How to Cook a Country Ham (USDA Soaking and Cooking Guide)
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Country ham is salt-cured and may need soaking before cooking. FSIS recommends soaking it in the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours or longer to reduce salt, then covering it with water and boiling it for 20 to 25 minutes per pound. After boiling, drain it, glaze it, and brown it in a 400 °F oven for 15 minutes. Check the package directions for the specific ham.
Country ham steps
- Soak in the refrigerator for 4–12 hours. The soak reduces salt; keep the ham refrigerated while it soaks.
- Cover with water and boil. Estimate 20–25 minutes per pound. The calculator above multiplies the ham's weight by both ends of that range.
- Drain and glaze. Follow the glaze directions for your recipe or product.
- Brown in a 400 °F oven for 15 minutes.
Use the ham's package instructions if they give a different preparation method. This page gives the FSIS country-ham method, not a precise doneness prediction from time alone.
Storing cut country ham
For uncooked, cut country ham, FSIS lists 2–3 months in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. Freezer periods are for quality; frozen ham remains safe indefinitely.
For cooked country ham, the same FSIS chart lists 7 days refrigerated or 1 month frozen. Use the chart's category that matches whether the ham is cooked; these are separate entries.
Source
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Hams and Food Safety.