Where can you buy fig preserves? Is there a substitute?

Fig preserves are sold in the aisle with all the other jams, jellies and preserves. It is fairly easy to find. If you can’t find it, Plum Preserves, Black or Red Currant Preserves will work instead too. Orange marmalade, apricot jam or apple jelly are also good choices.

Bake the ham in a moist environment on a lower temperature.

Adding water to the bottom of the roasting pan and then covering the ham with parchment paper/aluminum foil will create steam on the inside and cook the ham in a moist low heat. This will help a lot to keep the ham from drying out and overcooking.

Why use parchment paper and aluminum foil?

I use both parchment paper and aluminum foil to create a steamy/moist environment for the ham. This will not only help the ham bake through faster, but will keep it from drying out too. I also like to avoid aluminum foil touching food. The parchment paper alone will not crimp around the roasting pan. The aluminum foil is more durable and malleable. If you have a really large roasting pan with a lid, you can just use the lid.

Don't overcook the ham.

The ham is already cooked. In this recipe, we are only heating it through. If you bake it too long, it will dry out and won’t be juicy and delicious. Hams are ready to eat right out of the package - just like the ham you buy at the deli for your sandwiches. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature and just get it hot all the way through.

Add the glaze at the end.

When the ham is warmed through, add the glaze and finish baking it uncovered.

How To Bake a Spiral Ham (Glazed)

Name: How To Bake a Spiral Sliced Ham (Fig Glaze)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Ingredients: 10-15 lb spiral sliced glazed ham (preferably shank end); 1 1/2 cups water; 1/2 Tablespoon butter or oil; 1 shallot (you can also use 1/2 medium yellow or red onion), minced; 2-4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 cup fig preserves; 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 2-3 fresh thyme springs (or 1 rosemary sprig); 1/4 cup water

How To Bake a Spiral Sliced Ham (Fig Glaze)

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A smoky, juicy ham with a sweet and salty fig glaze is a beautiful main course that is impressive but easy to prepare for a special occasion. The glaze not only adds a beautiful sheen to the ham, but adds a terrific flavor to it too.

Author: Olga's Flavor Factory
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 min
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Yield: 1 ham 1x

Ingredients

Scale

10-15 lb spiral sliced glazed ham (preferably shank end)

1 1/2 cups water

Fig Glaze:

1/2 Tablespoon butter or oil

1 shallot (you can also use 1/2 medium yellow or red onion), minced

2-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup fig preserves

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2-3 fresh thyme springs (or 1 rosemary sprig)

1/4 cup water

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the ham in a deep roasting pan on top of a rack. Pour in about 1 1/2 cups water into the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover the top of the ham and the roasting pan first with parchment paper and then with another layer of aluminum.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes - 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of your ham. The internal temperature of the ham should reach 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit. The ham is already cooked and does not need to reach a higher temperature.
Meanwhile, prepare the glaze for the ham.
In a small-medium saucepan, heat the butter or oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium low heat, seasoning with salt and ground black pepper to taste, until the shallots are tender.
Add the fig preserves, the balsamic vinegar, thyme and water. Mix to combine and simmer for another 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.
Blend all of this in a blender or use an immersion blender to get a smooth consistency. If the glaze is too thick, thin it out with a bit more water.
When the ham has reached an internal temperature of 100 - 110 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the oven, uncover it, and brush it evenly with the glaze.
Increase the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Return the glazed ham to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the glaze has caramelized a bit. (Do not overcook the ham or it will be too dry.)
Remove from the oven, let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with the remaining Fig Glaze, if you want to.

Notes

Instead of fig preserves, you can also so many other jams/jellies/preserves: use orange marmalade, apricot jam, plum preserves, apple jelly, black/red currant preserves, etc.
Most spiral sliced hams are not sliced at the very top. As the ham bakes, the cut portion of the man will separated from the uncut top portion of the ham, creating huge gaps.
There's nothing wrong with it, it will just look a little homely. To prevent this, use a sharp knife to create 3-5 more slices parallel to the other slices on the ham across the top. (If you forget this step and the ham starts to separate, just create a few slices and as soon as you notice it and it should fix the problem.)

Find it online: https://www.olgasflavorfactory.com/recipes/fig-glazed-spiral-baked-ham/