Everybody loves a delicious and savory flavor of a well-cooked ham during the holiday seasons, especially when your mommy does all the cooking.
Well, my mom is not the typical home chef because she has it all in her kitchen. And the one that excites us is when she prepares a good old ham meal from one of her slow cooker.
From the start, we are really confused about how she made the savory ham that way.
It tasted like something that you want to crave for more until we saw her get one of her favorite lightweight slow cookers and the remaining ham from our fridge.
At that time, we wondered if it was possible to cook a ham in a slow cooker. But in the end, our mom did it, and she made the best ham that we couldn’t resist.
Can I cook a ham in a slow cooker?
Slow cookers are not just a one-stop cooking device that cooks all recipes, but they can cook the best savory ham from your own personal fridge. Sometimes, hams at grocery stores are pre-cooked already, and you just need to warm them with the best glaze.
With a slow cooker, the finished ham meal will be different because these devices will make sure to bring out the best flavors with a mouth-watering finish.
Which cooking tools/accessories are required to cook a ham in a slow cooker?
Cooking ham in a slow cooker couldn’t be easier without the help of different cooking tools and accessories. These tools will help create the best and most juicy ham for the holiday seasons.
Here are the cooking tools and accessories that can surely help you when preparing the best ham for your family:
- Brush – You will use a brush to evenly put the glaze onto the ham perfectly.
- Refrigerator – A refrigerator will keep the cooked ham longer when stored.
- Knife – If you want to cut smaller chunks of ham, a knife would be the best tool.
- Mixing Bowl – Container for mixing all the ingredients for the glaze.
- Whisk – To blend ingredients for the glaze to make a perfect ham syrup.
- Baster – Use this tool to insert the glaze inside the meat sections of the ham.
- Saucepan – Use this to whisk together the ingredients for a thicker glaze.
What type of ham would I cook in a slow cooker?
There are varieties of hams that you can cook in a slow cooker, and every one of them contains different methods to prepare.
It’s your preference whether to cook one according to your taste. The types of ham include spiral hams (spiral version), ham shanks (taller and narrow part), ham butt (fattier and tender part), and boneless ham (tender part).
Can a 2-pound ham fit on lightweight slow cookers?
Yes, a 2-pound ham can fit lightweight slow cookers, and it can fill the stomach of your whole family.
If you want to reduce the cooking time, make sure that you choose the right size of ham that fits the number of people you want to prepare.
What ingredients can I partner with a ham in a slow cooker?
Cooking the best ham requires more than the ham itself. Some ingredients can be partnered with the ham to make it much more delicious than the ordinary one.
Here are some ingredients that you can utilize to get the best flavor for your ham:
- Cloves – Spicing up your ham with cloves will give a tempting flavor that you want for more.
- Brown Sugar – The sweetness of brown sugar will create the best profound glaze for the ham.
- Mustard – Adding mustard will help clump the glaze to make it look juicy.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – The sourness of the vinegar mixed with brown sugar and spices will kick in the flavors more.
- Coca-cola – Soda pop will ensure the best tasting experience for the ham.
- Maple Syrup or Honey– Maple syrup will do the trick if you want to add extra sweetness.
- Pineapple Juice – This alternative to apple cider vinegar can give a juicy, kicking, meaty ham experience.
- Cornstarch – An optional ingredient for thickening the glaze.
- Aluminum Foil – This is used to cover the prepared ham to be cooked in the slow cooker. This is to ensure that to have a juicy cooked ham afterward.
- Ginger Beer – If you love the exotic taste, ginger beer will give a stronger flavor to your ham.
Is making a glaze important for a ham?
A ham is incomplete without the glaze. To make it more interesting, you can add the necessary ingredients to make the ham mouth-watering and tender.
The glaze will create more flavor and texture, making a delicious cooked ham. Aside from it giving an enhanced flavor, the glaze also can lengthen the food life of the ham so that you can still put it inside the fridge and reheat it when needed.
When adding the glaze, it should be applied at the last hour so that it can prevent burning the sugars.
How long to cook a ham in a slow cooker?
Using a slow cooker to cook ham requires no effort, to begin with. You can just set, forget and wait for it to finally be cooked.
It is very important to cook ham on a low setting for the heat to penetrate more on the ham, making it juicier when done.
In most cases, you have to wait for 5 to 6 hours for the slow cooker to cook a 10-pound ham entirely. But smaller chunks will only need about 3 hours to cook.
Be sure also to check the ham on the fifth hour since it might evaporate the liquid at that time. If it does, pour more liquid and add cooking time to cook it properly.
Is it okay to reheat a pre-cooked ham in a slow cooker?
Yes! It is okay to reheat a pre-cooked ham in a slow cooker. But, you need to make sure that you will add more moisture when warming it to make it moist and mouth-watering.
Just place the slices of ham in the slow cooker and add adequate liquid. You can add spices also to give it a fresh start and finish. It depends on your preferences and what flavor you want to add to the ham.
Final Words
Eating a home-cooked ham is one of the best and easy recipes that one could make. And for most of us, having ham for a meal is the best way to kickstart the day.
More so, cooking it in a slow cooker will make it more tender, juicy, and mouth-watering. Even kids at young ages can attest that it is much more delicious a home-cooked ham using a slow cooker rather than using the conventional stove.
With that said, cooking a ham in a slow cooker is as easy as it goes. Live up to your expectations and create the best glaze your family can have.
Be adventurous in picking up the best ingredients and what type of ham you will use, and someday you will find the best ham recipe that you will be proud of.