Swedish Christmas Ham with Mustard Crust (Julskinka)
Sweden's Christmas ham: a cured ham simmered gently until 158°F, cooled, then spread with egg, two mustards and sugar, dusted with breadcrumbs and baked hot into a golden crust, served cold on the julbord with the broth saved for dipping bread.
Edited by JP Lambiase
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Swaps change the price only: cook any meat to its own safe temperature. Where these numbers come from
In Sweden the glazed ham is the center of the julbord, the Christmas buffet. Swedish Wikipedia says the word "julskinkan" first appears in Olof Rudbeck's Atlantica (1677 to 1702), that ham was long an upper-class dish, and that the mustard-glazed (griljerad) ham became popular in the 1800s, citing folklorist Jan-Öjvind Swahn. Food historian Richard Tellström told SVT that the cold, rimmad (lightly salt-cured) and glazed Christmas ham reached Swedish tables somewhere around 1870 to 1890, about 150 years ago; SVT also reported that ham is still the item the most Swedes call the most important on the julbord (23% in a 2025 survey, ahead of Jansson's temptation at 16%) (December 20, 2025:). The broth from boiling the ham is saved for dopp i grytan, dipping bread in the pot (Swedish Wikipedia; ICA). The claim that the ham is a pagan survival is DISPUTED (see Rules).
📖 Origin story: Why Do We Eat Ham at Christmas and Easter? →
Why it works the kitchen science
A gentle simmer to 158°f
ICA and Arla both pull the ham at 70°C for the juiciest result; boiling it hard or going much higher tightens the meat.
Cornstarch under the paste
A thin dusting on the dry, cold ham gives the egg and mustard something to grip, so the crust sets in 15 minutes instead of sliding off.
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Step by step
- Step 1
Rinse the ham under cold water and leave the netting on. Push a probe thermometer into the center and set the ham in a large pot with water to cover.
- Step 2
Bring to a boil over high heat, skim, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently until the center reads 158°F, about 1 hour per 2.2 lb (about 3 hours). For the firmer, "classic" taste ICA describes, go to 167°F.
- Step 3
Lift out the ham and save the broth. Let the ham cool completely, then refrigerate it, overnight if you like.
- Step 4
Heat the oven to 435°F. Cut off the netting and rind, leaving the fat, and pat the ham very dry with paper towels. Set it in an ovenproof dish.
- Step 5
Whisk the egg, both mustards and the sugar. Dust the ham thinly with cornstarch, spread the mustard mixture over the top and sides, and sprinkle on the breadcrumbs.
- Step 6
Bake on the middle rack about 15 minutes, until the crust is golden.
✓ What it should look like - Step 7
Cool, then slice thinly and serve cold with more mustard. For dopp i grytan, heat the broth and dip slices of rye bread in it at the table.
Swedish Christmas Ham with Mustard Crust (Julskinka)
Serves 20 · one 6 1/2 lb boneless ham · 3 hr 40 min total
Ham
- 1 boneless, cook-before-eating cured ham in its netting (about 6 1/2 lb), or a fully cooked ham
- Water to cover
Mustard crust
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp Swedish mustard (sweet-strong), or another 2 tbsp Dijon
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp sugar
- About 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 1/2 tbsp fine dry breadcrumbs
To serve
- Mustard, rye bread or crispbread, and the ham broth for dipping
Equipment: Oven, Large pot, Instant-read thermometer, Chef's knife and cutting board, Measuring cups and spoons, Whisk, Paper towels
Method
- Rinse the ham under cold water and leave the netting on. Push a probe thermometer into the center and set the ham in a large pot with water to cover.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, skim, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently until the center reads 158°F, about 1 hour per 2.2 lb (about 3 hours). For the firmer, "classic" taste ICA describes, go to 167°F.
- Lift out the ham and save the broth. Let the ham cool completely, then refrigerate it, overnight if you like.
- Heat the oven to 435°F. Cut off the netting and rind, leaving the fat, and pat the ham very dry with paper towels. Set it in an ovenproof dish.
- Whisk the egg, both mustards and the sugar. Dust the ham thinly with cornstarch, spread the mustard mixture over the top and sides, and sprinkle on the breadcrumbs.
- Bake on the middle rack about 15 minutes, until the crust is golden.
- Cool, then slice thinly and serve cold with more mustard. For dopp i grytan, heat the broth and dip slices of rye bread in it at the table.
Adapted from ICA, "Julskinka med griljering" (serves 8 from a 3 kg ham), as written. Cross-checked with Arla's "Griljerad julskinka", which also pulls the ham at 70°C. Conversions are ours: 3 kg is about 6 1/2 lb, 70°C is 158°F, 225°C is about 435°F, 1/2 dl is about 3 1/2 tbsp. ICA's 8 servings would be 3/4 lb each; on a julbord the ham is one dish among many, so we use FSIS's 1/4 to 1/3 lb per serving of boneless ham and call it 20. In the US, unsmoked rimmad ham is rare; ask a butcher for a cook-before-eating cured ham, or use a fully cooked ham and skip straight to the glaze, as ICA allows for a ready-cooked (färdigkokt) one. ICA. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (4)
Tips
- ICA wraps the cooling ham in damp baking paper so it keeps its color and does not dry out.
- Cut a thin slice off the bottom so the ham sits steady for carving (ICA).
- Taste the broth before serving it; reduce it if weak, add water if salty. Arla also uses it for braised kale and pea soup.
- Arla presses a few whole cloves into the ham before glazing, for looks.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- The julskinka is a pagan Viking tradition. Disputed: Swedish Wikipedia notes the popular link to boar sacrifices for the god Frej but calls it highly unclear and a common misconception; Tellström says the glazed ham arrived around 1870 to 1890 (SVT, 2025).
- Rudbeck's Atlantica is the first mention of "julskinkan". Disputed: Swedish Wikipedia says so, without a direct footnote on that sentence.
- Pull the ham at 158°F. Disputed as taste: ICA and Arla say 70°C (158°F) is juiciest; ICA gives 75°C (167°F) for a more classic flavor. Both are above FSIS's 145°F minimum.
- The ham is eaten cold. Documented: ICA cools the ham before glazing and serves it sliced; Arla serves it on the buffet and on crispbread.
- Dopp i grytan uses the ham broth. Documented (Swedish Wikipedia; ICA saves the broth for it).
- Glazed ham is still Sweden's favorite Christmas food. Documented for the 2025 Livsmedelsföretagen survey reported by SVT (23%); one survey, not a census.
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