When a Glazed Ham Really Isn't

Since I sell a fabulous spiral ham with a crunchy sweet glaze on top, I find myself purchasing other products that have similar labeling. This past Christmas, my neighborhood gourmet grocer sold a glazed spiral ham in their refrigerated bin so I gave it a try.

It appears the USDA does not have any labeling rules on the word glazed because that ham had neither a visible glaze coating nor a separate glaze packet. This ham may be fine for some that plan on embellishing it themselves, but for those that thought they had a simple meal solution, they were inevitably disappointed.

A good rule of thumb might be that a ham with a crunchy glaze on it sold at a market or grocery store should probably be in a box. It would make sense that the crispy glaze would crack too much if it was thrown around in a bin with the other hams.

And don't even get me started on meat quality!