- Apple, Maple and Rosemary Mustard Glaze

5. Is it Done Yet?
When the ham is done, its internal temperature should be 72C (or 160F). If you're cooking a ham with the bone in, be sure the thermometre isn't touching the bone or it will give a false reading. You can also tell if your bone-in ham is almost done is if the meat is separating from the bone.


At the end of it all you should have a deliciously-moist and perfectly-cooked and seasoned ham for your Easter feast. And if there happens to be any leftovers you'll want to get them into the fridge right away. The best thing to do is to divide the extras into shallow containers so the meat cools down quickly and doesn't stay at a danger zone temperature (4-60C or 40-140F) for too long.