Gee whiz! Boy did I make myself unclear. What I meant is how can I glaze a canned ham without burning the brown sugar? Is it better to wrap it with foil and keep it in the oven or does the microwave work best? Or is there a better glazing than the brown sugar?
Bill K.
Dear Bill,
Oh this definitely changes my answer because
I would never suggest glazing your biceps. That hot melted brown sugar
ladled on your skin could cause 1st degree burns! A lot of miscommunication
problems could be solved if people would just stop and think, "What am
I trying to say?" and then, as in your case, reread what you have written.
But let's move onto your question. (which I hope you reread.) I like
a sugary glaze so I cook my ham open in a shallow pan with rack. Don't
glaze it until the last 30 minutes, that's the trick to keep it from burning.
I don't think it would glaze properly wrapped in foil with the steam that
would be produced. Those canned hams are 1/2 water at least. Your glaze
would just trickle off into a soup at the bottom of the foil. I had
a ham once that must have been nearly 90% water (which I think government
standards still allows). I was squeezing water out of it like a sponge
during preparation. And then when I opened the oven door at the end I thought
I'd cooked a tater tot! As for microwaves, never use one for ham unless
you prefer rubber meat that chews like a wad of double bubble. There are
several other glazings you could try, too, such as pineapple or apricot.
Just remember that no matter how tempting, never lick glaze off the ham
right out of the oven. Enough said...bon appétit!