Easy to prepare and serve within minutes, boiled ham is a must-know recipe for the festive season.
It’s a versatile and healthy meal in itself and makes for great leftovers – even if you do end up making more than what’s needed.
Boiling ham also makes it so much more delicious. The meat retains the water and becomes tender and juicy, and since ham is already roasted, boiling and then cooking it further brings out incredibly smoky flavors. The only trick is to know how long to boil ham.
So, if you’re trying to master the culinary art of boiling ham before Thanksgiving and Christmas, you’ve come to the right place!
Boiled Ham Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
While there’s no special prep required for boiling ham, you want to get a smoked ham with the bone in for best results. To boil it to perfection, follow these steps:
- Place the ham in a big pot.
- Add your choice of vegetables, spices and liquid to the pot (the liquid should barely cover the ham).
- Slowly bring to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and leave it simmering for 15-20 minutes on low flame.
Pro tip: Every 1 pound of ham will need 15-20 minutes of simmering.
- Skim the foam off the top of the liquid as it simmers.
- Use a meat thermometer to check if the ham’s done (it should have an internal temperature of 135-155 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Allow the ham to cool in the liquid.
- Take it out while it’s slightly warm to remove its skin and trim the fat.
You can further glaze the ham or carve it and serve it right away.
How Long to Boil Ham?
The time it takes to boil ham that’s already cooked (as in the case of boiled ham) depends on the quantity of the ham.
How long to boil a ham per kg?
1 kg ham is equal to 2 pounds of ham and should take approximately 30-40 minutes to boil properly.
How long to boil 1.5 kg ham?
Thus, 1.5 kg of ham takes up to 80 minutes of boiling.
Here’s a table for a quick reference for per pound and kg of ham.
| Quantity of Ham | Boiling Time |
| 1 pound (0.45 kg) | 15-20 minutes |
| 2 pounds (0.9 kg) | 30-35 minutes |
| 3 pounds (1.3 kg) | 45-50 minutes |
And if you’re unsure how much ham you’ll need, factor in half a pound of ham for each person who’ll be dining.
You can also use the leftover ham water to make pea soup the next day. So, if you’re wondering how long to boil ham bone water for pea soup, it will take about an hour depending on the recipe. And then you can add the leftover ham in the last 15 minutes of cooking the soup.
Tips to Remember When Boiling Ham
- Boiling ham for longer than necessary can dry it out and reduce its flavor.
- Avoid fully submerging the ham in the liquid.
- Don’t boil the ham at a high temperature.
- Allow the ham time to soak up the liquid after you turn off the burner.
Takeaway
Making boiled ham is an easy way to reduce some of the heavy lifting you’ll be doing in the kitchen during the festive season. And with this guide, you’ll be able to boil ham to make it fork-tender and melt-in-your-mouth juicy!
