Ham often emerges from the oven or skillet with a shockingly salty taste But before you relegate that expensive cut to the trash, know that you can rescues over-salted ham With the right techniques, you can draw out excess salt and regain a pleasant, balanced flavor.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explain the science behind salty ham and share my best tips to desalinate it You’ll learn quick fixes to use right away on cooked ham and longer-term solutions that work in advance of cooking Follow my strategies to take ham from inedibly salty back to deliciously savory.
Why Ham Ends Up Too Salty
To understand how to desalt ham, it helps to know what makes it salty in the first place. Here are the main reasons:
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Brining – Most hams are wet cured or brined in a salt solution prior to smoking or cooking. This adds flavor but also considerable sodium.
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Curing Salts – Products like pink salt or Prague powder used in dry curing contain nitrites that boost saltiness.
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Cooking Method – Boiling ham concentrates the natural salts while smoking or baking draws it out to the surface.
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Glazes/Rubs – Sugar glazes counter saltiness with sweetness but spice rubs can exacerbate it.
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Overseasoning – Heavy-handed use of salt, soy, worchestershire and other seasonings before cooking.
Now let’s look at the best ways to counteract excess salt and restore balance.
Quick Fixes to De-Salt Ham After Cooking
If your ham has emerged from the oven unappetizingly salty, there are a few quick things you can do to try and tame that saltiness:
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Slice thinner – Cut very thin slices to minimize the salt impact.
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Soak in milk – Submerge ham slices in milk for 30 minutes – milk proteins help pull out salt.
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Rinse briefly – Run ham under cool water just until slightly damp – don’t oversoak.
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Dab with lemon – A bit of acidity counters saltiness nicely.
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Add fat/sauce – Top with butter, oil, gravy or creamy sauce to balance flavor.
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Pair with starch – Serve ham with bread, rice or potatoes to soak up salt.
While not as effective as pre-cooking options, these ideas can help salvage mild to moderately over-salted ham.
Preparing Ham in Advance to Limit Saltiness
To best control the final saltiness, you need to take steps before cooking the ham:
Soak in Water
- Submerge raw ham in cool water 4 to 12 hours.
- Change water every few hours as it draws out salts.
- Rinse then pat very dry before cooking as normal.
Soaking leaches out surface salts and soluble interstitial salts from within the meat. Just beware oversoaking can also dilute flavor.
Parboil and Drain
- Simmer raw ham in water 20-30 minutes.
- Drain, discard liquid, rinse ham.
- This helps pull salt from the interior.
- Finish cooking ham as usual.
Parboiling draws out salt from inside the meat better than just soaking. Draining the water prevents absorbed salts from reconcentrating.
Rinse Before Cooking
- Rinse raw ham under cool running water.
- Pat dry thoroughly before cooking.
- Repeat rinse & dry 2-3 times to further desalt.
A quick rinse helps wash away surface salt crusts that form during curing. Be sure to dry well so the ham browns and cooks properly.
Scrub With Baking Soda
- Make paste of baking soda and water.
- Gently scrub surface of raw ham to lift salts.
- Rinse thoroughly, pat very dry.
- Baking soda is a mild abrasive and neutralizes acids.
Scrubbing with baking soda sloughs off cured salts from the ham’s exterior. Rinsing prevents the soda from altering pH or flavor.
How to Prevent Excess Saltiness When Curing Ham
Curing and brining impart great flavor but can make hams overpoweringly salty if not done carefully:
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Weigh salts precisely – Don’t eyeball. Omit or reduce if recipe seems salty.
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Soak cure before smoking – After curing, soak in fresh water 1 hour per inch of thickness.
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Rinse well after curing – Wash off any surface salt crust that forms.
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Use less sodium nitrite – Cut pink salt/Prague powder in half in recipes.
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Substitute salts – Swap some sodium chloride for potassium chloride.
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Skip direct salting – Cure with just sodium nitrite to better control saltiness.
With precise weights, thorough rinsing and moderating curing salts, you can end up with a properly seasoned, not sodium overloaded ham.
Serving Ideas to Balance Saltiness
You’ve desalinated your ham, but you can use certain serving strategies to keep that salty taste at bay:
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Pair with sweet glaze, chutney or fruit compote.
