How to Make Honey Baked Ham Recipe (2024)

I never thought about how to make a honey baked ham recipe when I was young; it actually sounded awful to have a sweet ham. I was still a teenager when I tasted my first honey ham; that wasthe real Honey Baked Ham. Someone in the family purchased one andbrought it to our holiday dinner. We also had some of the famous onionbuns from our famous local Woody’s supermarket. What a pair! Topped withDad’s homemade horseradish, this made the best sandwich you could everimagine eating. Needless to say this combination quickly became one ofour family food traditions.

Later on in my life, when I moved to Florida with my children I started to think more about making a honey baked ham recipe. Instead I setout to find one to buy for Christmas dinner. Florida wasnot like it is today; not nearly as many people, stores or anybusinesses for that matter. After a lengthy search to where I could buyone of these hams I found one but it was a good drive from my house. Idebated, “Was it worth the drive?” Yes; I had to bring a little feelingof home in Ohio to my new home in Florida. If you are familiar toCentral Florida, the store was a little east of Altamonte Springs.

I pulled out with my kids in tote to find this store whereI could buy my traditional ham instead of learning how to make a honey baked ham recipe. It was three daysbefore Christmas so I was anxious to get there, buy my ham and get back.I knew I was getting close to the area so I started watching the crossstreets carefully. Suddenly my attention was pulled from the streetsigns to hundreds of people lining down the street. “What is going on”, Isaid out loud. I couldn’t believe all these people! My oldest son saidthey are all going in that store to get a ham. Oh, no! That just couldnot be so!

Like I said, I was in a big hurry! I couldn’t believe that there wereall those people after a ham but I was not about to return home withoutone after driving so far. I parked the car; the kids and I got out,crossed the street and got in the end of the line. After about 90minutes, I was allowed in the store. (Only a few could go in at a time);it was really a little place, especially the sales room.

By now I must tell you I was getting pretty irritableafter waiting all this time. As I approached the door, I could smellthat wonderful Honey Baked Ham recipe; somehow it soothed myirritability. Then I saw all the other good food; potato salad, macaronisalad, baked beans and I can’t remember what all there was. To mysurprise these were being handed out as free samples. Gosh, I didn’trealize how hungry I had gotten since I left home. This was all sodelicious! And I realized my grouchiness totally disappeared! It musthave been that comfort food! Anyway this became a memorable experienceand a renewed tradition. I even figured out a recipe for those deliciousWoody’s onion buns.

Even though I make my own honey baked ham recipe now,sometimes I still have to have my traditional fix with the “realthing”.A honey baked ham recipe can be as simple as drizzling honey fromthe bottle over the ham during baking. In the last hour of baking aham, drizzle the honey over the ham every 20 minutes. (try sprinkling alittle cloves over the honey) You can also make a mixture of honey withother ingredients to coat the ham while baking. Try the following.

HOW TO MAKE A HONEY BAKED HAM RECIPE with HONEY BUTTER

• ½ Cup honey
• ½ Cup water
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• ¼ Teaspoon nutmeg

Heat honey, water, nutmeg and butter in a small saucepan. Spoon overthe cooked ham and bake for 30 minutes. Spoon more over the ham and bakefor another 30 minutes.

HONEY PINEAPPLE GLAZE

• ½ Cup honey
• ½ Cup pineapple juice
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• ¼ Teaspoon ground ginger

Heat ingredients in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Spoon over the ham several times the last hour of baking.

COCA COLA HAM RECIPE

• Half of ham with bone
• 2 Liter bottle Coca Cola
• 2 Liter bottle ginger ale
• ½ Cup brown sugar
• Maple syrup
• Maraschino cherries/ pineapple chunks for garnish

Place ham in stockpot; pour Coca Cola and ginger ale over ham.

Add brown sugar to pot; if needed add enough water to cover ham with liquid.

Cook over low covered for 2 hours; turn off heat and allow to cool enough to transfer ham to large baking pan.

Measure 3 to 4 cups of liquid; pour into bottom of pan and bake ham at 325F degrees for 2 hours.

Mix small amount of maple syrup with juice and baste entire ham while baking.

Cook until golden brown; garnish with pineapple and cherries and bake another 30 minutes (hold on with toothpicks).

ORANGE HAM GLAZE

• Choice of ham
• 2 Cups water
• ½ Cup honey
• 1 Can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed)

Combine water, orange juice and honey; place ham in pan and coat with mixture.

Baste often as baking at 350F degrees; cook until thermometer reaches 150F degrees.

Cover with foil if edges begin to get too brown.