On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:41:12 -0500, John wrote:

On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 10:55:56 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

Thinking about sending a smoked ham as a Christmas gift.
Anybody have a reco on mail-order ham?
Worth trying here, for obvious reasons.
Never saw so many asses in one place.
I mean that in a good way, of course - you know - just cracking wise.
heh heh

--Vic

Consumer Reports rates some mail order baskets. Here are the ones they
liked. They didn't like Hickory Farms at all.

Best for the gourmet:
igourmet $59.99

Presented in a copper pannier, this includes cheeses, Serrano ham, crisp
crackers, olive mix, and desserts. Perfect for an elegant picnic.

Wine Country Gift Baskets $49.95

Features a selection of crackers, cheese spread, sausage, mustard, candies,
cookies, and nuts. Generally high-quality ingredients.

Best for the fruit-lover:
The Fruit Company $79.95

Tiered gift boxes with very good fruit. Among the items were French d’Anjou
pears, Bosc pears, apples, nuts, sausage, crackers, cookies, and smoked
salmon.

Harry & David $59.95

Basket with pears, apples, cheese, sausage, and more. Fruit was sometimes
outstanding, at other times ordinary.

Best for the tailgater:
Usinger’s Gift Party $42.50

Unpretentious presentation aimed to satisfy the meat-lover. Flavorful
sausages and mild cheeses that work well together and with accompaniments.

Might give you some ideas for places to look. I think if you spent the
bucks to get a good Virginia cured ham, you could mail that with no
problem, unless it's going by sea to India. Then I'd worry about pirates.

But, they hang in stores for weeks on end without refrigeration. They're
great if cooked properly.


Thanks for all that, John.
I'm going to keep it simple and go with the honey baked ham BAR
linked. Price is reasonable.
Sent my dad an Omaha Steak package once and he said it was nothing to
write home about, so we'll see what he says about the ham.
Hard to tell what's good or not.
Tell you one thing though, my sister sent me some Carson's ribs once -
they come packed in dry ice - and they were some of the best ribs I
ever had.

--Vic