What's the best way to cook a canned ham?

[Tenebrae]

Okay, so I bought this 3-lb canned Polish ham. DH thinks it’s going to be too salty. If I roast it in a covered pan with water in the bottom, will it tun out all right? Or will it become a rubber ball? (I’ve cooked the regular (non-canned) hams before in the oven or electric roaster, but this is my first canned ham.)

 

[Irishmom2]

I think it will be alright since you are really just heating it. You may want to read the side of the can to see what they suggest.

However, you might want to check out some food sites and look for a way to jazz up a canned ham too. Good luck!

 

[Tenebrae]

I think it will be alright since you are really just heating it. You may want to read the side of the can to see what they suggest.

However, you might want to check out some food sites and look for a way to jazz up a canned ham too. Good luck!

Thank you for your advice. Unfortunately, there are no cooking instructions on the can.

 

[Bezant]

Okay, so I bought this 3-lb canned Polish ham. DH thinks it’s going to be too salty. If I roast it in a covered pan with water in the bottom, will it tun out all right? Or will it become a rubber ball? (I’ve cooked the regular (non-canned) hams before in the oven or electric roaster, but this is my first canned ham.)

While I haven’t eaten ham in years, a good secret to taking the salt out of any meat is adding sugar to the water.

 

[BillP]

I wouldn’t cover it, you want a bit of “crust” on the outside for texture. And I wouldn’t worry too much about it drying out.

The best way to reheat a canned ham is to set the oven to 325 and heat until the internal temp is ~140 (the ham is actually already fully cooked inside the can so you don’t have to worry about getting it “done”).

Before reheating it, slice a bit off and taste it to see if its too salty, but since its canned I doubt it will be. If it is, then you can use a glaze on the outside of the ham to countereact some of the saltiness. Pretty much anything with sugar in it will do. My mom used to either slather the ham with mustard, then sprinkle brown sugar on top of the mustard, or slather it with maple syrup. My best friend’s mom would pour a bottle of Coca-Cola until the bottom of the roasting pan and periodically baste the ham with the Coke.

Either way, you’ll have an excellent meal and, probably a bunch of leftover ham.

What time should I arrive?

 

[Cricket123]

As others have said, I doubt it will be too salty unless you’re super-sensitive to salt. no more so than sliced deli ham. And it is already cooked. 325 for 45 to an hr should do it.

I do the mustard-brown sugar bit myself, and usually top that with pineapple rings. Ymmv, but I like it. Sometimes I do the top with cloves instead.

And now I’m all hungry.

 

[Cricket123]

PS - It’s really hard to screw up a canned ham. I do mine on a roasting rack in a dry pan. There’s so much liquid added during the canning process anyway I’ve never had one dry out. I’ve heard of the water/coke/beer &c in the pan as well. Whatever sounds good to you will probably work.

 

[Godfollower]

How to Cook a Canned Ham

1. 
   *]Throw away the canned ham.
   *]Go to the store.
   *]Buy a real ham.
   *]Cook the real ham.
   *]Enjoy.
   
   Or am I just being too silly?
   
   Seriously, though, remember that “shelf stable” canned ham can keep up to two years, while “refrigerated” canned ham can only keep six to nine months. Don’t make the mistake of using a “refrigerated” canned ham that was kept on the shelf.

 

[johnnyc176]

I wouldn’t cover it, you want a bit of “crust” on the outside for texture. And I wouldn’t worry too much about it drying out.

The best way to reheat a canned ham is to set the oven to 325 and heat until the internal temp is ~140 (the ham is actually already fully cooked inside the can so you don’t have to worry about getting it “done”).
My mom used to either slather the ham with mustard, then sprinkle brown sugar on top of the mustard, or slather it with maple syrup.

Yep…dijon mustard all over the ham. Then I use toothpicks to pin pineapple slices to the ham. Then pour the left over pineapple juice into the bottom of the pan. I loosely cover with aluminum foil while cooking.

 

[Ohana]

I would use the dry pan method and roast in a low oven, 300-325 until heated through. I Iike the idea of the mustard and brown sugar glaze as a start. I would not put on too much brown sugar, and toward the end spread either apricot jam or orange marmalade over top and let roast until it has thickened a bit. Yum. I’m hungry too!

 

[Julia_Mae]

What’s the best way to cook a canned ham?

By remembering it’s canned and already cooked. You are reheating, so don’t overcook and dry it out. Google a few glaze recipes and cover it with something yummy.

