How do I de-salt a Honey Baked Ham bean soup?

December 29, 2020 10:56 AM

I have the bone from a Honey Baked Ham and want to make the soup using their packet of beans. From experience I know it will be too salty. Is there a way of reducing the saltiness without destroying the flavor? I've thought of soaking the ham bone overnight in a pan of water but I don't really know. What are your ideas?
posted by Rad_Boy to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

Best answer: That soak is about the only way to remove at least some of the salt. Also if this involves a "flavor packet" skip that, and put in your own herbs and spices. And consider getting more beans and making a double batch with just the one bone. IOW, spread the salt out over a double recipe.
posted by beagle at 11:08 AM on December 29, 2020 [4 favorites]

Soak it in cold water (put it in the fridge) for 4 hours and then taste it. Soak another couple hours if it's still too intense. The cold water will help keep the flavor in (as opposed to hot water).
posted by ananci at 11:19 AM on December 29, 2020

Folklore says if you add potatoes or another starch to your soup, they will help soak up that salt and bring the overall impression down. I myself am skeptical.

However, I do think that the more you thin down the soup, the further the salt will have to go.

I would rinse the bone with cold water but I wouldn't soak it personally. It feels like soaking it would take out a lot of flavor that you're looking to add to your soup.

If you're really concerned, you could just buy some ham and add it to your soup instead of using the bone. It's less traditional but it could be worth it.
posted by bbqturtle at 11:30 AM on December 29, 2020

cold water soak.
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:55 AM on December 29, 2020

Ham bones can be used several times, will get less salty. Make a big pot of ham broth so it will be more dilute, use some now, save some. I got a grocery store ham and it wasn't terribly salty, so maybe shop around next time. I made some potato, kale and ham soup that wasn't very salty.
posted by theora55 at 12:58 PM on December 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

the chopped potato trick works ok. remove them before serving.
posted by j_curiouser at 1:06 PM on December 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

I just did this with a HoneyBaked ham from Christmas and random herbs and spices the internet told me to use, plus a bunch of veggie cuttings - it is not salty at all. We froze it to cook with beans later. So I'd set the flavor packet aside in favor of your own beans - that's probably why it's salty, not the bone - and make it like you'd make any other broth.
posted by headnsouth at 1:07 PM on December 29, 2020 [3 favorites]

I've made many, many batches of split pea soup with honey baked ham bones and have had no issues with saltiness -- but I always make a double batch (so, 2 lbs of dried peas). Maybe just double the amount of beans, assuming storage isn't an issue?
posted by Bron at 7:46 AM on December 30, 2020

We've made Cook's Country "Lentil Soup With Ham" several times with Honey Baked ham bones without a salt problem, and my wife is definitely anti-salt. I don't know about the bean packet. Are you sure the salt doesn't come from there? I'd rinse the beans before the soaking step.

The ham bones come different sizes. When we got a big one, I cut it in half and we made two batches.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:51 PM on December 30, 2020

Hypothetically you can throw in some noodles, which basically is equivalent to the potato trick. But with noodles you know at least that'll cook through, not too sure about a potato :)

https://www.thekitchn.com/soup-too-salty-5-tips-for-fixing-it-making-sure-it-doesnt-happen-again-178694
posted by kschang at 10:30 PM on December 30, 2020