How to Make a Glazed Ham without a Recipe

Glazed hams are another one of the many staple foods usually found at my family’s dinner table during the big three holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter). If done correctly, it always comes with a delicious, baked-on glaze that makes it flirt with your tastebuds. You can buy a premade ham glaze from the aisles of the grocery store, but it’s just as simple to make at home. Customize the flavor profile based on your own preferences with whatever you have in your kitchen pantry. The only rule that you really need to follow is to make sure there’s a balance of sweetness, salt/acidity, and herbs/spices for flavor.

Sweeteners: granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, honey, maple syrup, agave

Salts and Acids: salt, mustard, soy sauce, vinegar (sherry, red wine, balsamic, etc.), fruit juice (pineapple, lemon, orange, etc.)

Herbs and Spices: dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley, etc.), black pepper, garlic/onion powder

How to Make a Glazed Ham without a Recipe:

Add your choice of ingredients from each of the three categories above. (Those are just examples, but there are more options, of course.) Simmer in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes so the flavors can meld and sugars and such can dissolve. Score your ham and stud with cloves (optional); brush with a layer of the glaze and bake in a 350˚F oven; continue to glaze the ham every 15 minutes until the hame is heated through and there’s a nice sheen, about 1 hour total. (In most cases the ham is already fully cooked, so you only need to worry about making it warm and pretty.)

Leftover ham is perfect for frittatas or sandwiches the next day.