Soaking a ham in ginger ale before cooking is a technique some use to try and reduce the saltiness. But does this method actually work to remove any significant amount of sodium from the meat? Let’s take a closer look.
Does Soaking Meat Remove Salt?
In general, soaking meat in water or other liquids can help draw out some excess salt. Here’s a quick overview of how it works:
- Salt is water soluble, meaning it can dissolve in water. When soaked, the salt on the exterior of the meat will dissolve into the surrounding liquid.
- Over time, the salty liquid on the surface will diffuse into the soaking liquid, reducing the overall salt content of the meat.
- Soaking is more effective for reducing surface salt rather than salt permeated deep into the meat.
So while soaking won’t eliminate all the salt in a ham, it can help wash away some of the extra surface salt.
Is Ginger Ale an Effective Brine?
The choice of soaking liquid does matter. Plain water can help draw out salt. But ginger ale offers some potential advantages:
- Carbonation: The bubbles in ginger ale may help loosen and dissolve surface salt.
- Sugar: The sugar in ginger ale helps season the ham and counterbalance saltiness.
- Flavor: Ginger ale offers its own sweet, spicy notes that can complement ham.
The main downside is that ginger ale contains a lot of added sodium itself. A 12-ounce can has around 100mg sodium. So while the ale may draw out some salt, it’s also adding salt back in.
How Much Salt is Removed?
Several factors determine how effective ginger ale brining is for removing ham salt:
- Brining time: The longer the soak, the more salt is removed. Soaking overnight draws out more salt versus just an hour.
- Ham size: Larger hams have more surface area allowing more salt to diffuse out.
- Temperature: Warm brine causes faster diffusion. Cold ham in cold ginger ale sees minimal salt reduction.
- Ham source: Pre-brined hams or country cured hams tend to be saltier than city hams.
Testing shows a good ginger ale soak can remove around 10-15% of total sodium from a grocery store ham. For a 10 pound ham with 800mg sodium per 3 ounce serving, that’s a decrease of 240-360mg sodium overall.
Brining Guidelines
Here are some tips for effectively brining a store-bought ham in ginger ale:
- Use a large container like a clean cooler to fully submerge ham.
- Allow at least 4-8 hours soak time, optimally overnight.
- Keep brine lightly simmering by placing container on stove or heating pad.
- Use 1 quart ginger ale per pound of ham.
- Add extra water if needed to cover ham.
- Remove ham, pat dry and roast as desired.
The Effect on Flavor
Here’s how ginger ale brining impacts cooked ham flavor:
- Reduces overall saltiness slightly, but ham still tastes distinctly salty and cured.
- Adds subtle sweetness and ginger bite.
- Slightly dilutes the traditional smoked ham flavor.
- Infuses ham with carbonation for tenderized meat.
While not dramatically different, ginger ale brined ham is typically a bit milder in saltiness than unsoaked ham. The flavor is rounded out with sweet, gingery notes.
Other Brine Options
Besides ginger ale, other brine options include:
| Brine | Effect on Ham |
|---|---|
| Apple juice | Mildly sweet flavor |
| Cola | Slight cola flavor |
| Beer or wine | Savory, fermented notes |
| Fruit juice | Hints of citrus or berry flavors |
| Water | Salt reduced with no flavor change |
Conclusion
Soaking a ham in ginger ale can help mildly reduce saltiness. It also adds subtle sweetness and spice. While not a dramatic effect, it can create a slightly mellower, more balanced ham flavor. Allow several hours of brining time to fully diffuse and dissolve surface salt. Ginger ale brining won’t radically transform a ham, but it can take the edge off an overly salty one.