How to choose Christmas ham, the best time to buy it and how to store it

Feeding the family at Christmas can get expensive. But you can snag your ham for its lowest price simply by shopping at this time.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without a glossy, glazed ham placed centrestage on the table – but when is the best time to buy it?

With Christmas less than a month away, shoppers are keen to get their hands a good cut of ham, without breaking the budget.

This is where Woolworths has stepped in, offering customers $10 off the total marked price of its half-leg ham ($9/kg) from this Friday to Sunday.

That means customers can get a 4.5kg piece of ham, which would normally cost $40.50, for $30.50.

RELATED: TV chef’s ‘perfect’ Christmas ham

Woolworths says the best time to buy Christmas ham is from this Friday, with its award-winning half-leg ham on sale.

“After a challenging year for many Australians, we know customers are keeping a closer eye on their budget during a traditionally more expensive time of year,” Woolworths director of buying Paul Harker said.

“Half-leg ham is a staple around the Christmas table, so it’s the perfect time to get a delicious and award-winning ham at a great price, especially for those who are planning ahead for their Christmas shop to spread out the cost.”

The half-leg ham may not be available in all stores, Woolworths Metro or Woolworths online and the offer is only available while stocks last.

If you’re wondering whether the ham will last you until Christmas, Woolies confirmed it has a shelf life well past December 25, and simply needs to be stored in a fridge.

The Woolies offer is on from Friday, November 27 to Sunday, November 29.

Made locally from Australian pork, the supermarket’s half-leg ham won the Australian PorkMark Ham Awards 2019/2020 ‘best nationally available ham’ category.

But it’s not the only leg ham to gain recognition. Coming in second place was the Bertocchi Australian Leg Ham – Hickory Smoked.

From more than 140 entries, the PorkMark Ham Awards found the best 100 per cent Australian hams.

NATIONAL WINNERS BONELESS:

1. Griffin & Morris Village Butchers, VIC

2. Premier Meats, NSW

3. Hunter Valley Meat Emporium, NSW

TRADITIONAL BONE-IN

1. Noosa Meat Centre, QLD

2. Andrew’s Choice Smokehouse, VIC

3. Gray’s Modern Meat Mart, QLD

And for those wondering how to best choose, cook and store the Christmas staple, it all comes down to some simple rules.

Woolies estimates customers will buy approximately 1.7 million kilos of its half-leg ham this year. Picture iStock

HOW TO CHOOSE A CHRISTMAS HAM

According to fleischmeister (German for ‘meat master’) Horst Schurger, the key to choosing a good ham is to avoid anything wet or rubbery.

“Look for a natural meaty texture,” he said on the Australian Pork website.

Don’t be shy to ask a butcher to taste the ham, he said, adding it should have a good smoky flavour.

“Look for smooth, even skin and even colouring. If the knuckle is sunken, it’s overcooked. If the rind is buckled or uneven, it’s a sign of dryness,” Mr Schurger said.

“Hams 10-12kg are most likely to have the best flavour and texture due to age of the pig.

“For the best results, opt for fresh Australian pork rather than hams made in Australia from frozen imported meat.”

To be sure you’re buying Australian ham and bacon, Australian Pork recommends to look for its distinctive logo or buy a bone-in ham.

When choosing a ham, avoid anything wet or rubbery. Picture iStock

GLAZING YOUR HAM

This comes down to four steps, as recommended by Australian Pork.

1. Prepare your favourite glaze recipe

2. Remove rind and use a sharp knife to score ham in a diamond pattern

3. Place ham scored side up in a large baking pan and brush over glaze

4. Place into a preheated oven or hooded barbecue at 180°C for 20 minutes per kg, basting occasionally, until ham is brown and warmed through

You want to look for a ham with smooth, even skin and even colouring. Picture iStock

STORING YOUR HAM

1. Soak a Ham Bag, pillowcase or tea towel in 4 cups of water and 2 tbsp vinegar

2. Wring out excess liquid and place or wrap ham inside

3. Store in coolest part of fridge

4. Re-soak bag in solution every few days or when Ham Bag dries out

FUN FACT:

Woolworths estimates customers will buy approximately 1.7 million kilos of half-leg ham this Christmas – equivalent in weight to more than four Qantas 747s.