Cherry-Orange Glazed Spiral Ham

Warm a fully cooked spiral ham over apple juice, then add a cherry, orange and mustard glaze near the end.

Ingredients

Ham and roasting liquid

• 1 fully cooked spiral-sliced ham, weight unspecified in the saved recipe
• BBQ seasoning, enough for the outside of the ham
• 1 orange, sliced
• 2-3 cups apple juice
• 3-4 cinnamon sticks
• Whole cloves, optional

Glaze

• 1/2 cup cherry preserves
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 US stick butter (8 tbsp)
• Juice and zest of 1 orange
• A pinch of ground cinnamon
• A pinch of ground clove or allspice
• A dash of Frank's RedHot or similar hot sauce

Instructions

1. Check the ham label. This method is for fully cooked ham, not fresh or cook-before-eating ham. Note the package's warming directions and use a thermometer; an unspecified ham weight makes a fixed total time unreliable. Heat the oven to 325°F.
2. Prepare the roaster. Set a rack in a roasting pan. Put the apple juice, sliced orange, cinnamon sticks and optional whole cloves below it. Unwrap the ham, apply BBQ seasoning and place it cut-side down on the rack. Cover with foil.
3. Warm gradually. Bake covered, beginning checks during the saved recipe's 1½-2-hour window. Keep warming until a ham packaged in a USDA-inspected plant reaches 140°F, or use 165°F for a repackaged or leftover cooked ham. Follow any higher package requirement. Add time rather than relying on a 120-130°F intermediate reading.
4. Cook the glaze separately. Combine all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir over moderate heat until the butter melts, then simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching.
5. Finish the surface. Reserve a clean portion of glaze for serving. Uncover the ham, brush on the remaining glaze and increase the oven to 400°F. Allow roughly 15-25 minutes for the coating to darken, brushing again halfway through and watching closely. If the sugar darkens too quickly, shield it with foil.
6. Carve. Rest for 10-15 minutes before separating slices. Serve with the reserved glaze, using a clean brush or spoon.

Notes

• The original yield is 10-12 servings, but no ham weight was supplied; treat that yield as an estimate when shopping.
• Apricot preserves, peach preserves or cranberry sauce can replace the cherry preserves. Their sugar content will affect browning.
• Make the glaze 2-3 days in advance and refrigerate it separately.
• Butter contains milk. Check the ham cure, BBQ blend, mustard and preserves before describing the complete meal as gluten-free.
• The ham-specific temperature targets follow the safe cooking temperature chart.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers at 40°F or below within 2 hours of cooking or preparation, or within 1 hour when the surroundings exceed 90°F. Use within 3-4 days. Reheat to 165°F throughout, adding a little water or the recipe liquid if needed; use a thermometer rather than time alone. Freeze sliced portions with a little cooking liquid for later meals.

USDA cooling, storage and reheating guidance.

Attribution

Adapted from Matt Price / Mr. Make It Happen.

These directions are independently written for a personal recipe collection. They are not the credited creator's text or endorsement, and no claim of physical recipe testing or additional reuse license is made.