Holiday Ham is the Meal that Keeps on Giving

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Serving up a delicious ham for the holiday table is easy and stress-free, thanks to the Kentucky Legend Ham Hotline staffed by experts on standby to help assure every ham turns out perfectly throughout the holiday cooking season – right down to creative ways to prepare any leftovers.

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The hotline at 1-866-343-5058 is open from 9 a.m. – 7 pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday, from November 8 through December 30.  Ham experts can help anyone prepare and serve the perfect ham for a memorable meal.  

Launched in response to the many calls received regarding ham preparation, the Kentucky Legend Ham Hotline is the first hotline dedicated just to ham.  Consumer questions have ranged from the expected - such as what size ham to buy and what glazes go good with ham - to the unexpected.  "One caller asked for a recipe for ham tacos – and we added one to our collection," said Janet Sweeney, marketing director for Kentucky Legend Ham.  "Another consumer asked how many hams they would have to buy for a family gathering of 30 people.  Whatever the question, we'll have an answer."

Top tips for consumers from Kentucky Legend Ham include:

• How big of a ham should you buy?  Allow 1/4 to 1/3 pound per person if the ham is boneless; 1/3 to 1/2 pound for bone-in hams.
• Most hams are pre-cooked (read the label) and require only gentle reheating at 325 degrees F to an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.
• Score the ham before you place it in the oven by making criss-cross cuts with a sharp knife about 1/4 inch deep, then add a delicious glaze during the last 30 minutes of cooking/reheating time.

For some creative ham recipes, visit www.specialtyfoodsgroup.com.

Kentucky Legend Hams have been made for more than 100 years in Owensboro, Kentucky, where producing great hams is done the traditional way – by hand, from a recipe handed down through generations. They are produced by Specialty Foods Group, Inc., a leading U.S. producer and marketer of a wide variety of premium branded and private-label processed meat products.

SOURCE Kentucky Legend Hams