Flavorful and elegant, ham is a great choice for the holidays. It’s simple, feeds a crowd and provides fantastic leftovers. But not all ham is alike. Our hams are from pigs raised to meet our high standards, which means:

• Raised with no antibiotics – ever
• Raised with no added growth hormones*
• No animal byproducts in the feed
• No added nitrates or nitrites
• Raised without gestation or farrowing crates

*Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in raising pork In addition, our hams contain no artificial ingredients or preservatives. No water is added, so they are full of flavor. We’ve gathered some recipe and cooking tips to lighten your load. And check out our website for more about the scoop on our ham and to learn more about the farms where the animals are raised. Favorite Ham Recipes:

• Honey-Glazed Ham with Fresh Pineapple Chutney
• Roasted Spiral-Sliced Ham with Maple and Orange Marmalade Glaze
• Mango and Orange Glazed Ham with Scallion-Cheddar Biscuits

Tips for a perfectly cooked centerpiece ham:

• Once a ham is fully cooked, it can be served at a warm or cool temperature but never straight out of the refrigerator.
• One advantage to buying a bone-in ham is to have the ham bone – great for soups and beans.
• Allow for ½ to ¾ lbs per serving for a bone-in ham.
• Allow for ¼ to ½ lbs per serving for a boneless ham.
• Let the ham sit at room temperature for about an hour before cooking.
• Scoring the skin of the ham adds to a beautiful presentation. Cut ¼” deep crosswise into 1” to 2” squares to create classic diamond shapes.
• If you chose to glaze your ham, don’t coat the ham with the glaze until the last hour of cooking to avoid burning.
• Don’t baste ham with the drippings as they can be really salty. Try pineapple juice, instead.
• If you use cloves to spice up your ham, be sure and remove the cloves before slicing and serving.

Stay tuned for a post on how to serve up those fabulous ham leftovers. How do you like your ham?