Best Mail Order Gourmet Country Hams 2023

The Best Mail Order Country Hams Online 2023 

We’ve found the best country ham and spiral ham you can order online from Virginia to Montana. These gourmet hams are either wet or dry aged—cured the way your great grandparents would have cured them. Tasting them is like a step back in time, and a good many steps up in flavor.

The best holiday Country Hams &  Spiral Ham delivered to your door!

For many people, a smoked country ham is the taste of the holidays. But you may wonder if there’s a country ham, does that mean there is a city ham? Yes. The difference is in how the meat is cured and aged (dry aged or wet aged) and for how long. Both the curing and drying method, as well as time, will determine both the taste and texture of your ham.

The country ham is dry cured. Think of the dry curing process as similar to the process of dry-aging prime beef. First the ham is rubbed with salt and seasonings and hung to dry cure in a smoke house. These hams are aged anywhere from 30 days to a year or more. The longer drying and curing process results in a denser, meatier, more richly flavored, and, yes, saltier ham. The time-intensive nature and rich flavor of the country ham makes it a favorite at holiday meals.

By contrast, the ham many of us are most familiar with is “city ham” or just ham—the type of mild ham you find in your grocery store, or you enjoy thin-sliced and piled on a sandwich. This type of ham is wet-cured, which means the pork has been either submerged in or injected with a brine made of salt, sugar, seasonings, and curing agents, and then fully cooked. This gives the meat a milder, juicy flavor. The wet cured city hams are what you see most often in the grocery stores around the holidays, and that’s why they are appreciably less expensive.

What Are Spiral Cut Hams?

Spiral cut hams are also known as “party hams” because these pre-cut hams make it easy for guests to serve themselves. Spiral hams are pre-sliced to the bone in one continuous spiral. This leaves the meat on the bone in its original shape, and saves you the trouble of carving the ham. This results in consistent slices of ham. Some argue whole, unsliced hams are less prone to drying out when cooked, but we’ve found spiral-sliced hams remain just as juicy when heated through.

Country Smoked Ham

A quick word on smoked country hams: Hickory smoke may be too strong for some palates. Some say hickory smoked ham has the lingering scent and taste of a smoky campfire. Cherry and apple woods and corn cobs produce milder smoke. If “smoke” or “liquid smoke” is listed in the ingredients, the ham has been injected with smoke flavor, not smoked. No worries. You won’t find any injected flavor in the options below.

Estimating serving sizes: Country hams are denser and richer in flavor than city hams so 4 to 5 ounces per serving should cover you. And of course plan a little extra to enjoy ham on a warm country biscuit or ham with your eggs in the morning.

Here, for your convenience, are some of the best country holiday hams to order online.

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Sliced Country Ham shown on Holiday Plate, Named Best Country Ham to order online 2023 from Snake river Farms

Kurobuta Holiday Ham

Bone in baked Kurobuta Holiday Ham shown sliced and ready to serve 8 to 12 people

Heritage Breed Kurobuta Country Ham. Ready for a Ham Sandwich?

“The most delicious piece of meat you will ever eat in your life.” —Al Roker

Family owned Snake River Farms in Boise, Idaho sells a Kurobuta Ham that is traditionally cured and lightly smoked over hardwood. It regularly makes national lists of “best holiday hams.” Al Roker of the Today Show has said, “It’s the most delicious piece of meat you will ever eat in your life.”

Why the excitement? Kurobuta is essentially the pork version of wagyu beef. Kurobuta is the Japanese term for black hog and refers to animals of the Berkshire variety, a heritage breed. This breed has retained the fat that has been bred out of conventionally raised pigs which, over the years, have been engineered to produce leaner meat.

Kurobuta pork is known for its tender, intensely flavorful meat, rich marbled fat, and naturally delicious flavor. Plus, it’s a fun word to say.

Insider tip: This is the same ham also being sold in the Williams-Sonoma catalog at a higher price.

Snake River Farms’ animals are raised without hormones on a network of small family farms using a natural slow-feed process. Choose from five different sizes, boneless or bone-in: boneless half ham (3.5 to 4.5 lbs), small bone-in ham (6 to 8 lbs.), whole boneless ham (7 to 9 lbs.), large half ham (8 to 10 lbs.) and whole bone-in ham (14 to 18 lbs). Hams are shipped frozen.

The website is easy to navigate, they keep their promo codes on their home page so there’s no need to hunt them down, and you can check shipping costs before filling out your credit card information.

Pricing: Starting at $82 for a boneless ham. Shop Snake River Farms now »

Sliced Holiday Country Ham shown sliced on a platter on a table. holiday ham Available via mail order via Chicago Steak Company

If you are serving a crowd, this whole boneless ham is an amazing deal: This 14 to 18-pound certified Bershire Kurobuta ham (the ham version of Kobe beef), smoke roasted and delivered in a classic black and gold gift box. This whole, boneless ham is rolled and tied and has its own unique registration number. We can’t say for sure, but it appears as if Chicago Steak Company has struck a deal with Snake River Farms (see our review above), and you are the winner!

