Peach Apricot Glazed Ham

Peach Apricot Glazed Ham is our family’s favorite and a centerpiece at Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas! It’s absolutely scrummy as Mary Berry would say. Peach apricot preserve is the perfect bright and sweet flavors to contrast the saltiness of the ham.

Because I buy a pre-cooked Boar’s Head Sweet Slice Ham at our local grocery store, the ham comes together quickly – score it, glaze it, bake it. If you’re following this recipe, please make sure you purchase a pre-cooked and not fresh ham. I love Braswell’s products and I buy them regularly. Their preserves, dipping sauces and salad dressings are truly quality products. If you can’t find the same brands, buy a brand you like. Remember quality ingredients will make the difference in any recipe.

MAKING THE HAM
Using a sharp knife, score the ham by making intersecting straight lines about an inch apart across the ham. Add a 1/4 cup of water at the bottom of a casserole dutch oven or cast iron skillet and place the scored ham on top. Scoring the ham will allow the glaze to seep into the ham as it bakes. It also makes a nice presentation. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set the oven rack in the middle position.

In a separate sauce pan, combine 1 Tablespoon of water, 1/2 cup of peach apricot preserve, 1/3 cup of light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and sprinkle in a little ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground all spice and some whole cloves. You’ll need enough cloves for each point where the score lines intersect. Whisk and bring to a simmer over medium heat and when the glaze thickens to the consistency of BBQ sauce, pour it over the ham. It should take about 5 minutes or so. Make sure you whisk frequently so the sugar in the glaze doesn’t burn at the bottom of the sauce pan (similar to making a caramel sauce).

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Cool the glaze slightly and remove the whole cloves. Pin the cloves into the ham where the score lines intersect and bake uncovered at 350°F for 45 minutes or until the glaze has caramelized over the ham. About every 15 minutes, brush or spoon the glaze from the bottom of the casserole over the ham. Once baked, remove from the oven and loosely tent with foil for about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish as desired and serve. Carving before or after serving is a matter of preference.

If you’re making a larger pre-cooked ham, you may want to double the glaze recipe and adjust the cooking time, but bake just until the glaze has caramelized.
Note: If you’re making a fresh ham, you’ll need to actually bake your ham before you glaze it. Do not apply this or any glaze to a fresh ham or the sugars in the glaze will burn before your ham is fully cooked. That’s a recipe for disaster. Make sure you read the label to know which type of ham you are buying. I’ve bought the wrong item often when in a rush, especially during the frenzy of holiday cooking.

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HOW MUCH HAM SHOULD I MAKE?
According to Martha Stewart, calculate 1/2 pound of boneless ham per person and 3/4 pound of bone-in ham per person. This 3 pound ham should feed 6 people. Because holidays are a feast in every sense of the word, everyone typically cooks more than needed – after all it is a feast. In my experience, this ham will feed more than 6 people especially when you take into account all the other dishes that are included at any holiday gathering – cocktails, appetizers, main dish, sides and of course the various desserts. That’s a lot of food and most people pace themselves.

LEFTOVERS
I love leftover ham! You can use it in so many different recipes such as – sandwiches (obviously), pastas, salads, eggs Benedicts, frittatas, soups, fried rice, finely diced garnishes, etc.