General Questions

Q: What is Canadian Bacon?

A: It is a cured and smoked pork loin prepared in Canada, but when prepared domestically it must say Canadian Style Bacon on the product label. Dietz & Watson prepares Canadian Style Bacon that is 99% Fat Free.

Q: What is Boiled Ham?

A: It is a term commonly misused by retailers and delicatessen operators for cooked ham. The term "boiled ham" is not permitted on product labeling because the ham is never really boiled but is thoroughly cooked to 165 degrees.

Q: What is a Bratwurst?

A: A fresh sausage of German origin generally prepared with coarsely ground pork and veal or pork and beef. May also be prepared with poultry if identified in the product name, such as "Chicken Bratwurst".

Q: What is Kielbasa?

A: It is a coarsely ground cooked and cured sausage of Polish origin. The meat is generally all pork or primarily pork.

Q: What is Lebanon Bologna?

A: It is a semi-fermented sausage prepared exclusively with beef and cannot contain either extenders or binders.

Q: What is Genoa Salami?

A: It is a coarsely ground dry sausage prepared with all pork or a limited quantity of beef. The salami is air dried but not smoked.

Q: Are Dietz & Watson Franks and Smoked Sausages fully cooked?

A: All Dietz & Watson Franks and Smoked Sausage varieties are fully cooked. We do suggest that you heat these meats before eating to enjoy their full flavor. You can boil them in a pan of water for approximately 10 minutes (or until they float) or you can barbecue them.

Q: Why does the statement "Contains Up To 10% Added Moisture" appear on other company's Roast Beef labels?

A: Some companies that process a lesser quality roast beef choose to extend the meat by adding water to it. The USDA requires that these labels declare the amount of added moisture that the roast beef retains.

Dietz & Watson's Roast Beef is minimally processed and therefore takes a natural shrink while cooking. In other words, when you purchase a Dietz & Watson Roast Beef you are taking home the finest roast beef with no added water.

Q: What is the difference between a "No Water Added" and a "Water Added" ham?

A: USDA regulations allow meat processing companies to inject up to 10% added water to smoked hams; which means that you may be getting one pound of water for every ten pounds of ham that you purchase.

At Dietz & Watson our smoked hams are "No Water Added". We are proud of the quality and deep smoked flavor of our hams and we are determined not to water them down. After all, we believe our consumers want to buy the finest ham for their families, not added water.

Q: What are some types of Dietz & Watson smoked hams?

A: At Dietz & Watson we prepare a variety of Smoked Hams with Natural Juices.

Semi-Boneless Smoked Ham:
Available as a whole or half ham, our semi-boneless smoked ham is a No Water Added ham, (Whole: 12-14 lbs. avg. wt., Half: 6-8 lbs. avg. wt.), only center bone remains for ease of carving.

Tiffany Smoked Boneless Ham:
Available as a whole or half (Whole: 6 lbs. avg. wt., Half: 3 lbs. avg. wt.) ham, hand- trimmed to 97% fat free, yet retains a distinctive old-fashioned old-world smoked ham flavor.

Honey Cured Boneless Dinner Ham:
A no water added, 97% fat free, fully cooked ham available in whole, half and quarters. A real old fashioned honey cured bone-in flavor without the bone for ease of carving.

Chef Carved Ham:
A fruited, honey glazed and honey cured pre-sliced ham for your serving convenience, available as a whole (8-10 lbs. avg. wt.) or half (4-5 lbs. avg. wt.). This delicious ham, sliced end to end, is the pinnacle of spiral sliced hams. It can be served at room temperature or warmed in the microwave oven. Our Chef Carved Ham is decorated with pineapple and cherries and is packed in an attractive gift box.

Classic Trimmed & Tied Ham:
Available as a whole or half (Whole: 10-12 lbs. avg. wt, Half: 5-6 lbs. avg. wt.),this is a boneless, deep smoked old-fashioned ham with natural juices. This easy to carve ham delivers a "Right Off The Bone Flavor".

All Dietz & Watson smoked hams are slow cured and deep smoked (with natural hickory) the old-fashioned way, using our very own Special Process. This insures a delicate smoke flavor, distinctive color, flavor and texture.

Q: Can Dietz & Watson deli meats be frozen?

A: We do not recommend that you freeze our premium deli meats as freezing affects both taste and texture. However, if you should choose to freeze any of our premium meats, be sure to defrost under refrigeration.

Q: What about the nutritional values of Dietz & Watson ham?

A: Dietz & Watson hams are prepared from the highest quality hand trimmed, lean hams combined with all natural spices and seasonings gathered from around the world. Our hams contain no artificial flavors, colors, fillers, extenders and never any MSG. Many of our hams are 97% - 98% Fat Free and are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt.

You can view ingredient and nutritional facts about our hams on our product packages and nutritional booklets that are usually available at your favorite store. You can also view this Website's Ingredient and Nutritional Information Pages or you can request literature about our premium meats from our helpline at 800-333-1974.