Easy Slow Cooker Ham
This recipe has become my favorite ham. It has replaced our Christmas Ham and makes the entire house smell amazing. There is nothing like coming home to this ham cooking. Experiment with the amounts of seasonings to your liking. I prefer more nutmeg but some prefer less nutmeg and more maple syrup
This recipe has become my favorite ham. It has replaced our Christmas Ham and makes the entire house smell amazing. There is nothing like coming home to this ham cooking. Experiment with the amounts of seasonings to your liking. I prefer more nutmeg but some prefer less nutmeg and more maple syrup
- Carbohydrate 78.2387827190242 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.24575661988947 g
- Fiber 3.25916779840879 g
- Protein 0.642167080046601 g
- Saturated Fat 0.347104865116623 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (199g)
- Sodium 33.181003759648 mg
- Sugar 74.9796149206154 g
- Trans Fat 0.399850321170813 g
- Calories 312 calories
Step-by-step
- Press whole cloves into the ham so they are evenly distributed. You may score the ham for easier insertion if you wish. Place the ham in a slow cooker. Pour in apple cider until only about 2 inches of ham is above the surface. Pack the brown sugar on top of the ham, pressing into the cloves. This will get washed away in the next step but any that stays on is a bonus.
- Pour the maple syrup over the ham. Season the apple cider with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, ground cloves and vanilla. Add the orange peel to the pot. Fill the slow cooker as full as you can with apple cider without going over the fill line. Cover and set to Low. Cook for 8 to 10 hours.
Maple syrup acts as the primary driver of the sweet crust, anchoring the spices to the exterior while balancing the saltiness of a bone-in cut. Thermal inertia and long exposure to gentle heat break down collagen over eight to ten hours without drying out the protein. Achieving optimal results relies on precise handling of the liquid and heat.
- Score the exterior fat in a diamond pattern to allow whole cloves to anchor securely and enable sugar penetration.
- Pour apple cider until roughly two inches of the upper portion remains exposed to prevent boiling the meat into mush.
- Judge doneness by probing the thickest zone with a metal skewer; it should slide through resistance effortlessly with zero crunch.
- Adjust quantities proportionally if downsizing for a smaller slow cooker vessel, maintaining a cider-to-sugar ratio that prevents scorching at the edges.
Proper liquid management guarantees a tender interior throughout the cooking window. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days.
