Honey-baked Vs. Holiday Ham

I have received Honey Baked Spiral Hams for many Christmases, well before Christmas Eve. You can get it up to a week before and then slightly warm it when you're ready for it. No need to make that special trip Christmas Eve! (We love the Honey Baked stuff!)

We used to always get our ham's from the Honey Baked Ham Company until we tried the store bought one's that taste just as good and MUCH less expensive! I actually cooked one this year for Thanksgiving that I got from Target and It only cost me $20 for a ten pound Smithfield brand ham. We have also had the Target brand spiral cut hams that are just as good and both brands come with the glaze packets. The hams are already cooked, you just have to warm them up and then put the glaze on them. Absolutely delicious! :)

We just got a huge spiral cut ham at our local grocery store. It came with the glaze and everything. Since we also had a turkey in the oven, the ham went in a pan on the bbq to warm and give it more smoke flavor. It was AWESOME!

I'd like to know, too. I love online shopping!

I'm confused... I buy hams months out, freeze, defrost a day ahead, and then glaze (many many many ways to glaze a ham... honey IS one of my favorites) and warm day of. Nothing simpler... because they're all already cooked/cured. You're just warming and glazing!

There are dozens of curing types (hickory smoked, mesquite smoked, sugar cure, salt cure etc.). You just pick your cure, your size and style (I'm fond of apple and hickory smoked/spiral sliced me'self...esp because then when you glaze them you can "feather" them open so the glaze goes interior), decide on glaze type (sugar, brown sugar, honey, honey clove -my fav). Some come with packets, but all you need is sugar or honey and any spices or herbs you like.

All for about $20-$30. And that's out here... where food costs are through the roof. ($12 per pound for lunch meat and $7 for a gallon of milk kind of through the roof).

Your grocer or butcher doesn't carry hams year round?

I think the hams at our grocery store are just as good. Personally, I think the packet of glaze that comes with is not so great - too sweet and lot's of artificial ingredients - so I make my own, which is very easy. (Also - don't bake it with the packet glaze on if you want to make soup after as it makes all the juices too sweet). But otherwise, absolutely delicious and so much less expensive! If you do decide to go with Honey Baked, there is no reason you have to pick up your ham Xmas Eve. Hams are cured so that they last a while - you should be able to pick it up in advance, store it in your refrigerator and just warm it before eating. Have a great holiday!

I agree with many of the other comments. Go get a ham or spiral cut ham from your grocery store, glaze it however you want...much cheaper and JUST as tasty!

I have used Omaha Steaks Ham in the past. They have a spiral cut honey ham and a plain ham. Both are good.

I've heard of Holiday Ham but haven't used the website.

For YEARS (as in 20!) we've only had Honey Baked ham for the holidays and then last year to save some money we went with a bone in ham from our local (small, nice) grocery store.. HOLY COW was it amazing. Never would have thought it.

I bought it so late that all the spiral cut ones were gone (which I was so bummed out about)and I could only get the uncut version. The butcher said I wouldn't believe the difference in a cut vs. whole ham and boy was he right. It was like eating an entirely different product. It had so much more flavor, I couldn't believe the difference.

The meat was moist and tasted 100X better than the Honey Baked ham that we've bought for years. It came w/ it's own packet of sauce that you pour over it and it wasn't nearly as hard to cut as you would think it would be (we used and electric knife).

I HIGHLY recommend you talk to the butcher at your local store and ask him/her which ham they would recommend. You could even buy a small one and 'test' it prior to committing to the big ham!

I will never go back!! Good luck.

Oh my gosh. I bet your local grocer sells select spiral sliced hams for the holiday. They are just as good and much less pricey. Many come with a glaze packet. Follow the directions on the package. Choose the 'flatter' one for more meat, and the 'taller' one for a bone with enough flavor and meat for a delicious pot of beans or soup for later! You don't need to spend a lot for a wonderful meal. Hugs to you!