The Soda Trick For Flavorful Baked Ham (With A Sweet Twist)

If you're making baked ham — whether for a special occasion or a weeknight dinner — you may wonder about the best preparation steps. For instance, is it safe to cook frozen ham without thawing? The answer is yes! And did you know there's an easy glazing trick that uses your favorite fizzy drink?

Food Republic spoke with chef Tim Ziga from The Honey Baked Ham Company to get the 411 on this hack. "If you've decided to take the leap this year and glaze your own ham, soda is a pretty common ingredient," Ziga shared. "It will add sweetness and complexity to your glaze, as well as helping with caramelization. Not to mention, it's just fun."

Once you've bypassed the ham labels you need to avoid at the grocery store and have a good product, you're ready to get glazing. While cola is most commonly used for a soda-based glaze, another option has emerged as a particularly excellent ingredient for the job. "[Ginger] ale adds a nice flavor component that you won't get from a cola," Ziga explained. The sharp bite of ginger adds a warm, complementary contrast.

Adorning your ham with your soda of choice can be as simple as drizzling it over the meat pre-bake and then patting down the sticky pig with some brown sugar. You can also mix up a glaze separately and brush or spoon it on. "I usually add brown sugar or maple syrup as well, along with some Dijon mustard and vinegar to brighten it up," Ziga detailed.

Essentially, any type of soda can be used to glaze a baked ham — each one will bring its own flavor qualities to the party. If you're feeding a child who is a picky eater, mentioning their favorite soda has been poured onto the meat might be enough to intrigue them.

In addition to ginger ale and the quintessential cola treatment, Tim Ziga had some other suggestions to try out on your pork. "Orange soda can be fun and different due to the citric acid usually found in those beverages," he suggested. For example, you could try swapping out some of the orange juice with orange soda in this blood orange and honey-glazed ham. "Root beer can also be fun due to the depth of flavor." This easy shortcut delivers a gourmet-esque ham that will please any guest. A quick, flavorful glaze is just a can or bottle away!

Ziga cautioned, though, that if you're looking for a made-at-home duplication of a commercial honey-baked ham, a soda glaze isn't going to achieve that. Professional chefs undertake a lengthy process to churn out a high-quality pork product, including using specialty procedures for slow-smoking the meat. "You really can't recreate that in a home kitchen," he advised. "You'll have to come to the professionals — the beauty of choosing Honey Baked Ham is the work to cook a perfectly moist, tender ham is done for you."