Easter ham from your own smoker
The Easter ham is the scheduled project of the smoking year: counting backwards, the raw variant starts eight weeks before the festival – 2 weeks of curing, 1 week of resting, 1–2 weeks of cold smoke sessions, 2–3 weeks of maturing. If you are late, go for the cooked variant: cured, warm smoked, scalded to a 64–68 °C core – ready in one to two weeks. Both end the same way: with the first cut on Easter Sunday.
Last updated: 23 July 2026 · Author: Michael Vering, Beelonia GmbH
Reading tip: All the basics of the phases – salt quantities, climate, defects – are provided in the comprehensive raw ham guide; here is the Easter schedule.
The countdown: 8 weeks to Easter
| Weeks before Easter | Phase | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 8–6 | Curing | 35–40 g curing salt/kg + spices, vacuum, 2–7 °C (12–14 days) |
| 6–5 | Resting | wash off, let the salt equalise (< 7 °C) |
| 5–3 | Cold smoking | 4–6 sessions of 8–12 h at 15–25 °C with breaks |
| 3–0 | Maturing | 12–15 °C, 70–75% RH – until the festival |
| Easter | First cut | slice thinly, with horseradish & bread |
Why the timing fits so well: The Easter ham weeks (February/March) are ideal cold smoking time – cool enough for the 25 °C limit, and the Lent tradition historically provided the occasion: the ham matured through the weeks of Lent and was cut for Easter. If you miss the date, reach for the cooked variant: injection-cured like Kassler, warm smoked, scalded – the mild family classic for Easter breakfast.
The Easter finish: Traditionally, the cooked Easter ham is glazed with honey or a mustard crust and briefly baked before serving; the raw one goes straight onto the board – thinly sliced, with horseradish, egg, and fresh bread.
Frequently asked questions about Easter ham
I'm too late – what now?
The cooked variant saves the festival: 4–5 days of injection curing, one smoke session, scalding – ready in a good week. The raw ham will just have to be the Whitsun project.
Can I freeze the ham after maturing?
Possible, but unnecessary: a whole raw ham keeps for many weeks beyond Easter if hung in a cool and airy place. The time limits are in the shelf life table.
Which smoke goes with Easter ham?
Beech is the classic; if you like it milder, mix in some cherry. The key is thin, cool smoke over several sessions – the technique is explained in the cold smoke generator guide.
Reading tip: The counterpart in the annual calendar is the Christmas ham – the schedule is in the holiday menu plan.
Easter is ready to be sliced
Smokers, hooks, and cold smoke technology for the scheduled project of the year – from Beelonia GmbH, from Beelen since 1880.
Sources and technical basis: Meat dossier (ham phases and times, cooked ham variant 64–68 °C core); Easter tradition of Lent maturing. Hero photo: Benreis via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
