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National Glazed Spiral Ham Day

Food · April 15

A food day for glazed spiral ham, the pre-sliced, bone-in ham with a sweet, sticky coating that often anchors a big family meal.

National Glazed Spiral Ham Day falls on Thursday, April 15, 2027. That is 170 days away.

A glazed spiral ham is a cured, bone-in ham cut in one continuous spiral around the bone, then brushed with a sweet glaze and warmed through. The slices stay attached until you serve them, so the ham looks whole on the platter and falls into neat pieces at the touch of a knife.

Most spiral hams are sold already cooked. That changes the job in the kitchen. Nobody is really cooking the ham so much as reheating it gently and finishing it, which is why it shows up so often when a crowd is coming and the oven has other things to do.

The glaze is where cooks get to have opinions. Brown sugar and honey are common starting points, often loosened with mustard, pineapple juice, maple syrup or a little vinegar. Some people add cloves or a pinch of cinnamon. Because the ham is already sliced, the glaze runs down between the layers instead of sitting only on the outside, and the edges turn dark and slightly crisp.

The trick most experienced cooks mention is moisture. A spiral ham has a lot of cut surface, so it can dry out if it sits uncovered in a hot oven for too long. Wrapping it in foil for most of the warming time and adding the glaze near the end keeps the slices tender.

Then there are the leftovers, which some people consider the real point. Ham sandwiches, ham and eggs, split pea soup and a pot of beans simmered with the bone all follow in the days after, and the bone keeps giving long after the platter is cleared.

Ways to celebrate

• Try a homemade glaze with brown sugar, mustard and a splash of fruit juice.
• Share a ham sandwich lunch with a neighbor or coworker.
• Simmer a leftover ham bone into bean or split pea soup.
• Ask an older relative how they glazed ham and write the recipe down.

Dates

All national days on April 15

Also on April 15

• National Anime Day
• Jackie Robinson Day
• Take a Wild Guess Day
• Tax Day
• National Rubber Eraser Day
• Titanic Remembrance Day

Categories: Food days