Are All Canned Hams Equal in Quality and Flavor?

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I have been freeze drying non frozen non canned ham and it seems quite flavorful when rehydrated. It just has to be cut in smaller pieces but I store a lot of beans and split peas so that works.
Have you ever tried freeze drying a spiral cut ham?
 
I'm trying to figure out how many I should get or have. From what I could tell, they are minimally $9 per canned ham for any of them now, and most are closer to $10. One a week for a year would be around a $500 investment.
This was online costs for canned hams, $9 + each. I'm really glad that I went on my field trip and found them so much cheaper. I can get 3 locally for what one would cost if I ordered it online.
 
Have you ever tried freeze drying a spiral cut ham?
I have done one and it seemed to work fine. i am finding they get done quicker if the pieces are small so they can outgas all the moisture. I tried one non spiral cut and left the chinks a bit larger and had to run the FDer more hours to get them done. I have a load of 12 dozen eggs in my large FDer right now.
 
I lived on a round canned ham when I moved out on my own.
It was round & the size of a skinned pineapple.
I sliced it & made ham & cheese samwhiches.
I do not remember the name from forty years ago.
We get cooked hams in plastic wrap like a turkey.
 
Went to WM today and they had the Bristol hams for $3.18. The label on the shelf said $2.88. I didn't pay close attention when I was checking out to how things rang up. I do not shop at WM very often. I'm reading the receipt and there are many things that did not ring up as they were labeled on the shelf and all the differences were higher than the price on the shelf.. I'm not going to go and argue with them and get refunded. Too much of a hassle, too far to drive. Put this on the long list of reasons I don't like to shop there.
 
Went to WM today and they had the Bristol hams for $3.18. The label on the shelf said $2.88. I didn't pay close attention when I was checking out to how things rang up. I do not shop at WM very often. I'm reading the receipt and there are many things that did not ring up as they were labeled on the shelf and all the differences were higher than the price on the shelf.. I'm not going to go and argue with them and get refunded. Too much of a hassle, too far to drive. Put this on the long list of reasons I don't like to shop there.
That happen at Kroger & I caught it & the manager was called, he changed it & apologized.
Kroger cost more even with the gas discount, but it is better than WM.
Plus DW loves shopping there, so win win.
 
That happen at Kroger & I caught it & the manager was called, he changed it & apologized.
Kroger cost more even with the gas discount, but it is better than WM.
Plus DW loves shopping there, so win win.
Fred Meyer (Kroger) sells gift cards from several places, Amazon and Lowe's are two that come to mind. these gift cards count towards gas points.
 
Fred Meyer (Kroger) sells gift cards from several places, Amazon and Lowe's are two that come to mind. these gift cards count towards gas points.
YES, I bought a kitchen stove & lumber for a shed with give cards, it was all I could do to use up the points & I was filling up four automobiles.
At one time Fred Meyer was the fourth largest Jewelry store in the USA, I do not know now.
 
I was at WM earlier this week. I never like going there, ever. Because I am slowly building up my stock of canned hams, I looked to get a few. Sadly, they were sold out. They did have many other canned meats though. I could have driven to other WM's, but it was already too crazy in the stores, so I was not going to do that. It made me wonder if they were sold out because of demand, lack of stock, or shipping issues? It would be good if other people were actually stocking up on canned hams to be better prepared.
 
Went to WM today and they had the Bristol hams for $3.18. The label on the shelf said $2.88. I didn't pay close attention when I was checking out to how things rang up. I do not shop at WM very often. I'm reading the receipt and there are many things that did not ring up as they were labeled on the shelf and all the differences were higher than the price on the shelf.. I'm not going to go and argue with them and get refunded. Too much of a hassle, too far to drive. Put this on the long list of reasons I don't like to shop there.
That happens all the time to me at Walmart. I check the price on an item with my reader app and decide if I want it or not.
 
I was at WM earlier this week. I never like going there, ever. Because I am slowly building up my stock of canned hams, I looked to get a few. Sadly, they were sold out. They did have many other canned meats though. I could have driven to other WM's, but it was already too crazy in the stores, so I was not going to do that. It made me wonder if they were sold out because of demand, lack of stock, or shipping issues? It would be good if other people were actually stocking up on canned hams to be better prepared.
I went to Kroger for gift cards & it was a mess. Six self check out were closed(broken??)
Lines with fifteen people in them.
Then it hit me, Fridays pay day & last shopping day before Christmas Eve & Christmas day.
Got every thing I needed.
 
I went to Kroger for gift cards & it was a mess. Six self check out were closed(broken??)
Lines with fifteen people in them.
Then it hit me, Fridays pay day & last shopping day before Christmas Eve & Christmas day.
Got every thing I needed.
There are days that I try my best not to grocery shop. Friday is payday for many people and that is a day that some do their shopping for the week. Weekends are busy with families and working people. The few days ahead of any holiday are also crazy busy. I am not 100%, but I really try hard to get my shopping done ahead of the crowd.

Another time that I avoid stores, especially Costco is the last day of the month, or the first day. Those are also paydays. Now a Friday or weekend that hits on the last or first day of the month is really a day I avoid shopping.

