Updated 30 September 2026
A glazed ham is a Christmas tradition in many British homes: served hot on Christmas Eve, alongside the turkey or beef on the day, or cold on Boxing Day with pickles and bubble and squeak. This Christmas gammon has a sticky apricot and ginger glaze that's sweet, warm and a little spicy. If you're planning your Christmas gammon order, here's how much to buy and how to cook it perfectly.
Gammon or ham?
Gammon is cured pork leg sold raw, ready for you to cook. Once it's cooked, it's usually called ham. So you buy a gammon, cook and glaze it, and serve it as ham. See what is gammon?.
Ordering your Christmas gammon
Our Boneless Gammon Joint 1kg (£6.99) is a 1kg boneless joint, easy to carve and ideal for roasting, boiling or slow cooking. How many to order:
| Serving | 1kg joints |
|---|---|
| Christmas Eve dinner for 4 | 1 |
| Alongside another roast for 8–10 | 1–2 |
| Main meat for 8 | 2 |
| With leftovers for Boxing Day | Add 1 |
As a guide, allow about 200–250g of raw boneless gammon per person as a main, or less if it's one of two meats. Cook two joints side by side in a large pan; the time stays about the same as for one.
When to order: our Christmas 2026 order and delivery dates will be published on our Christmas meat order page once they're confirmed. Until then, you can order for normal delivery and freeze the gammon. Thaw it fully in the fridge before cooking.
Apricot and ginger glaze
- 4 tbsp apricot jam
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
- 1 tbsp Dijon or English mustard
- Juice of ½ orange
- Whole cloves, for studding (optional)
Warm everything gently in a small pan until smooth and glossy.
Method (1kg boneless gammon joint)
- Simmer. Put the gammon in a large pan, cover it with cold water (or half water, half apple juice or ginger ale), and add a bay leaf, an onion and a few peppercorns. Bring it slowly to the boil, skim, then simmer gently for about 1 hour. The rule of thumb is 20 minutes per 450g, plus 20 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6).
- Prepare the ham. Lift it out of the pan and let it cool for a few minutes. Carefully cut away any skin, leaving a thin layer of fat. Score the fat in a diamond pattern and stud it with cloves, if you like.
- Glaze. Put it in a foil-lined roasting tin and brush it generously with half the glaze.
- Roast for 20–25 minutes, brushing on more glaze every 8–10 minutes, until sticky and caramelised. Watch it closely at the end; the sugar can burn.
- Rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Gammon is pork, so it must be cooked through: steaming hot, with no pink juices. Cured gammon stays pink when it's cooked, because of the cure, so go by the time and a thermometer, not the colour. See our full how to cook a gammon joint guide.
Christmas gammon timings
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Simmer (1kg joint) | About 1 hour |
| Glaze and roast at 200°C | 20–25 minutes |
| Rest | 15 minutes |
| Total | About 1 hour 45 minutes |
Roasting without boiling: wrap the joint loosely in foil with a splash of water and roast it at 180°C (160°C fan) for about 1 hour 10 minutes, then unwrap, glaze and roast for another 20 minutes.
Make ahead for Christmas
- Christmas Eve: simmer the gammon, then cool it quickly and refrigerate it. On the day, glaze and roast it for 25–30 minutes at 190°C, until piping hot all the way through.
- Serve cold: cook and glaze it a day ahead, cool it quickly and keep it in the fridge. Cold glazed ham is perfect for Boxing Day.
- Keep the stock. The cooking liquid makes a great base for pea and ham soup, but taste it first, as it can be salty.
What to serve with Christmas ham
Hot: roast potatoes, red cabbage, parsley sauce or a mustard sauce, and buttered greens. Cold: pickles, piccalilli, chutney, crusty bread, and bubble and squeak.
Leftover ham ideas
Ham, egg and chips. Ham and leek pie. Pea and ham soup. Ham sandwiches with mustard. Ham and cheese toasties. Cooked ham keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days after cooking; cool and wrap it well. It also freezes well in portions.
Tips from the counter
- Simmer, don't boil. A rolling boil can make gammon tough.
- Glaze at the end. Sugar burns quickly.
- Rest it, so it carves neatly.
- Taste the water. If your gammon is particularly salty, some cooks change the water once it comes to the boil.
More for the Christmas table
Browse all gammon and our Christmas trimmings.
Christmas gammon FAQs
How much gammon do I need for Christmas?
Allow about 200–250g of raw boneless gammon per person as a main. A 1kg joint feeds about 4, or more alongside another roast.
How long do you cook a 1kg gammon joint?
Simmer it for about 1 hour, then glaze and roast it at 200°C for 20–25 minutes. Rest it for 15 minutes.
Can you cook Christmas gammon the day before?
Yes. Simmer it the day before, cool it and chill it, then glaze and roast it on the day until piping hot.
Do you need to soak gammon before cooking?
Most modern gammon doesn't need soaking. If you're worried about saltiness, change the water once it comes to the boil.
When should I order my Christmas gammon?
Our Christmas 2026 order and delivery dates will be published on our Christmas meat order page once confirmed. You can also order now and freeze it.
