How do you make ham salad: sweet pickle relish or dill pickle relish? Plus bonus question not in poll.

[Mosca]

Pretty straightforward. I like to buy a medium sized ham that has a far future expiration on it. I'll cut out the bone for soup, and cut the rest into pieces and re-vacuum seal. Every now and then I'll make a pound or so of ham salad. I've made it both ways, But Mrs Mosca likes it sweet, and that's also the only way it's sold in delis around here.

Bonus question: What do you think it would be like made with pico de gallo in place of the relish? Maybe tomorrow I'll mix a Tbsp of each together and see.

[jfmorris]

I can honestly say I’ve not had ham salad to my knowledge, in my adult life. So I did not vote. Chicken salad I’ve had, which I would make with dill. I kinda hate sweet pickles.

[STEbbq]

Same and plus one on dill.

[realdocBBQ]

Also do not like sweet pickles. Dill for me.

[Sid P]

The LW says our extended family all use dill relish. I love pico de gallo, but my initial reaction to that with ham isn’t good. Would you still use mayonnaise, or just the PDG?

[Mosca]

I was wondering the same, mayo or not. I think I’ll just mix up a small spoonful. The pdg is probably too assertive.

[texastweeter]

Sweet pickle relish. Deviled ham is made with dill relish.

[Mosca]

Huh. I always thought deviled ham was onion and celery.

[jfmorris]

This is the only Deviled ham of which I’m aware. Another staple of road trips where it was eaten on white bread for lunch at a stop along the way…

https://underwoodspreads.com/product/deviled-ham-spread/

[texastweeter]

jfmorris aka deerstand ham.

[barelfly]

I’m like jfmorris - I don’t think I’ve heard of ham salad… what all goes in this salad?

[Mosca]

It’s really simple. It’s finely chopped ham, like in a food processor, then mayo and relish. There aren’t any amounts, that I know or follow; I know how Mary Joan likes it. If it’s too light I add a little more ham, too dark a little more mayo. Then stir in the relish until it’s sweet, but not too sweet. Like that.

[barelfly]

Oh ok! So tuna salad, chicken salad…got it!

For ham, I would use whatever I had on hand. I like both sweet and dill. Maybe a mixture? Best of both?

Thanks Mosca

[snowswamp]

The recipe I use has sweet. Dill sounds so much better though. I don’t make it very often and enjoy it very much when I do since the rest of my family aren’t fans.

[DavidNorcross]

I do not use either. I may use dill pickle from time to time, but do not add relish.

[realdocBBQ]

I think I've only made this once in my life, a few months ago. Been using a lot more ham lately, since I've been buying spiral sliced hams and smoking them, then parceling out and vacuum sealing and freezing. Makes for a good thing to break out for breakfast or dinner dishes. We're not often home for lunch. Also, to send with the kids off to college - smoked ham, pulled pork, pulled smoked chikkin, etc.

Although looking at the bank account/debit card records and the amount of eating out that is going on, I don't know if I believe these are being eaten anymore. I suspect they sit in the fridge until they go bad. <sigh>

[tstalafuse]

Not a fan of sweet relish and since I would normally put dill pickles and onion on a ham sandwich (plus, dill relish is not much more than just diced dill pickles, onion, and a small amount of seasoning) I would use dill relish...

[Jfrosty27]

I can enjoy it either way.
But my first reaction to the Pico is negatory, nope, nada. 👎

[mrteddyprincess]

Where I come from, most of the "ham" salad was made with bologna and should have been called sandwich spread. And most of the adults I know around here actually prefer sandwich spread made with bologna over ham. Actual ham salad is fancy. :-)

B
(Oh, dill over sweet.)

[Mosca]

I never heard of such a thing, but now I wish I had!

[Jfrosty27]

I also hadn’t heard of using bologna. I need to try that asap!!!!

[Carolyn]

Sounds like Deviled Ham, which I only ever saw in a small can at the grocery store.