Types of Ham: A Complete Guide to the Best Ham to Buy in the Supermarket (2024)

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Easter—it’s one of the holidays when supermarkets fill their meat cases with hams of all types and sizes. If you’re a little intimidated by choosing and baking one for your Easter gathering, our BHG Test Kitchen has many tips for buying, preparing, and adding flavor. Even if you have your plan down to a science, we’ve got some new ideas to inspire you. Here's a complete guide to the types of ham.

Most hams you'll find made in the United States are city hams. They are wet-cured and made by soaking the meat in a saltwater solution or injecting them with a brine. You may also see country ham, which is dry rubbed and hung to dry like prosciutto. There are also fresh hams, which are uncured.

Most Popular Types of Ham in the Grocery Store

Whole and half hams are readily available as boneless, bone-in, and spiral sliced.

Spiral Sliced

Since patented in 1952 by Harry Hoenselaar of Honey Baked Ham Co., spiral-sliced hams have steadily grown in popularity because they’re so easy to serve: Simply cut the pre-sliced ham away from the bone.

Half Ham

Half hams are either butt (rump) or shank portions. The butt comes from the upper part of the leg. It’s meatier and more tender than the shank (the lower leg section.) The shank is slightly tougher because it has more connective tissue.

Whole Ham

A bone-in whole ham is the entire cured leg, including the thigh bone and part of the pelvic bone. If you’re feeding a big crowd, this is the one to get. They average 20 servings.

Other Types of Ham

In addition to the hams above, you may see the following types of ham cuts in your supermarket or local shop.

• Heritage Ham: These hams are made from breeds of pigs that aren't traditionally farmed on a large scale. They're often sold through smaller producers and at farmers markets.
• Pre-Glazed Ham: Some spiral hams will come pre-glazed so all you need to do is warm them up in the oven.
• Canned Ham: Found in the canned meat aisle of your grocery store, canned ham is fully cooked and often used in sandwiches. There's also canned spiced ham available, like Spam.

Does Ham Come Pre-Cooked?

The majority of hams are fully cooked so only need to be reheated to 140°F. Bake your ham, covered, at 325°F for 20 min./lb. for bone-in and 15 min./lb. for boneless.

How to Read a Ham Label

Hams look similar when wrapped in packages, so you’ve got to read the label to tell the difference.

• Wet Cured: Most hams are cured to preserve them. Wet-cured hams (also referred to as city hams) are immersed in or injected with a brine containing water, salt, sugar, spices, and curing agents like sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, and potassium chloride.
• Natural Uncured: Hams labeled as such are preserved using celery powder (organically rich in For fruit, stick with oranges, pears, or apples. Skip fresh pineapple; its enzymes will ruin the texture.
• Dry Cured: Country ham—a common dry-cured ham—is rubbed with salt and seasonings, often smoked, then aged four to six months.
• Smoked: If labeled smoked, a ham has been smoked over burning wood chips or an atomized spray of liquid smoke. If a label identifies a specific wood type, the ham was smoked over it. If smoke flavor was injected, the label will read ”smoke flavor added.”

How Much Ham Do I Need?

Each type varies in weight. Use the guide below to make sure you’re buying enough.

• Boneless Ham: ¹⁄₃ to 1/2 pound per serving
• Bone-In Ham: 1/2 to 3/4 pound per serving
• Recipe Math: 8 oz. = 1 cup chopped

Easy Ham Glaze Ideas

If your go-to glaze is the one that came with your ham, these three combos will nudge you in a new direction. Make sure to spoon the glaze over the ham during the last 45 minutes of baking to prevent burning.

• Spiced Pepper: In a small bowl stir together ¾ cup red jalapeño pepper jelly and 1½ tsp. five-spice powder.
• Orange-Bourbon: In a small bowl combine ½ cup orange marmalade or peach preserves, ½ cup stone-ground mustard, and 2 Tbsp. bourbon.
• Cranberry-BBQ: In a small bowl stir together ½ cup jellied cranberry sauce, ½ cup bottled barbecue sauce, and 2 Tbsp. honey
  

Our Best Ham Recipes

Now that you know the different types of ham available, try one of our delicious ham recipes. If you bought a spiral ham, make a citrusy stuffed spiral ham or glaze it with chutney. Make the best use of a half ham with a garlicky pineapple glaze. If you have leftover ham, try making a classic ham salad for sandwiches.