Apricot-Rum Glazed Spiral Ham

Make Apricot-Rum Glazed Spiral Ham with a glossy apricot-rum glaze and serve warm.

Ingredients

• 1 6 to 8 pounds Hickory smoked fully cooked spiral cut ham
• 3 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 3 tablespoons dark rum

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven

Start by preheating the oven to 325°F so it's steady and even when the ham goes in. This first action ensures the fully cooked spiral ham heats through gently and the exterior can take on glaze later without drying. Take a moment to position a rectangular roasting pan and wire rack on your painted pine surface — you'll use them shortly to hold the ham above the pan juices.

Step 2: Roast the ham for the first hour

Place the 6–8 pound hickory-smoked, fully cooked spiral-cut ham on the wire rack inside the rectangular roasting pan, pour one cup of water into the pan to create a moist oven environment, and slide it into the oven's lower rack to gently heat for about an hour. The goal is to warm the meat through and render a little fat so the glaze will adhere; the pan and rack geometry must be preserved for the final presentation.

Step 3: Make the apricot-rum glaze

While the ham warms, combine apricot preserves and dark rum in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking until the preserves melt and the mixture becomes glossy and bubbly, about five to eight minutes. The result is a thick, amber, syrupy glaze with shimmering specular highlights and a slightly caramelized aroma — smooth, glossy, and spoonable, ready for brushing.

Step 4: Glaze and finish roasting

After the initial hour, remove the ham from the oven, brush the spiral-cut surface generously with the warm apricot-rum glaze so it seeps into the grooves and pools slightly between the slices, then return the roasting pan and rack to the oven to bake another 50–60 minutes so the glaze caramelizes and forms sticky, amber-edged char in places. Once the exterior is glossy and slightly charred and the spiral layers read juicy and tender, rest briefly and present the ham whole on the same rectangular roasting pan with its wire rack, the glaze glistening across the deep pink, spiral-cut meat.

Notes

• Let the preserves soften before making the glaze to achieve a smoother finish.
• Reserve a small amount of glaze to brush on slices right before serving for extra shine.
• Tent with foil in the final minutes if the glaze is browning too fast.
• Use a meat thermometer if you prefer to check internal warmth, aiming for about 140°F for serving.
• Slice thinly to stretch servings and make plating easier.