My preferred day of the week to grocery shop is Wednesday. I do shop once in a while on Friday morning, as early as possible. I also avoid the late afternoon or dinner hour, when some people buy their dinner for the day. Wednesday used to be my shopping day. I would add things to my lists as I thought of them and go out to do all of my shopping for the week, and from hardware stores, etc. One reason I started doing the Wednesday shopping is because Sprouts has double ads that day. Their ads from the previous week and the next week are both in effect.

I have been in the grocery store on Thanksgiving to pick up last minute things and have seen people with their carts full of the food for their meal. I remember in my family that the turkey went into the oven very early in the morning. Perhaps we had really big turkeys and they needed the extra time, but buying a turkey at noon and then starting to cook would never be me or my family. Our turkey would be approaching finish about that time.

My preferred day of the week to grocery shop is Wednesday. I do shop once in a while on Friday morning, as early as possible. I also avoid the late afternoon or dinner hour, when some people buy their dinner for the day.
 
Last edited:
Canned hams will taste really good if there are shortages of other things. (won't matter where it came from) Our close by gas ,beer and mini mart sells their own recipe of ham and today people were picking them up when I stopped for coffee. Fresh hams starting at about $100.........

I have been getting spiral cut hams and freeze drying them. They will go well with my split peas I have stored.
 
Canned hams will taste really good if there are shortages of other things. (won't matter where it came from) Our close by gas ,beer and mini mart sells their own recipe of ham and today people were picking them up when I stopped for coffee. Fresh hams starting at about $100.........

I have been getting spiral cut hams and freeze drying them. They will go well with my split peas I have stored.
Fresh hams are really good. I really like hams with the thick skin on them. I don't eat split peas very often, but I do eat navy bean soup and could also see having canned ham in scalloped potatoes or macaroni and cheese.
 
I buy a couple of canned hams when I see them. I did see them at Aldi and at Walmart last week, and the price was only different by a dime.
I try to buy three every time I see them. I am not nearly as stocked up on them as I would like to be and since I don't go to WM or DG very often, this could take me a while to build up a decent supply of them. I don't seen them in Safeway or King Soopers. When I get a chance and the shopping slows down, I will try another WM.
 
I've tried a few of the canned hams but Dad doesn't like them. My mom used to get them when we were children and the ones today don't even look like they did back then let alone taste that way. She used to score it, rub it with a little bit of brown sugar and stick a clove in the intersections of the score then bake.

Given his dislike, I still pick one up every now and then, usually DAK brand. Could always make deviled ham spread out of it.
 
Last year I ordered several cases of the Butterfield Farms canned chunk ham at $8.44 a case. This year it's $18.64 a case if you can find it. It's been in my little climate controlled storage unit so I need to get it out and start using it. I've only tried it once so far and the ham was soft from being in the liquid. It wasn't a gel. Flavor was so-so but I think I can work with it to improve the flavor and texture. If nothing else, I can drain it good then mix it into cornbread batter and bake it.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/12-pack-Butterfield-Farms-Chunk-Ham-with-Water-Added-5-oz-cans/444226861
 
Last edited:
This thought popped into my head recently. I like to add a ham hock or two when I make beans, but when I am not able to get ham hocks, it will be canned ham. One canned ham for every pound of beans I cook? That means for every 25 pounds of beans that I have, I should have 25 canned hams!!! Well, that just changed everything up. Lets say I have 25 pounds each of white, red, black and pinto beans. That is 100 pounds of beans, and that means I should have 100 canned hams. But what if I have more beans than that? That is a lot of canned hams! I think some of us are going to be eating beans without ham eventually. I'm glad to have the beans, but wish I could have as much canned ham as I do beans.

Lentils, brown or red, I never cook with meat, so I will be okay with them.

And those red beans and rice that I made for Mardi Gras? What could even come close to them without a ham bone?
 
I use one canned ham for 4# to 5# of beans. That gives me enough flavour. A ham bone will do as many beans. Serve it with a grain and you have plenty of protein. Rice, corn bread, or garlic bread are natural additions, but corn, barley, or any other grain works to provide a complete protein.
 
I use one canned ham for 4# to 5# of beans. That gives me enough flavour. A ham bone will do as many beans. Serve it with a grain and you have plenty of protein. Rice, corn bread, or garlic bread are natural additions, but corn, barley, or any other grain works to provide a complete protein.
P.S. If push comes to shove you can always use ham base, for flavour and salt. Any grain will give you the protein. Here are some options.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ham+base...x=ham+base,aps,1091&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_8
 
Meat, eggs, and dairy are complete proteins on their own, containing all the amino acids that make up protein. No grains are needed. Soy is also a complete protein, as is quinoa.
Exactly, if you don't have enough meat, eggs, fish, etc. then bean and rice are stored by many preppers as a protein source. Rice is a grain. Beans are a good protein source but it is not a complete protein. Any grain will work to make a complete protein with beans at the same meal. Refried beans and Mexican rice, for example, is a traditional meal because people learned that one or the other did not provide a healthy diet.
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Back
Top