Ham glaze: 5 recipes with brown sugar, honey, maple and pineapple

The short answer: a good ham glaze is about 1 cup of brown sugar or honey, 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons of vinegar or juice, brushed on during the last 20 to 30 minutes of heating. One batch glazes a 7 to 9 pound ham.

• Five recipes below: brown sugar, honey mustard, maple, pineapple and cherry
• Timing: heat the ham covered first, then glaze, so the sugar does not burn
• Plan the holiday meal: the Holiday Season Bundle ($15.99) puts the menu, shopping list and budget on one page

Every ham glaze does the same job: sweet sugar caramelizes on the surface, and a little acid or mustard keeps it from tasting flat next to the salty meat. The five recipes here each use pantry staples and make enough for a typical 7 to 9 pound spiral-cut ham. If you still need the oven times and safe temperatures, start with how to cook a ham.

The basic ham glaze formula

Most glazes follow the same pattern:

• Sweet: brown sugar, honey, maple syrup or jam
• Tang: Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, pineapple or orange juice
• Spice (optional): ground cloves, cinnamon, black pepper or a pinch of cayenne
• Fat (optional): 2 tablespoons of butter for shine

Whisk everything in a small saucepan and warm it over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the glaze coats the back of a spoon. Thin glazes soak in and brush on evenly.

1. Classic brown sugar ham glaze

Warm everything until smooth. This is the one most people mean by a brown sugar ham glaze: dark, sticky and sweet with a mustard bite.

2. Honey mustard ham glaze

Whisk until smooth. It is tangier than the classic and a good fit for people who find brown sugar too sweet.

3. Maple ham glaze

Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Use pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup for the real flavor.

4. Pineapple ham glaze

Simmer the juice and sugar for 8 to 10 minutes until reduced by about a third. Pineapple rings on the ham are optional, but they look the part on a holiday table.

5. Cherry or apricot jam ham glaze

Warm the jam until pourable and whisk in the rest. Fruit preserves make a glossy glaze with less added sugar than a pure brown sugar mix.

When to glaze a ham so it does not burn

1. Heat the ham covered with foil at 325°F, following the times in our ham cooking guide.
2. Uncover it for the last 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Brush on a third of the glaze, return it to the oven, and repeat two more times, about every 10 minutes.
4. Watch the edges. If the glaze darkens quickly, tent loosely with foil.

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Safety comes from the temperature, not the color. USDA's ham guide lists 140°F for reheating a fully cooked ham and 145°F, followed by a 3-minute rest, for a cook-before-eating or fresh ham, and FoodSafety.gov's chart lists the same 145°F for pork. An instant-read meat thermometer checks it in seconds.

Tips for a better glazed ham

• Score a whole ham in a diamond pattern so the glaze can soak in. A spiral ham is already cut.
• Warm the glaze before brushing so it spreads.
• Save a little to warm and serve at the table.
• Line the pan with foil, or use a disposable roasting pan, so the sugar does not bake onto it.

Make it ahead and use the leftovers

Make any of these glazes up to a few days ahead, keep them covered in the fridge, and warm them before use. After dinner, glazed ham keeps well in shallow containers, and the bone and scraps are what you want for ham and bean soup. For more ways to use the rest, see leftover ham recipes and scalloped potatoes and ham.

Plan the full holiday dinner

A ham is easy to scale and cheap per serving, which is why it shows up at Christmas and Easter. Pair it with sides from our Christmas dinner ideas, and keep the shopping list and budget in one place with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) or the Holiday Season Bundle ($15.99).