Chicago Steak Company, Certified Berkshire Holiday Ham.

Bone in uncured Smoked Berkshire Ham

A Fully-Cooked, Uncured, Hardwood Smoked Berkshire Ham

“A Special Find: A Minimally Processed Smoked Berkshire Ham”

A special find: A fully cooked, bone-in, uncured, hardwood smoked Berkshire ham. What makes this ham so special? Berkshire is a non-genetically modified breed that is renowned for producing the finest quality pork. Though this ham is “uncured” in fact it has been cured using only turbinado sugar, sea salt and celery powder which contains naturally ocurring nitrates. This means you experience the full flavor of the ham without any artificial additives or preservatives. Finally, the ham is smoked to perfection over natural hardwoods.

The taste of this minimally processed ham reflects the commitment to quality. Expect firm but fork-tender slices with a light, smoky flavor. A generous fat cap and balanced marbling ensures your ham will naturally baste while baking which results in a juicy and flavorful ham from the oven, and irresistible leftovers when enjoyed as part of a charcuterie board or in ham sandwiches.

Whether buying for your holiday table, or as a gift for a very lucky recipient, this is a ham that is destined to become part of your family’s holiday tradition.

Shop Fossil Farms Hams Now »

boneless Spiral sliced smoked ham from Logan Farms, named to the list of best mail order hams 2023
8 lb Country Smoked, Spiral Sliced Ham

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One of the lowest-salt hams available, this 8 pound, spiral sliced country smoked ham arrives fully cooked with a honey and spice glaze to apply when you are ready to heat for serving. Each Logan Farms ham is dry cured with a low-salt recipe, and then spiral-sliced aroumd the bone for easy serving. Serves 10 – 14 people.

Pricing: $129 with Free Shipping

Best Spiral Sliced Hams to order online 2023

Cajun Ed’s Honey Glazed Ham

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This sweet and spicy honey glazed ham with a touch of Cajun spice by Cajun Ed’s Specialty Meats is a perfect choice for holidays, or any day. Serves approximately 10 people.

Pricing: $149 with Free Shipping

Benton’s Smokey Mountain Country Ham, Tennessee

Bentons Smoke Cured country ham from the tennesee mountains, named Best mail order country smoked ham 2023

Benton’s Hickory Smoked Country Ham

Benton’s Tennessee Country Ham regularly leads the list of best country ham for top restauranteurs, gourmands and country folk who know what good ham is supposed to taste like.

Benton’s Hams are hickory smoked using salt, brown sugar, and sodium nitrite and are typically aged 9-10 months, though hams are available 1 year and older. This time-honored practice dates back to a time when the preparation and preservation of meat was a way of life and sustenance. Benton’s Hams has upheld the traditional dry-curing process that produces world-class gourmet country hams and bacon. Hams are available smoked and unsmoked. You can also order thick-cut smoked bacon.

A couple of tips: Don’t let the clunky website fool you. The ham is worth the extra effort of navigating the not-so-great website, and if you are ordering for a holiday order well in advance. Benton’s Hams are in high demand year round, but get even harder to claim around major holidays. In fact, the website currently says “Most orders are taking 5 to 10 business days to be shipped after the order is placed, regardless of choice of shipping services.” You’ve been warned.

Pricing: Whole Hickory Smoked Hams (15 – 17 lbs) start at $88—that’s before shipping costs. However even if your shipping costs run $50, this is still one of the best values on our list if you truly love a true country ham. 4 one-pound packs of bacon start at $30. Annoyingly, you do have to input your credit card information before seeing shipping costs.

Order a country ham online at Benton’s Country ham

Best Spiral Cut Honey Glazed Holiday Ham to order online 2023
Spiral Cut Honey Glazed City Ham

The Spiral Cut Honey Glazed Holiday Ham is a “city ham,” meaning it is not slow-aged like the country hams on this list. Instead it is lightly smoked and slowly baked over hickory embers for 28 hours until the honey glaze turns golden.

This is a milder, sweeter ham that people are more familiar with, and it contains less salt than a traditionally cured country ham. These Holiday Hams have been named one of the best mail order hams by Ladies Home Journal, Cuisine, and Real Simple.

If you’re not sure what type of ham to send as a gift, this may be your answer.

Pricing: Whole and half-sized hams are available in sizes from 7 pounds ($82 with free shipping) to 16 pounds ($131 with free shipping).

Shop Ham Online ! Order a Honey Glazed spiral cut ham online from Holiday Hams on Amazon with free Prime Shipping.  Or order your ham online directly from the Holiday Ham Company.

Best Aged country ham to order online 2023
Newsom’s Smoked Kentucky Country Ham

Kentucky owned, Kentucky cured Newsom’s ham is a traditional smokehouse country ham handcrafted by Nancy Newsom Mahaffey, a.k.a. “the Ham Lady.” Mahaffey uses a centuries-old family recipe, preserving a meat-curing method used by her father Bill Newsom, grandfather H.C. Newsom, and English ancestors who originally settled in Surry County, Virginia, in 1635. Newsom’s is among the finest dry-cured hams the world has to offer.

