If it's your turn to host the family for a traditional Easter dinner, that juicy ham is going to take more of your piggy bank.
At McCreless HEB, the annual Easter ham hunt was on. And, shopper James Nelson was looking for a deal.
"We're going to have ham and all the trimmings," he said.
Prices for ham are on par with last spring, but higher than years past.
Two years ago, the wholesale price was about 55 cents a pound. Now, it's 75 cents per pound.
"It is being driven by higher feed costs and definitely more robust exports. The export market is booming when it comes to pork," said John Sauter, HEB director of meat procurement.
Grocery stores typically have sales during the Easter season to offset some of the increase.
Consumers have plenty of options at the meat frig regarding convenience, flavor and price.
"The better value moneywise is the bone-in variety," Sauter said. "The bone-in variety is going to cost less per pound. You can also use the bone for soups or stew or beans afterwards, so you can actually stretch that meal."
The least expensive ham is the unsliced portion ham. At HEB, a shank was selling for $1.27 per pound. The butt, the rounded cut with more meat costs 10 to 20 cents more per pound.
The biggest seller, according to Sauter, is the spiral-cut ham at about $2.99 per pound with bone-in.