Frequently Asked Questions

Cooking Questions

What are the re-heating instructions for fully cooked hams?

Our fully cooked hams include our Premium Hams, Spiral Sliced Smoked Hams, and Maple Birch Hams. They can be prepared in a variety of ways: BBQ, Broil, Pan Fry, Steam, Microwave to your desired level and enjoy! Some of our hams have serving suggestions printed either on the package or the front or back side of the label.

To Warm in the Oven:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
2. Remove ham from packaging. Transfer to an open roasting pan secured over a drip rack.
3. Heat for 14-16 minutes per pound (30-35 minutes per kg) until meat thermometer reads 160°F (71°C).
4. While heating, periodically check the ham. If the surface darkens before the ham is fully heated, cover it with aluminum foil.
5. After heating, loosely cover the ham with foil and let it stand for about 15 minutes before slicing.

What are the cooking instructions for partially-cooked hams?

Our partially-cooked hams include Pork Picnic Shoulder Hams and Leg Hams. With either, bring the ham to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) using your preferred method of cooking. Let stand for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Are all Harvest hams fully cooked?

Most are, but not all. If the label does not indicate “fully cooked”, then it will need to be cooked.

What are the heating instructions for Smoked Turkey?

Our Smoked Turkey is fully cooked, but for the best flavour we recommend heating it to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) before serving. Suggested heating instructions are included on the label: Preheat oven to 350°F (170°C). Remove plastic wrapper and place on a rack in a large roasting pan adding approximately 1 inch (25 mm) of cold water to bottom of pan. Cover and cook at 350°F (170°C) for 1-2 hours or until desired temperature is reached. Our Smoked Turkey is also excellent sliced cold and served as hors d’oeuvre!

Where can I find recipes for your products?

We provide feature recipes for our products in our recipes section. They were developed to highlight the unique flavours of Harvest Meats products. The new recipes include inspiration from popular ethnic cuisine including Greek, Italian, Asian, Mexican, French, and of course – ‘Ball Park’! Recipe suggestions span breakfast, lunch, happy hour, and dinner. If you have more great recipe ideas, please let us know!

Questions about our products

Which Harvest products do not contain gluten?

We use special handling techniques to ensure that many of our products are gluten-free; however, some of our products do contain wheat. Please refer to the ingredient declaration on the label.

How do I know which products contain allergens?

Ingredients information is provided on the package labelling.

Are meat by-products used?

Only select cuts of pork and beef are contained in our products.

What is in Harvest hot dogs?

We make two types of hotdogs. One type contains only beef and the other type contains a blend of pork and beef. Both types also contain water, modified milk ingredients, modified corn starch, salt, dextrose, sodium phosphate, spices, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, and natural smoke. All real meats and no by-products.

Do you use any harmful additives in your products?

No harmful additives are used. Any ingredient used is approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and listed on the product ingredient declaration. Since our business was founded almost a century ago, we’ve identified and only buy from well-established, reputable companies.

General Questions

Is Harvest Meats a Canadian company?

Yes, we are a wholly Canadian owned company and our facility is located in Yorkton, Saskatchewan — in the beautiful Canadian prairies.

Questions about purchasing

Where can I buy Harvest products?

Our quality products are available in Canada. Please see our list of retailers.

Can I buy from Harvest directly?

Due to nation-wide demand for our products, we are only able to supply distributors and major chain stores.

Can I buy your products in Eastern Canada?

Not all items. We have only a few items available in the east.

Why are products made by Harvest Meats more expensive than some brands?

Our company was founded almost a century ago and we still make our products the traditional way. We only put quality ingredients in our products. Only select cuts of pork and beef are contained in our products. No fillers and no by-products are used.

Questions about safety

Tell me about your food safety.

Our facility is federally registered and HACCP-certified.

What is the best way to separate frozen wieners?

DO NOT USE A KNIFE to pry the meats apart; this is dangerous because the knife can easily slip and cause injury. Also there is the risk of breaking off the tip of the knife, which could end up getting into the meat. Instead, we suggest using a spoon or handle of a spoon to break apart the frozen wieners, or run the package under cold water, directing the water over the pieces that you would like to separate; gently pull apart. Many of our wieners are individually wrapped making them easy to separate by simply tapping them on the edge of your counter.