Finnish Christmas Baked Ham

Saliha

Well-known member
Baked ham being the centrepiece of the Finnish Christmas dinner table, a special effort is made in finding and buying "the perfect piece of ham", whether fresh or salted, boneless or with bone.

In the old times, Christmas ham was prepared at home by salting a fresh ham for several weeks in heavy salt brine. To remove the excess salt before cooking, the ham was soaked in fresh, cold water for a few days. Nowadays, a faster salting process mostly used in professional kitchens or by the food industry, is to inject the ham with saltwater solution and to store it in a lighter salt brine until just salty enough, making the soaking unnecessary.

Professionally prepared salted hams are often sold frozen and need to be slowly thawed, which, depending on the size of the ham, may take several days. Before baking, the inner temperature of the thawed ham should have reached about +10 °C.

Now, the ham needs to melt slowly. I will continue this thread, when its ready for the oven (after few days).

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Still frozen, going to the fridge.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Saliha, please keep us posted on your ham preparation and results!

Lee
 

Saliha

Well-known member
I will, Lee.

This ham is 5,5 kg, boneless, ready-salted and frozen. When it will be time to bake it (we usually bake it at night time), I am sure that specially Santtu will has some difficulties to sleep at that night (because of its fragrance).
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
Is there a big hog raising industry in Finland?
I can get fresh ham and have thought of smoking one myself on my son's Char Griller.

I look forward to seeng your baked ham.
 

Saliha

Well-known member
Yes, pig farming is significant industry in here, as people consume pork a lot more than other kind of meat.
 

Saliha

Well-known member
The ham is now well melted, inner temperature is +10 C. It´s soon going to the oven for the night.

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Temperature in the oven will be +100 - 120 C, cooking time is about 1 hour for 1 kg, with this one it´s about 5 to 6 hours.
 

Saliha

Well-known member
The ham is baked.

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After baking, the leather is removed and the surface sprinkled with breadcrumbs.


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At the Christmas Eve dinner we usually eat baked ham with warmed rutabaga and carrot casseroles. Let´s see if I can snap few pic also from the dinner table at tomorrow.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I don't know that I've ever had a fresh ham. It looks like roast pork.

Wish I could try a slice of yours, Saliha!

The rutabaga and carrot casserole sounds good, too!

Lee
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
I, too, find it interesting; salted but not smoked. Now I'm very hungry for ham and see none in my future.

A friend of mine is Irsh and she makes smashed Swedes every Christmas dinner. I love them.
 
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