Not specifically, but you can look at the nutritional info on the ham before buying it. Compare several and see which has lower sodium in it.
Oh no I didn’t know to do that.
So here, we soak ham joints for between 8 and 24 hours to reduce the saltiness. Just soak it in cold water and leave in the fridge. Change the water every 6 hours or so.
The last ham we cooked (at Easter) was Appleton Farms Spiral Sliced Ham with a bone. It tasted fine -- not too salty. And the price was great! We've also baked hams from Niman Ranch which were very good and not salty, but those were smaller and more expensive.
Another Aldi convert here. Ours has the ones in the foil which are the double glazed brown sugar hams. These best flavored and the most expensive at 1.89 per pound. Then they have the spiral glazed at 1.49 which are still quite good and then the plain ole spiral hams for .79 I haven't tried the .49 you cut em up hams.
We also have a boneless one this year. But I've not tried it either. We actually get the .79 one for lunch meat. It cuts easy and the hock can be used for soup. It sure beats the $5 a pound lunch meat at some other stores and it's less than 1/5 the price.
Our local supermarket carries Frick's. I have one of their carver hams in my fridge right now waiting for turkey day.
I have a related ham question I hope you guys will help me with. I HATE ham. Have done so since I was a kid and I've tried a few. Maybe I've always had the kind of hams some PP have nemtioned here, which are horrible.
I also don't want one that's too salty. Although, I know I can use it to salt the soup that way.
Depending on the amount of soup you will be making, one or two ham hocks should work fine. I've done that many times. (Get mine from Whole Foods or the German butcher/deli.) Trader Joe's used to sell very small (maybe 1-2 lb.?) hams from Niman Ranch -- those would work well for this -- cut into chunks. And ham can be frozen, so you could cut up what you don't need and freeze it to use for soups later. Bacon works, too -- use a nice bacon that isn't too smoky or too salty. I use Niman Ranch brand or the bacon ends from Trader Joe's.
Anyway, I am getting ready to make some split pea soup. Of the split pea soups I've had that others made, they do NEED some ham (or ham bones?) in them for flavoring. (I'm not into vegetarian split pea soups.) I don't even begin to know how to BUY ham, except going to the deli dept and getting some pre-sliced for sandwiches. I do NOT need a full, big ham. I'm not having it for dinner, too. I just need a hunk for flavoring a pot of soup while it cooks.
WHERE do I find appropriate sized ham for this? Do I get it uncooked? But then, does it come pre-seasoned and smoked? Does it come pre-cooked in small amounts, which I can cut up into some small chunks? Will that flavor the soup enough?
There is a local supermarket here, where, next to the uncooked, steaks & pork chops, I've seen they have a couple ham hocks, wrapped in cling wrap on styrofoam trays. Should I get those? Or something else?
I don't want to spend a couple hours cooking split pea soup and in the end it is missing that ham flavoring that makes it a perfect split pea soup.
How about some pancetta? I think that would work nicely.
Anyway, I am getting ready to make some split pea soup. Of the split pea soups I've had that others made, they do NEED some ham (or ham bones?) in them for flavoring. (I'm not into vegetarian split pea soups.) I don't even begin to know how to BUY ham, except going to the deli dept and getting some pre-sliced for sandwiches. I do NOT need a full, big ham. I'm not having it for dinner, too. I just need a hunk for flavoring a pot of soup while it cooks.
WHERE do I find appropriate sized ham for this? Do I get it uncooked? But then, does it come pre-seasoned and smoked? Does it come pre-cooked in small amounts, which I can cut up into some small chunks? Will that flavor the soup enough?
There is a local supermarket here, where, next to the uncooked, steaks & pork chops, I've seen they have a couple ham hocks, wrapped in cling wrap on styrofoam trays. Should I get those? Or something else?
I don't want to spend a couple hours cooking split pea soup and in the end it is missing that ham flavoring that makes it a perfect split pea soup.
