Ham Glaze Recipes(but not for pre-glazed hams like our glazed baked ham)

Before we begin, please understand that these are not recipes for pams-hams or other pre-glazed specialty hams. I would not recommend using these on a pre-glazed ham unless you accidentally heated it and are now trying to re-apply the glaze.

What is in the crispy type of ham glaze
Mainly sugar. The great glaze flavor comes from the torching of the sugar – commonly called caramelizing. Same basic concept as crème brulee. (speaking of which, that would be another great use for your torch) Some people add a small dash of cinnamon and/or paprika but the ratio would be less then 10% compared to the sugar. Ours contains honey too but that’s a little harder to work with at home.

Ham glaze instruction options
Please know that a butane torch is not the ONLY way to glaze a ham. However, it is, in my opinion, the EASIEST way to glaze a ham. They are difficult to ship otherwise I’d offer one on this website. There are lots of options ranging from pricey culinary store ones to more cost effective ones from any local hardware store. I would recommend the hardware store variety but know that their biggest drawback is that they’re bulky – about the size of a household fire extinguisher. Do spend the extra few bucks and get the one that has a self igniting button. When you’re done, share it with your friends or your husband because you’ll probably have 10 hours worth of glazing out of that one large can of butane. The good news is that your husband can store it in his shed. The fancy kitchen store versions are not my favorites because you have to buy butane and fill them.

For those who don’t want to spend money on another gadget or who prefer to experiment, here are some additional suggestions. Other ideas are encouraged so write and tell us what worked for you.

There are two main options for glazing without a torch.
The first is with the broiler and the second is with the stove top. The broiler method involves putting your oven on the broiler option WITH THE DOORS OPEN while you are taking the time to roll the ham in the sugar-mixture. It is important that you aren’t heating the oven up because you don’t want to cook the ham more – just caramelize the sugar. (best to make sure the rack is in place before turning on broiler). Once the coils are red hot, place the ham in the oven under that area where the coil goes back around and place it as close to the coils as possible without actually touching. Do not step away from the oven. Once you see the sugar bubbling, remove it. If you wait any longer it will start to burn.

The stove top method is to carefully cook the sugar mixture in a pan and then pour a thin layer over the ham. To caramelize the sugar mixture, place the sugar mixture in a heavy skillet or saucepan. Heat and stir over low heat until the sugar melts and turns a golden brown. This one generally ends up with the thickest “crust” but is preferred by those who are afraid of experimenting directly on the ham. (if they wreck the sugar mixture, they throw it out and start over but it never touched the ham.)


A few ham glaze recipes
(or you could make your life easier next time and order one online that will arrive at your door ready to thaw and serve! just a thought...)