Discover the difference between gammon and ham, plus how to prepare and cook them. Also check out our best gammon recipes and leftover ham recipes.
For some, one of the best parts of the holiday season is getting a cold cut of ham out of the fridge. Once glazed and studded with decorative cloves, you have a real feast on your hands. The best part is that it keeps giving—a small ham joint can feed a family for five days during the holiday season. This cola ham with maple glaze is one of our most-loved Christmas recipes for a reason. Advertisement.
A gammon isn’t just for Christmas; it’s a good buy all year, from summer picnics to birthday parties and New Year’s Eve. Check out our guide on how to cook gammon steaks and our list of the 10 best gammon glazes. Then, sit back and watch the crowds come. Also check out our extensive collection of Christmas ham recipes for more flavour-packed ideas.
Boiling ham is a time-honored cooking tradition that results in a tender, juicy, and flavorful main dish. But nailing the perfect boiled ham requires knowing exactly how long to boil it. Undercook it and the ham will be tough and dry. Boil it too long and you risk ending up with stringy, overcooked meat.
So how long do you boil a ham to achieve ham perfection? Here’s a complete guide to boiling times for different types of ham along with tips, tricks and serving suggestions.
Boiling Time Basics
The boiling time for ham depends primarily on two factors
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Weight of the ham – A general rule of thumb is to boil ham for 20-30 minutes per pound The exact time within this range depends on your preferred level of tenderness
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Type of ham – Fresh hams require longer boiling than cured or precooked hams. City hams also boil faster than country hams.
As a baseline, here are the estimated boiling times for different ham types:
- Fresh ham: 25-30 minutes per pound
- Cured ham: 20-25 minutes per pound
- Smoked ham: 20-25 minutes per pound
- City ham: 15-20 minutes per pound
- Country ham: 20-25 minutes per pound
- Precooked ham: 10-15 minutes per pound
But to take the guesswork out of boiling times, use our handy boiled ham cooking time calculator. Just input your ham’s weight and preferred tenderness level, and it will provide a precise boiling time for ham perfection.
How to Tell When Your Boiled Ham is Done
If you don’t have a calculator, there are a few ways to determine doneness:
- Use a meat thermometer – Ham should reach 160°F when done.
- Check for clear juices – Clear, not pink, juices indicate thorough cooking.
- Test for firmness – The ham should feel firm but tender when pressed.
- Check if meat pulls away from the bone – Cleanly separating meat is a sign of doneness.
When in doubt, boil your ham a bit longer. Slight overcooking is better than undercooking for food safety.
Tips for Perfectly Boiled Ham
Follow these tips forfork-tender ham every time:
- Choose a bone-in ham, ideally cured or smoked. Boneless hams don’t boil well.
- Keep the ham just barely covered with liquid while boiling.
- Maintain a gentle simmer – don’t let it boil vigorously.
- Turn the ham over halfway through cooking.
- Add more liquid if needed to prevent drying out.
- Allow the ham to rest in the liquid before carving.
- Save the nutritious boiling liquid for soups or stews.
Serving Your Succulent Boiled Ham
Once you’ve mastered the boil, here are some tasty ways to serve your ham:
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Sandwiches – Thinly sliced ham makes fantastic sandwiches and wraps. Pair it with cheese, mustard, pickles, lettuce, and tomato.
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Salads – Diced ham adds protein to fresh green or pasta salads. Toss it in Caesar salad or chef salad.
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Breakfast – Add ham to omelets, frittatas, hashes, and scrambles. Use it in pancake or waffle toppings too.
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Soups – Use the boiling liquid as the base for bean, potato, lentil or split pea soup. Then dice up ham to mix in.
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Pizza – Cubed or sliced ham is a classic pizza topping. Try it with pineapple or jalapenos for a flavor twist.
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Casseroles – Mix boiled ham with veggies, cheese, potatoes or pasta in a tasty baked casserole.
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Pastas – Toss diced ham into pasta salads, baked ziti, lasagna, mac and cheese or alfredo.
With the right technique and timing, boiling ham at home results in unbelievable flavor and tenderness. Know the recommended boil times, use a cooking calculator when needed, and follow these expert tips for ham that’s cooked to juicy perfection.
What’s the difference between gammon and ham?
Both gammon and ham are cuts from the hind legs of a pig. Gammon is sold raw and ham is sold ready-to-eat. Gammon has been cured in the same way as bacon, whereas ham has been dry-cured or cooked. Once youve cooked your gammon, its then called ham.
You’ll need to buy a gammon to make your Christmas ham. Depending on your recipe and personal taste, you can get it smoked, not smoked, on or off the bone.
How to prepare a gammon joint
Usually, you don’t have to soak the gammon in water to get rid of the saltiness. But, check with your butcher or read the directions on the package to be sure.
- To start, weigh the meat to calculate cooking time. It takes 20 minutes to cook 450 grams of roast gammon, plus an extra 20 minutes.
- Cover the meat with cold water in a large pan. Bring the meat to a boil and add any spices or herbs you like, like onion, cinnamon, bay leaves, peppercorns, or coriander seeds.
- Boil for half the time you calculated, skimming and discarding any white foam that rises to the top every so often.
- Drain, and if you want, save the stock. Let it cool down a bit. Take off the skin on top, leaving a thin layer of fat around the meat.
If you want to improve your kitchen, here are some of our top-rated, tried-and-true picks that would be great for cooking gammon.
How to make an Old Fashioned Boiled Ham
FAQ
How long does ham take to boil?
How long does it take to boil a ham joint?
How do you boil a ham to remove salt?
How do you know when boiled ham is cooked?
How long does it take to boil a ham?
Boiling can help reduce saltiness. Estimated boiling time is about 20-25 minutes per pound. Precooked Ham: These hams are fully cooked and merely need heating. Boiling a precooked ham primarily heats it up while possibly adding some flavors. Estimated boiling time is 10-15 minutes per pound. How Long Does It Take To Boil Ham? The General Rule
Is honey baked ham as good as regular ham?
The addition of honey will affect the calorie content of the food. One tablespoon of honey contributes to approximately 64 calories. In addition, the use of heat when making baked ham will reduce the quality of the honey.
How long do you boil a Ham in a stockpot?
Place the stockpot on the stove over medium heat and bring to a boil. This will take about 1 hour to bring up to a boil. After the water starts to boil, continue boiling for 1/2 an hour and flip the ham so the small end is down, and the large end of the ham is up. Continue boiling for another 1/2 hour.
Should you boil a Ham before cooking?
A good ham is a staple of many households for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Boiling a ham is a great way to incorporate whatever flavors you want through the cooking process. You don’t even need to make a glaze for the top if you don’t want to. Thaw the ham well before cooking if purchased frozen.