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It's not ham without salt. It is the primary curing agent.
Even a sugar, honey or maple cured ham is loaded with salt.
There are lower sodium hams out there. Just remember, when something comes out;
they'll put something else in. Half the salt may be replaced with added sugars, nitrates
or sulfides and most definitely water. Read your labels.
Make a call to any food service cash and carry, local butcher or a dietitian at a hospital,
retirement home or institution. They can put you on the path of the low salt ham.
Google it.
Thanks folks for your responses. I love ham for the holidays but my family is concerned about the extremely high sodium content.
I like the fresh ham suggestion. A lot of work perhaps?
I saw a video where someone was de-brining a big ham in a 5-gallon bucket of water. I think they let it soak overnight. I wish my family had known to do that when I was a kid. I loved the Virgina smoked hams we ate but I was slurping water all night.
You can soak the ham in cold water to remove some of the salt. That also removes flavor.
Do you have a grill with a smoker lid? If so, you can buy a fresh (uncured) ham or pork shoulder, pat a bit of brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder on it. Wrap it up all tight in foil and put it into the fridge overnight. Next day, put the whole package onto the smoker with indirect heat and cook with low heat for several hours (based upon weight of the roast). About 15 minutes before taking it off the grill, add some apple wood for smoke, increase the heat, bring it out of the foil and crisp it up, caramelize the sugar, and brown the roast.
I soak my ham shanks for two or three days in the fridge, changing the water each day, sometimes twice a day. A lot less salt and still tastes hammy.
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