For a milder ham, consider the smokey BBQ “Preacher’s Ham.” For those more experienced with ham who want to cook it themselves, a limited number of free-range, aged, uncooked hams are available. Newsom’s also offers nitrate-free smoked bacon and sausage.

Like a few of sites in this category, the Newsom’s website isn’t fancy and it’s clunky to navigate, but don’t be put off. Their product is everything you want it to be. You may even want to call them to place your order: 270-365-2482. The extra effort is well worth it.

Pricing: 7 – 9 lb ham start at $79. Shipping is calculated before you enter your credit card number.

Take me there!: Buy a smoked country ham online at Newsom’s Country Ham.

Bone in Virginia Country ham named best smoked country ham to order online 2023
Edward’s Virginia Country Ham
Edwards bone-in glazed country ham is hickory smoked and dry cured. It looks like it belongs on a holiday table in a Rockwell painting. At 10+ pounds it is large enough to serve more than 2 dozen people. Your ham will arrive fully-cooked with a mild hickory-smoked taste and coated in a brown sugar and honey glaze.

This family-run smokehouse has been selling hams since 1926 when S. Wallace Edwards built his first smokehouse in Surry, Virginia. Now celebrating 90+ years in business, Edwards has added smoked bacon, sausage, poultry and lamb to their offerings. Order a petite, boneless, fully-cooked hickory smoked ham with free shipping for $90.

Pricing: A 10+ lb bone-in ham is $136 with free shipping included.

Order Ham online! Order a large glazed country ham online at Edwards Virginia Ham.

Best Honey glazed hams to order online 2023
Honey Glazed Spiral Cut Ham

E.M. Burger smoked his first country ham in 1927 using his mother’s age-old curing recipe brought over from Germany. Today Burgers’ Smokehouse in Missouri is owned and operated by the third and fourth generations of the Burger family.

The selection offered by Burgers’ hams is impressive. Choose from whole or spiral sliced country hams, attic-aged hams (fresh ham that’s hand-rubbed with a simple salt, sugar, black pepper mixture, then cured & aged for over 210 days resulting in a bold flavor that’s distinct from their country ham), and honey glazed city hams. Purchase hams in whole or half sizes, unsliced or spiral cut.

Pricing: Prices begin at $60. Conveniently you can input the delivery address to see shipping prices before you put in your credit card information. Often shipping is free.

Buy Country Ham Online: Order a spiral cut country ham online at Burger’s Smokehouse. You can also shop Free Shipping from Amazon Burgers’s storefront on Amazon.

Neuske’s Spiral Cut Ham, Wisconsin

Best Smoked Country Ham to order online from Neuskes 2023
Spiral Cut Boneless Honey-Glazed Ham
Okay, what kind of ham are you looking for? Spiral cut, bone-in, boneless? Honey-glazed, barbecued, smoked? Small-sized, family sized? Neuske’s of Wisconsin has your choices covered. These honey-glazed applewood-smoked hams will have a milder smokey flavor than the hickory smoked hams, so these may be the right choice for your city friends.

Pricing: A 7-8 lbs old-fashioned bone-in ham starts at $63.

Take me there! Order a smoked country ham online at Nueske’s

Harrington’s Ham of Vermont

Spiral Sliced Ham Named Best Country Ham 2023 from Harrington Hams Vermont
Choose Bone-In or Boneless Spiral Cut Ham

Spiral sliced hams are also referred to as “party hams” because it is easy for guests to serve themselves. Harrington Hams of Richmond, Vermont offers fully cooked, pre-sliced hams cured using Vermont Maple Syrup, then slowly corn cob smoked for a milder taste.  Serving Sizes: the 7 – 8 lb. spiral sliced party ham serves 8 – 12 at dinner, or up to 20 at a party. The 8 – 9 lb. ham will serve 12-16 at dinner, or up to 24 at a party. The whole ham will serve 16 – 24

Pricing: $90 and up.

Take me there! Order a spiral cut ham online at Harrington’s of Vermont.

Montana Valley Hams, Helena, Montana

Country Ham sliced on a holiday platter from Montana Valley Hams

A Classic Holiday Country Ham from Montana Valley Hams

Montana Valley Hams are seriously good—tender, juicy and not only worthy of a holiday table but brace yourself for the delicious ham sandwiches to follow. Price-wise these hams are one of the best values on this list.

The good news is if you live in the northwestern part of the country, shipping won’t be so bad, but when we checked, the 2-day shipping rate to the east coast added about $80 to the cost of the half ham—which is nearly double the price of the ham itself! Ouch. Note, this shipping expense is not unique to Montana Valley Hams. Two-day rush shipping is required for all perishable mail order foods that need to be kept at a safe temperature. The weight of cold packs and additional packing material adds up. If shipping costs aren’t an issue to you, order with confidence. These delicious hams are worth it.

Pricing: $99 for a 4 – 6 lbs half ham.

Shipping: Only ships on Mondays and Tuesdays

Take me there! Order a gourmet country ham online at Montana Valley Hams