How much ham do you need?
Tell me how many are eating. You get the ham to buy, how long to heat it and the temperature that says it is ready.
A fully cooked whole ham, bone-in. Sized at 1 lb a guest so there is ham left over, the Taste of Home amount. USDA has no row between a 7 lb half and a 10 lb whole ham, so this is the smallest whole ham. USDA heats it 15 to 18 minutes a pound at 325°F.
USDA says to reheat cooked hams packaged in USDA-inspected plants to 140°F and all others to 165°F. If the store sliced or wrapped it, heat it to 165°F.
How long to heat a fully cooked ham.
Oven at 325°F. Minutes for every pound of ham. These are the bone-in and spiral-cut rows.
| Ham | Weight | Minutes a pound |
|---|---|---|
| Whole, bone-in | 10 to 14 lb | 15 to 18 |
| Half, bone-in | 5 to 7 lb | 18 to 24 |
| Spiral-cut, whole or half | 7 to 9 lb | 10 to 18, covered |
A ham labeled cook before eating is not ready to eat. It needs 145°F and a 3 minute rest, and it takes longer. Check the label before you plan.
Cold, warm and the day after.
- A cooked ham sealed at the plant is safe to eat cold, right out of the package. Spiral-cut hams are best served cold, because heat dries the slices.
- To warm a spiral-cut ham, wrap it in heavy foil so the slices stay moist.
- A spiral-cut ham and leftover ham keep 3 to 5 days in the fridge or 1 to 2 months in the freezer. Leftovers you warm again go to 165°F.
About the numbers.
Why more ham than USDA says?
USDA counts 1/3 to 1/2 lb of meat a serving for bone-in ham and 1/4 to 1/3 lb for boneless. I plan on the larger Taste of Home amounts, 3/4 to 1 lb a guest for bone-in, because the bone and the trim go to waste and holiday plates are big. If you want a tighter buy, use the USDA numbers and cut the size down.
Why does a small table get a 5 lb ham?
The USDA bone-in rows start at 5 lb for a half ham, so the calculator never suggests a smaller bone-in ham. The extra slices make good sandwiches.
Why two hams for a big crowd?
The USDA chart stops at 14 lb for a whole ham and 9 lb for a spiral-cut one. Past that the calculator splits the ham so each one heats on a USDA time.
What about a boneless ham?
Taste of Home plans 1/2 lb of boneless ham a person. USDA heats a fully cooked boneless ham at 325°F for 15 to 20 minutes a pound if it is a 3 to 10 lb canned ham, or 10 to 15 minutes a pound if it is a 6 to 12 lb vacuum packed ham. The calculator sizes bone-in and spiral-cut hams only.
Does it count kids?
It counts every guest as an adult, which leaves a little extra. The full planner counts kids at half a portion.
Planning the whole dinner? The Holiday Dinner Planner adds every side, the shopping list and the timeline. You see your own plan free before you pay, then it is $7 once. See the Holiday Dinner PlannerNot useful? Email [email protected] within 14 days for a full refund.
Cooking turkey instead? See how much turkey you need and the day to start thawing it
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