5 Tips For Making The Best Baked Ham

Ham is one the easiest roasts to make for a gathering. It works well for casual buffets, formal Easter dinners - and everything in-between!

Here are the top 5 things to make a no-fail ham worth celebrating:

#1 - Start With A Quality Product
Our butchers won’t bring in products that they do not stand by. Period. The quality is there and our customers can taste it. At Market Fresh we value local producers who make excellent food! We’re an independent business and pride ourselves on supporting local companies that are invested in quality.

Look for these top notch local producers in our store:

Rowe Farms was born right here in Guelph when John Rowe began raising grass fed cattle on his farm in 1972. Rowe Farms prides itself on only producing locally grown, sustainably raised, minimally processed, organic foods. All of their meat is produced without the use of antibiotics, growth promoting hormones or animal by-products. Rowe Farms is a Harvest to Gather farm that uses holistic management practices to achieve regenerative outcomes that build stronger communities and thriving food systems.

Stemmler Meats started out as a small store at the St. Jacob’s Farmers’ Market in 1985. Gerard, a very talented butcher, and his wife MaryAnn, a friendly and outgoing person, were so successful they were able to open their own store in Heidelberg within a year. Stemmler’s is committed to providing healthy and
nutrious foods that everyone can enjoy including those with special dietary needs. They make fresh and smoked meats without lactose, gluten, MSG and often without soy or nitrates.

Country Meat Packing is a local third-generation family-run producer of quality meat and deli products from Sheffield, Ontario. They are hands-on from start to finish, using family recipes handed down for over 40 years. Their hardwood smoked bone-in hams all come from local Ontario farms and are naturally
smoked using real wood. The exceptional smoky flavour of hardwood can be tasted in every bite.

This Easter we are offering Rowe Farm's naturally smoked ham, Stemmler's mini black forest ham, and Country Meat Packing's football bone-in hams. Check out all our local pork offerings from these farms. Hams and so much more!

#2 Choose The Right Ham For The Occasion
If you’re not sure what to choose - ask our butcher. Plan on about ½ pound of ham per guest. This allows for generous portions - and if you’re lucky - some leftovers!

For a large gathering and for the best value we recommend our bone-in smoked ham.

People                 Ham
6                          4.5 - 6 lbs
12                        9 - 12 lbs
20                        15 - 20 lbs

For a small gathering our boneless mini black forest ham is ideal.

People                  Ham
6                           2-3 lbs
12                         4-6 lbs
20                         6 ¾- 10 lbs

Market Fresh is here to help you enjoy the best ham this Easter!
Preorder hams through the Market Fresh Butcher Shop in-store or by phoning 519-823-8046. We suggest ordering them a week in advance. Our shelves will be stocked with bone-in football hams and boneless mini black forest hams. Grab them while supplies last.

Or leave the cooking to us and preorder Market Fresh’s Catered Maple Glazed Ham Dinner (or Roast Turkey Dinner) through our catering department by emailing catering@marketfreshguelph.ca or calling 519-823-8046.

#3 Use A Simple Glaze And Let The Star Of The Show Shine
Make our Honey Apricot, Pineapple Ginger, or Maple Mustard Ham Glaze recipe to accompany your ham. These 3 ham glaze recipes are so simple and delicious you'll be coming back for seconds!

#4 Roast Your Ham Perfectly
Baking a ham couldn’t be easier because it’s already been cured and smoked. When an internal temperature of 155F (68C) is reached the ham is ready to come out of the oven and rest. It doesn’t have to be exact but it should reach 140F (60C) minimum. You can purchase your very own meat thermometer in store at Market Fresh. 

How to roast a ham:
1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Place ham cut side down in a prepared baking dish or pan. Cover loosely with foil.
3. Add 1 cup of water, stock or juice to the bottom of pan.
4. Bake ham for approximately 1 - 5 hours, depending on the size of your ham or until an internal temperature of 155F is reached. Calculate 18-20 minutes per pound. Remove foil and brush glaze on ham during the last 15-20 minutes.

#5 Make The Most Of Your Leftovers
During your feast we recommend slicing only as much ham as you’re serving. It keeps things easy for you and big pieces of leftover ham have a longer shelf life.

Cool leftovers in your fridge. Large pieces can be wrapped in plastic wrap, popped into a resealable plastic bag and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
We suggest using up the refrigerated pieces within 5 days or reward yourself by making a delicious recipe using your leftovers like this Potato and Ham Casserole from Ontario Pork's The Whole Hog cookbook. 

Serve a ham dinner that you can be proud of with these 5 tips for making the best baked ham. We believe that knowing your butcher and where your food is farmed is important. You can count on Market Fresh to source and serve you the best quality ham that supports local farmers.