A Christmas ham from Vande Rose Farms is our fully cooked, uncured, spiral sliced half ham, 6 to 10 lb, smoked over applewood, and the whole job on the day is heating it covered at 325°F for 10 minutes a pound. This guide covers which ham to order, how much, when to order it, and how to heat it, all from our product and shipping pages.
The spiral sliced ham product page is the place to check availability, and checkout shows the delivery window before you pay. Below are which ham, how much, what the shipping page says, and how to heat it.
- Which ham to order
- How much ham for the table
- Ordering: what the shipping page says
- How to heat it
- Questions people ask
Which Christmas ham to order
Ham is a common Christmas centerpiece in this country, and the kind most people mean is a fully cooked, spiral sliced, bone in ham that only needs heating. That is what we make: a spiral sliced half ham, fully cooked, that the product page says may be served as is.
Ours differs from a supermarket ham in three ways the product page states: it is Heritage Duroc, it is uncured, and it is smoked over real applewood. It comes with an optional honey glaze packet. The product page makes no organic claim, so do not read one in.
The hogs behind it are raised crate free with no antibiotics ever on Iowa family farms, which our older post on the Vande Rose Farms pork journey describes.
How much Christmas ham for the table
The package says about 5 servings per pound, which is a buffet slice count. For a sit down dinner we plan by bone in weight: about half a pound per adult as the main, a third of a pound with other mains, three quarters with leftovers in mind. The full math is in how much ham per person.
By that rule an 8 lb ham feeds about 16 adults as the main, or 24 on a buffet with other dishes. A 10 lb ham feeds 20 as the main. Hams run 6 to 10 lb, so order two for a table past 20.
Ordering a Christmas ham: what the shipping page says
Our shipping page says: orders placed Tuesday through Friday deliver by FedEx the following Friday, Saturday, or Sunday unless expedited shipping is chosen; a specific arrival day cannot be guaranteed; packages are left at the door with no signature; products ship frozen with dry ice and go in the fridge or freezer the same day; holiday weeks are excluded; no P.O. boxes or international. That is all it says, so check the current shipping policy and the product page, then plan from the delivery window checkout shows you.
| Step | What to do | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Check the product page for stock and the shipping page for the current policy; checkout shows the delivery window | Shipping page |
| Box arrives | Open it, check that it is frozen or below 40°F, then fridge or freezer the same day | Shipping page; USDA mail order page |
| Thaw | In the refrigerator | USDA hams page |
| Heat | 325°F, glaze if desired, cover with foil, 10 minutes per pound, to about 135°F | Package directions |
| USDA general rule | Cooked hams from USDA inspected plants reheated to 140°F, covered, at 325°F, about 10 minutes per pound | USDA hams page |
Gift ham? At checkout you can ship to a different address and add a gift message of up to 120 characters. Tell the person it is coming, because FedEx leaves the box with no signature.
How to heat the ham
Follow the package: heat the oven to 325°F, prepare and apply the honey glaze if you want it, put the ham in a pan and cover it with foil, and heat 10 minutes per pound or until the center reaches about 135°F. USDA’s hams and food safety page gives 140°F for cooked hams from USDA inspected plants, covered, at 325°F, about 10 minutes per pound.
The step by step is in how to cook a spiral ham, and a brown sugar option is in spiral ham glaze.
After the meal, USDA lists a cooked half ham at 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator and 1 to 2 months in the freezer. The week after is leftover ham recipes. If the ham is out of stock, the farm shop has the rest of the line.
Questions people ask about Christmas ham
What kind of ham is best for Christmas?
A fully cooked, spiral sliced, bone in ham, because it only needs heating and carves itself. Ours is that, plus Heritage Duroc, uncured, and applewood smoked.
What is the best way to cook Christmas ham?
For our fully cooked ham, heat it covered at 325°F for 10 minutes per pound to about 135°F, glazed first, per the package. Do not cook it as if it were raw.
What is the difference between a Christmas ham and a regular ham?
Nothing in the ham itself. It is the occasion, and usually the glaze. Our ham is the same one we sell all year.
How many will a 7 lb ham feed?
About 14 adults as the main course at half a pound each, or about 35 buffet slices at the package’s 5 servings per pound.
Check stock, then check the shipping page. A Christmas ham is the simplest centerpiece on the calendar when it is fully cooked and spiral sliced, and ours adds the breed, the cure, and the applewood.
Check availability on the spiral sliced ham, then read the current shipping policy before you plan the week. The rest of the line is in the farm shop.
Keep reading
- Spring version: which Easter ham to order, how much, and how to heat it.