Cooking Instructions

Cooking and Storing Instructions

Turner Sugar Cured Country Ham

Your ham has been Sugar Cured using my Great Grandfathers curing recipe. It has been passed down to me from my father, Garnett Turner, who has been using the same method for over 30 years. These are our suggestions on how to store and cook your Turner Sugar Cured Country Ham.

Storing your Turner Ham

BONE IN – It’s best to eat your ham within two weeks from the date of purchase. Your Sugar Cured Turner Ham will keep best if stored in a cool part of your house, away from pets and insects. We recommend that you store it in paper and not in a plastic bag or hang it from a hook using the nylon bag that’s already on your ham. If the outside of the ham gets moldy, wash off the mold with a clean brush and let it dry before cooking (mold on a ham is normal, just wash or cut it off).

SLICED BONE IN– Clean and trim the slices right away (be sure to scrape both sides) and put in Tupperware containers and refrigerate. Slices may be frozen for up to 2 months. It’s best to eat them as soon as possible.

BONELESS– A boneless ham will travel fine at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. If you plan on keeping the ham for several days, you should keep it in the refrigerator. Do not pick up the ham by the corners or edges of the bag as this may cause the bag to lose its vacuum. If your ham does lose its vacuum, open the plastic vacuum bag and wrap the ham in clean white paper and refrigerate, cook it within a day or two.

Cooking your Turner Ham

We suggest that you use our time proven method and please DO NOT SOAK OUR WHOLE HAMS.

For BONE IN HAMS– Wash off the outside of ham with water. Trim off the skin with a sharp knife and as much fat as desired. (saving the hock for seasoning? cut it off now with a meat saw).

For BONELESS HAMS- Remove the clear vacuum bag but leave ALL netting on the ham.

Place the ham in a large pot and cover with water. Bring water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature reaches 160° using a meat thermometer. You may want to try boiling your ham in a mix of Apple Cider and water.
Remove ham from broth. BONE IN- cool until the bone can be removed. Wrap in foil, chill, slice thin. BONELESS- Remove from water and place on a rack. Leave the netting on until after the ham has chilled over night. Your broth may be used to make Ham Pot Pie.
You may glaze your ham by using your favorite Ham Glaze, we use brown sugar, dijon mustard and raspberry jam with a bit of apple cider. Score ham (fat side up), insert whole cloves into the ham. Brush Glaze over the CHILLED ham, add pineapple rings, if desired, and place in oven at 350° for 15 minutes or until the glaze bubbles. Remove from oven, slice thin with an electric knife or sharp kitchen knife and enjoy! A propane torch works great for glazing your ham.

Frying sliced Turner Ham

With a sharp knife, slice your uncooked ham about 1/4 inch thick.
We recommend soaking your SLICES in HOT tap water for 5 minutes, change water and repeat. A third soak could be added for even less salty taste. Stir the ham while soaking. After soaking, drain in a colander.
Dredge in flour and fry in heated oil over medium heat. Turn when you notice slight browning on edges.

The drippings may be used to make red-eye gravy, fry eggs or for seasoning vegetables.

Try our sliced ham on the grill!

Now our summertime favorite! Soak using method listed above. Lay the slice on the grill rack and grill it until lightly brown. Baste with melted butter and honey. My personal favorite!

Red Eye Gravy

After you’ve fried your ham slices following the directions on our cooking instructions, add a 1/4 cup butter and melt over low heat. Stir in 1/4 cup packed brown sugar until dissolved. Add one cup of strong black coffee. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Yield is about one cup of gravy.

Saw Mill Gravy

After you’ve fried your ham slices following the directions on our cooking instructions-remove the ham from the pan and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil. Whisk about 1/4 cup flour into the drippings and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in about 2 cups of milk a little at a time. Return to medium-high heat and stir occasionally while the gravy comes to a simmer and thickens. (Be sure to scrape up any brown bits that might be stuck to the bottom of the pan, Rhoda used to say… “that’s where the flavor is, honey-babe”) Add pepper if desired.

Ron’s Grilled Cheese and Country Ham Sandwich

Lightly brown your precooked Turner Ham slices in butter. Remove from pan. Butter some slices of your favorite bread. Place once slice of bread in the skillet buttered side down. Add a layer of Smoked Cheddar or Pepper Jack Cheese. Spoon 1 tablespoon of Blue Smoke PEACH SALSA onto the cheese. Top with the browned ham slices and more cheese and another slice of buttered bread. Flip when browned, remove from pan after both sides have been lightly browned.

Maple Ham and Brie Puff Pastry

(we use Chef Cathy Parsons recipe, using our ham)

1 package frozen, puff pastry stacks (6 stacks)
2/3 lb. cooked and sliced Turner ham, sliced into thin strips
2/3-cup Pure Maple Syrup (we use Rockhaven Maple Syrup)
3 tbsp. whole grain mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small wedge Brie cheese, rind on, thinly sliced into 2” long pieces

Bake the puff pastries on a parchment line sheet tray according to the package directions (400°F for 20-25 minutes). Remove the center of the baked pastry along the perforated lines.

In a large sauté pan, sauté the ham, syrup, and whole grain mustard until most of the water from the ham evaporates and the liquid turns thick and syrupy, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff each of the baked puff pastry towers with some of the sautéed ham. Drizzle extra sauce into each tower. Criss-cross 2 small pieces of the Brie cheese on top of the tower and broil until melted. Serve warm.

Have some leftover ham?

Grind your cooked ham in a food processor and make some ham salad. Top off a homemade pizza with ham slices and some aged parmesan cheese. Wrap some slices in chicken breast for Cordon Blue. Have you tried our ham in Pasta Carbonara? Brown some bits of trimmings in butter and crack an egg over the top.

If you need answers to your ham questions or to place an order, call us at the store (540)-896-7487.