Q&A for How to Reduce Salt in Cooked Ham

Put it in a dish of milk for 15 minutes to desalinate.

Most store-bought hams are city hams. They've been soaked in brine (wet-cured) and then either smoked or boiled before being sold fully cooked.

Put in a bowl with some water. Cover the bowl with a lid or foil. Put in the refrigerator. Let set four hours. If you leave it longer than that, pour water out and put fresh in (to stop bacterial growth). If it's still too salty, put in hot water on stove in saucepan for about ten minutes. If it still is a bit too salty, use sauces to mask the salt.

Place it in a bowl that fits its size, and cover it with cold water. Refrigerate it for 4 hours, changing the water if you leave it longer to prevent bacterial growth. If it's still too salty, soak it in hot water for about ten minutes. You can also mask the saltiness with various sauces.

You could try adding something like lemon juice to help cut the saltiness of the pork loin. Any type of acidic addition like that would help.

Using Coke or Pepsi can enhance the flavor of ham and mask saltiness. While Diet Coke hasn't been tested as much, you might find full-strength soda adds sweetness. Consider experimenting with Diet Coke to see if it suits your taste.

Adding brown sugar can help mask the saltiness of the ham. You might try using a couple of tablespoons for a few slices, but adjust based on your taste preference.

You can generally reduce enough salt to change the flavor. However, exact measurements can vary and would require a scientific experiment to determine.

Desalting a precooked bone-in ham should not be a problem. The bone does not significantly affect the desalting process.