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Serve with plenty of bland starches like potatoes or rice.
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Top with acidic ingredients like tomato or pineapple to brighten.
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Incorporate fat from sauces, oil or butter to coat.
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Blend into casseroles, soups, eggs or salads.
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Slice deli-thin and serve on bread or rolls.
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Stick to smaller servings rather than huge holiday-sized portions.
With thoughtful pairings and proportions, even a moderately salty ham can become an enjoyable eating experience.
Storing Leftover Ham After Removing Salt
Got leftovers after desalting your ham? Here are some storage tips:
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Wrap tightly in plastic then foil to prevent reabsorbing moisture.
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Portion into freezer bags or containers for quick future uses.
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Keep deli-sliced ham no more than 5-7 days refrigerated.
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Cooked whole hams keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
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Frozen, sliced ham lasts 2-3 months; whole hams 6 months.
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Use desalted ham promptly for best moisture and flavor.
With proper storage, you can enjoy your rescued ham for lunches, snacks, and easy meals for weeks to come.
Troubleshooting Persistently Salty Ham
Having trouble getting ham palatable after desalting? Here are some possible issues:
Still too salty – Soak longer before cooking. Submerge in milk after cooking 30 mins or more. Rinse again if soaked before.
Bland, flavorless – Don’t oversoak. Use glazes, seasonings to boost flavor after desalting.
Dried out, tough – Simply rinse rather than long soaks. Baste while cooking. Slice across grain.
Odd chemical taste – If using curing salts, reduce sodium nitrite. Rinse very well after curing.
Greasy, soft – Pat ham dry thoroughly after soaking or rinsing. Bake instead of boiling.
With testing and tweaking, you’ll find the right desalting approach to restore ham from salt overload.
Enjoy Ham at Its Best
Ham picks up a lot of salty flavor from curing, brining and cooking. But armed with my techniques, you can avoid biting into disappointingly salty ham. Before cooking, take steps like soaking, parboiling and rinsing to preemptively draw out excess salt. If despite your best efforts, the cooked ham still ends up too salty, use quick fix techniques like dabbing lemon or diluting with fat and sauces. With the proper desalting and cooking strategies, you can finally enjoy the full rich flavor ham has to offer.
Community Q&ASearch
- What is the best way to remove the salt from baked ham? Community Answer: Put it in a dish of milk for 15 minutes.
- “Should a cured and fully cooked half ham be soaked or not?” asked Tia. “Most store-bought hams are city hams.” They were wet-cured in brine and then smoked or boiled before being sold fully cooked.
- How do I get the salt out of some ham? Flobow Trust Community Answer: Put the ham in a bowl with water. Cover the bowl with a lid or foil. Put in the refrigerator. Let set four hours. If you wait longer than that, pour out the water and add new water to stop bacteria from growing. If it’s still too salty, put it in a saucepan of hot water on the stove for ten minutes. If it’s still too salty, cover it up with sauces.
Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
- Look for reduced sodium ham when grocery shopping. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1 .
- Cut down on the amount of salt in your food by serving and eating smaller amounts of ham. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0 .
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How to Desalt Ham
FAQ
What to do with a ham that is too salty?
Does coke remove salt from ham?
How long to soak salty ham?
How do you reduce the saltiness of a ham?
The soaking method is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce the saltiness of ham. To soak your ham, you’ll need a large container and enough water to fully submerge the meat. Start by placing your ham in the container and covering it with cold water. Allow it to soak for at least four hours, or overnight for best results.
Is honey baked ham as good as regular ham?
The addition of honey will affect the calorie content of the food. One tablespoon of honey contributes to approximately 64 calories. In addition, the use of heat when making baked ham will reduce the quality of the honey.
How do you make a salty ham taste better?
Add a little lemon juice to cooked ham. Acid can help mask the salty flavor of ham. If your ham is too salty, consider drizzling a little lemon on it to help mask the ham’s saltiness. Make sure you only use a tiny amount and no more than a tablespoon for the entire ham.
Can Ham be too salty?
Many people enjoy ham as a delicious and savory addition to their meals. However, some individuals find that ham can often be too salty for their taste. One popular method to alleviate the saltiness of ham before cooking is to soak it in water.