Frequently Asked Questions

Cooking Questions

Our fully cooked hams include our Premium Hams, Deluxe Hams, and Maple Birch Hams. They can be prepared in a variety of ways: Roast, BBQ, Broil, Steam, or Microwave to your desired level and enjoyment! All of our hams have oven-roasting instructions printed on the back side of the label.

To Warm in the Oven:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (170°C).
2. Remove ham from packaging and discard plastic bone-guard (if included in package). Place ham in roasting pan and add approximately 1” (25 mm) of cold water to the bottom of pan.
3. Heat 40 to 55 minutes per kilogram (or 18 to 25 minutes per pound), or until meat thermometer reads 160°F (71°C).

Tips:
1. While heating, periodically check the ham. If the surface darkens before the ham is fully heated, cover it with aluminum foil.
2. After heating, loosely cover the ham with foil and let it stand for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Our Smoked Turkey is fully cooked, but for the best flavour we recommend heating it to an internal temperature of  165°F (74°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!

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

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.

Ingredients information is provided on the package labelling.

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.

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

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

Questions about safety

Harvest Meats is HACCP Certified, CFIA regulated, and certified under the Global Food Safety scheme through BRCGS (Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards). By adhering to these rigorous standards, we ensure that our products are of premium quality and also safe for you and your family to enjoy.

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.

SHELF LIFE (in days) refers to the anticipated amount of time that an unopened package, when stored under appropriate conditions, will retain its freshness, taste, and nutritional value; this is indicated by the “best before date” on the package. The best before date does not apply once the package is opened. After opening a package of cooked meats, it should last 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator with proper handling procedures. That is, after the sealed package is opened, the meat should be kept tightly wrapped in a resealable bag or stored in airtight containers to ward off moisture and other contaminants; meat should be kept refrigerated at all times to maximize shelf-life in the fridge. Some products can be stored for up to 14 days but look for signs of spoilage such as milky liquid in the package, slimy surface, or off/tainted smell. This “opened shelf life” is a guideline only. Each set of conditions are different, ie. how often the package is opened, how the product is handled, temperature, and humidity all play a role in the shelf life of a product. Shelf life is dependent upon the product being properly handled and stored.

Questions about purchasing

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

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

At Harvest Meats, our commitment to quality is our guiding principle. We source only the highest quality ingredients and work closely with trusted suppliers who share our values. We never cut corners when it comes to the safety and quality of our products. We understand that this comes at a premium, but we believe that the difference in quality is worth it and is what sets us apart from other brands.

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