 

[Julia_Mae]

How to Cook a Canned Ham

1. 
   *]Throw away the canned ham.
   *]Go to the store.
   *]Buy a real ham.
   *]Cook the real ham.
   *]Enjoy.
   
   Or am I just being too silly?

1. 
   No, just too optimistic. Besides, they can be WAY too expensive now for a lot of people.

 

[aicirt]

I’ve cooked canned hams and they’re fine. Score the meat and sprinkel with brown sugar, and decorate with pineapple slices and cherries. Pour the juice over the ham. Put in oven.

I just did a sliced ham in a crock pot and that turned out nicely. I’d do it with a canned ham too.

Put ham in cooker. Place 4 halved sweet potatoes and 1 onion cut in thin wedges around the ham.

Combine:

1/2 brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup pineapple juice,
2 Table. butter
1 tea. crushed red pepper.

Pour over meat and veggies. Cook low for 7 hrs. or high for 3 hrs.

I didn’t have the sugar nor the sweetpotatoes but cooked everything else and it was delicious. Actually, I think the sugar would have made it too sweet.

 

[brumano]

Okay, so I bought this 3-lb canned Polish ham. DH thinks it’s going to be too salty. If I roast it in a covered pan with water in the bottom, will it tun out all right? Or will it become a rubber ball? (I’ve cooked the regular (non-canned) hams before in the oven or electric roaster, but this is my first canned ham.)

I’m stumped but I know what i’d like to do with that canned ham. Cut it into about 1/8" slices, boil it in a fryng pan with the same 1/8 water, with like a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar, a little bay leaf, little parsley touch of thyme or whatever you like. don’t over boil because i think it will get rubbery. Drain off the water and just singe the slices in hot, not burning vegetable oil. then I’d like to have it with a couple of eggs over and some toast, or just pile the slices onto your favorite bread put on a big thick slice of swiss cheese and enjoy.

 

[Z_Ninja]

Yep…dijon mustard all over the ham. Then I use toothpicks to pin pineapple slices to the ham. Then pour the left over pineapple juice into the bottom of the pan. I loosely cover with aluminum foil while cooking.

perhaps use cloves instead of toothpicks to pin the pineapple slices to add a little more flavor.

another glaze I use all the time when preparing ham is using equal parts ketchup and mustard plus 2 parts brown sugar. mixing all together until sugar is dissolved then brushing/spooning mixture all over ham. might go well on a canned ham also.

 

[George_Stegmeir]

Okay, so I bought this 3-lb canned Polish ham. DH thinks it’s going to be too salty. If I roast it in a covered pan with water in the bottom, will it tun out all right? Or will it become a rubber ball? (I’ve cooked the regular (non-canned) hams before in the oven or electric roaster, but this is my first canned ham.)

I have always had good results with the following:
After removing the ham from its tin, place it on a flat surfice, like a cutting board so you can work on it. Using a sharp paring or similar small knife score the entire surface of the ham on a diagonal from its center point. Then, score the ham on the diagonal in the opposite direction, so the whole ham is scored in a diamond pattern. Then, rub the entire surface with Brown Sugar, lightly caking it onto the surface of the ham. Next, insert the stem of a whole clove in the center of each scored diamond, leaving the head of the clove outside the surface of the ham. It will help if you use something like an ice pick or awl to pre poke a hole in the ham to insert the clove.
Place the ham into a well oiled baking pan or pyrex baking dish- the kind that has verticle sides. Place into an oven pre-heated to 375 degrees Farenheit. Check the ham by looking at it every 15 minutes or so. Since the ham is pre-cooked, when the sugar is melted and forms a glaze on the ham, it’s done.
Enjoy!

 

[Phemie]

I’m really trying to picture this. The only canned ham I’ve ever dealt with we sliced and ate cold in a sandwich – it never would have crossed my mind to ‘cook’ it or even heat it. That was a ham in a triangular can with rounded corners.

 

[Tenebrae]

Thanks, everybody, for weighing in on this. I roasted it tonight in the oven with a maple syrup/brown sugar glaze. It turned out pretty good, and wasn’t very salty at all. Ham and potato casserole tomorrow.

 

[Godfollower]

Thanks, everybody, for weighing in on this. I roasted it tonight in the oven with a maple syrup/brown sugar glaze. It turned out pretty good, and wasn’t very salty at all. Ham and potato casserole tomorrow.

Sounds great! What time should we show up?

 

[brumano]

Thanks, everybody, for weighing in on this. I roasted it tonight in the oven with a maple syrup/brown sugar glaze. It turned out pretty good, and wasn’t very salty at all. Ham and potato casserole tomorrow.

thanks for getting back and letting us know.