Alright, let’s talk about makin’ that cherry glaze for ham, you know, the kind that makes your mouth water just thinkin’ about it. I ain’t no fancy chef, but I know how to make food taste good, real good. This ain’t gonna be one of them complicated recipes you see on them TV shows.
First off, you gotta get yourself some cherries. Now, I like the kind in the jar, the preserves, you know? They’re already sweet and gooey, just perfect for glazin’. You could use fresh cherries, I guess, but that sounds like a whole lotta work, and who’s got time for that? Not this old gal.
Then you need somethin’ to thin it out a bit, make it spreadable. Some folks use wine, that red kind. I ain’t got no fancy wine cellar, but I do keep a bottle around for special occasions, like makin’ this here ham glaze. A little splash will do ya, don’t go pourin’ the whole bottle in there, unless you plannin’ on gettin’ real tipsy while you cook.
Now, for the sweet stuff. You gotta have some sugar, you know? I use that brown sugar, the kind that looks like sand. It gives it a real nice flavor, kinda like molasses. You can use white sugar if that’s all you got, but brown sugar is better, trust me on this. And maybe a little bit of honey, if you got some. Honey makes everything better, don’t it?
- Cherries – the kind in a jar, like preserves.
- Red Wine – just a splash, don’t get carried away.
- Brown Sugar – it gives it that good, molasses flavor.
- Honey (optional) – for extra sweetness and flavor.
Okay, so you got all your stuff together. Now what? Well, you gotta mix it all up. Get yourself a pan, not too big, not too small. Dump in them cherries, pour in a bit of that wine, and sprinkle in your brown sugar. If you’re usin’ honey, go ahead and add a spoonful or two. Then you gotta stir it all up, get it nice and mixed together.
Put that pan on the stove, turn the heat on low. You don’t want to burn it, just warm it up and let all them flavors meld together. Keep stirrin’ it every now and then, so it don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. You want it to get kinda thick and syrupy, like molasses, you know? That’s how you know it’s ready.
Now, about that ham. You gotta cook it first, of course. I like to bake mine in the oven, low and slow. That way it gets nice and tender and juicy. When the ham is almost done, that’s when you put the glaze on. Don’t go puttin’ it on too early, or it’ll burn and get all crusty, and nobody wants that.
Take that ham out of the oven and brush that glaze all over it. Be generous, don’t be stingy. You want that ham to be covered in that sweet, sticky goodness. Then you put the ham back in the oven for a little while longer, just to let that glaze set and get all shiny and pretty. Maybe another 20 minutes or so, keep an eye on it so it don’t burn.
And that’s it! Your cherry glazed ham is done. It’s gonna be so good, your family will be beggin’ for seconds. And the best part is, it’s easy peasy, even an old woman like me can do it. So go on, give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.
A few extra tips: If you want a little extra zing, you can add a pinch of cloves or a dash of vinegar to your glaze. Just a little bit, you don’t want to overdo it. And if your glaze gets too thick, you can add a little bit of water to thin it out. Just a tiny bit at a time, until you get it just right.
Now, some folks like to get all fancy with their thermometers and such, but I just cook by feel. You know, when the ham looks done and smells good, it’s probably done. And if you’re not sure, you can always cut into it a little bit and see if it’s cooked through. But don’t go cuttin’ into it too much, or you’ll let all the juices out.
And that’s all there is to it. A good old-fashioned cherry glaze for ham, just like my mama used to make. It ain’t fancy, but it’s good, and that’s all that matters.
Tags: [cherry glaze, ham glaze, cherry ham, glaze recipe, holiday ham, easy ham glaze, brown sugar glaze, best ham glaze, how to glaze ham]