This morning I spend some time working researching ham prices in the home state of Michigan. One ad that I came across offered a Paula Deen Crunchy Glazed Spiral Ham from Smithfield. The ham comes wrapped in a beautiful blue package with the southern queen herself right on the label. Check out this YouTube video to see what I am talking about.
Is It Worth My Money to Buy Paula Deen's Smithfield Crunchy Glazed Ham?
I am going to answer NO to this question. I don't think it's worth the money. Check this example. D&W Market in Michigan is selling Smithfield Honey Glazed Spiral Half Ham for $1.27/lb. The Paula Deen ham costs $2.77/lb. So let's say you get a 8 lb ham which is about the average size. You would be spending $12 more for the Paula Deen ham. Basically you are buying her glaze for $12. Even if the ham is tasty and it probably is this is not a good deal at all.
What Is In Paula Deen's Crunchy Ham Glaze?
So what is exactly in this glaze? I couldn't find the answer online or at the Smithfield website. I was able to find one of these hams at my local Meijer store. Here is what I found on the ingredient list for the glaze: Sugar, Brown Sugar, Water, Honey, Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup Solids, 2% or less of the following: gelatin, soybean oil, spices, salt, potassium sorbate, potassium benzoate. Yep, definitely some ingredients that I would never naturally use in my kitchen. What makes this glaze crunchy? Corn syrup solids?
Other Options for a Crunchy Glazed Ham
There are other options out there that I think would be more economical. Alton Brown has a recipe for a ham with a glaze made of ginger snap cookies, mustard, and brown sugar. This will give you that crunchy glaze and it's not going to cost you $12 for those extra ingredients, in fact when you are done you will probably have leftover mustard and brown sugar (you probably will eat any remaining cookie with the ham is cooking!). I think this is much better option to get that crunchy glaze you want. Buying the other ham would basically mean you are paying Paula Deen to make the glaze for you and have her face on the packaging.
What About Using a Paula Deen Ham Recipe?
If you still want Paula to be a part of your ham experience, she does have several recipes online that you can give a try to. The one that sounded unique to me was her peanut butter glazed ham. The glaze is made of peanut butter, garlic, soy, and honey. I haven't tried it before but I might for a different kind of flavor.
As I was searching for a Smithfield/Paula Deen commericial I came across this video of Paula being hit in the face with one of her very own hams. I attached it below to provide you with a quick chuckle.
linda switzer
Thought you might be interested........I read online sometime ago that Smithfield was being bought by some Chinese company......personally am so disgusted with the whole Made in China, country of origin China, China this and that "American way", that I vowed never to knowingly purchase another Smithfield product. I have found that the more I learn about our food sources, the more disgusted I am and grocery shopping has turned into a tedious chore. Eventually I hope to be confident that I can do this from A to Z but lurking in the back of my mind is the reality that so much of what we buy under one label is owned by some other brand who has been bought out by someone else, etc. etc.. I so "envy" the Amish or anyone really who has been brought up on a farm where knowledge and skills (AND the farm ! (ha) have been passed down for generations. Sorry, didn't mean to ramble on. Once I get started, can't seem to stop!