Tangy Manuka Honey Glazed Ham

A Christmas ham has been seen as a staple of many holiday traditions, and while the classic baked ham is always a solid choice for a night of Christmas cheer, why not try adding a glaze with just the right amount of tang, nearly tricking your brain about where you’re spending the season? This Tangy Manuka Honey Glazed Ham takes your favorite New Zealand honey and complements it with the perfect flavor combo of orange and pineapple, producing a ham with all the protein and all the mouthwatering goodness a glaze is supposed to offer.

And even better, if you have glaze left over, you can add it to the pan drippings with a little flour or cornstarch to make a nice sauce to accompany the meat. Well, let’s get to baking that ham!

Ingredients for Tangy Manuka Honey Glazed Ham

1 10 pound fully cooked, bone-in ham

1 ¼ cups packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup Manuka honey

1/3 large orange, juiced and zested

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Directions for Tangy Manuka Honey Glazed Ham

Remove the ham from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, which takes about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Trim off any skin from the ham. Use a sharp paring knife to score through the fat in a diagonal crosshatch pattern without cutting through to the meat.
Place ham, flat side down, in a roasting pan. Pour 1/4 inch water into the bottom of the pan.
Transfer ham in the pan to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham registers 130 degrees F, which takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes (about 15 minutes per pound).
In the meantime, in a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, pineapple juice, Manuka honey, orange juice, orange zest, Dijon mustard, and ground cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
Bake the ham in the preheated oven uncovered for roughly 2 hours. Remove the ham from oven and brush with glaze. Bake for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, brushing ham with the glaze every 10 minutes.
Quick Tip: Aluminum foil can be used to keep the food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up much easier. Also, you can use the bone and ham trimmings to make soup.
Enjoy your Tangy Manuka Honey Glazed Ham!