Christmas pudding questions

dolly_day_dream

Making the Christmas pud this weekend and will be using Delia's recipe as usual. Like others, we give lots away as people really appreciate a home-made pud. It was favourably compared to one that was bought from Harrods a few years ago:j

The Delia recipe is adapatable but no matter what the stout always gets put in. This year I will be using one of the cans of Barley Wine from the pack of four I got last year. It was the only way I could get hold of it. :mad: One year (and only one) I thought that the cost of making the cake and pudding was too much and got shop bought alternatives. We were so disappointed with the quality that I have never repeated the experiment.:o I soak the fruit for my christmas cake - most years in cooking sherry but there have been years when it has had to be orange juice or tea but I have never missed out the stout in the pudding.

TheToothfairy_3

I've been getting a bit carried away with my preparations for Christmas and found myself in the kitchen at the weekend mixing up a couple of Christmas puddings - for the first time ever! :T
BUT...I then realised that I have made them too early. The recipe (near the bottom as murphys law would have it) said that Stir up Sunday is the 26th November! :eek:
Being new to making Christmas food from scratch, can anyone tell me if my puddings will be okay come Christmas?
They have been steamed, wrapped in clingfilm, double wrapped in foil and placed in the cool, dark garden shed :rotfl:

Also, hubbie mentioned that we could probably keep one for next year, is this possible?
I don't want to take his word for it as all he can just about manage in the kitchen is a cup of tea!

Thank you all.

kethry

Don't worry, your xmas puds will be fine made now. I made my first one the other day, for mom (who is picking it up this weekend) and i plan to make another two in the next coupe of days.

as regards next year: the recipe i use, which i've never seen anywhere else (and is now from an out of print book) i *have* had a xmas pud after a year, it was fine... i think a lot depends on what's in it and how you've cooked it. Generally speaking if there's booze in it and you've cooked it for say 7 hours steaming/3 hours pressure cooker then it'll be fine for another year: the only way really to know is to try it.

one thing: after cooking, i would replace the GP Paper/foil "lids", if you really get into it it might be worth investing in some plastic steaming bowls that come with lids. You don't use the lids during cooking, but it does help to prevent nasties burrowig through your foil/paper lid (especially if its being kept in the shed!).

second thing: do be prepared, once you've made your own, to *never* go back to shop bought (it just isn't the same) and to have requests, year on year, from people for you to make them puddings... i ended up making 6 last year, i was sick to the back teeth of xmas puds and my pressure cooker by the time i finished!!!

have fun!

keth
xx

TheToothfairy_3

Keth,

Thank you so much! I'm relieved that I haven't wasted my efforts and ingredients

After what you said about nasties...I'm going to get my thinking cap on as to where else we have a cool, dark spot, I don't fancy any extra protein on Christmas Day!

Good luck with all your Puds, I don't think I could cope making so many infact, I think I will eat all of ours and not share so that noone can request one next year

kingshir

You can keep them in the shed, garage etc perfectly safely if you put them in a tin (I use old Quality Street sweet round tins for all manner of food storage) still wrapped in the wrappings of course.

kethry

LOL toothfairy,

as Kingshir said.. .the shed is fine - just stick it in a tin. or put an old plate on top with a heavy weight ontop of the plate.

good luck with it!!! (oh, and if you can eat *all* your xmas puds, yourselves, i'll be amazed.. LOL)

keth
xx

princess_moomoo

Has any one got a xmas pud recipe they could share with me?? Thank you x

recovering_spendaholic

kethry wrote:

Don't worry, your xmas puds will be fine made now. I made my first one the other day, for mom (who is picking it up this weekend) and i plan to make another two in the next coupe of days.

as regards next year: the recipe i use, which i've never seen anywhere else (and is now from an out of print book) i *have* had a xmas pud after a year, it was fine... i think a lot depends on what's in it and how you've cooked it. Generally speaking if there's booze in it and you've cooked it for say 7 hours steaming/3 hours pressure cooker then it'll be fine for another year: the only way really to know is to try it.

one thing: after cooking, i would replace the GP Paper/foil "lids", if you really get into it it might be worth investing in some plastic steaming bowls that come with lids. You don't use the lids during cooking, but it does help to prevent nasties burrowig through your foil/paper lid (especially if its being kept in the shed!).

second thing: do be prepared, once you've made your own, to *never* go back to shop bought (it just isn't the same) and to have requests, year on year, from people for you to make them puddings... i ended up making 6 last year, i was sick to the back teeth of xmas puds and my pressure cooker by the time i finished!!!

have fun!

keth
xx

Keth - would you mind sharing your recipe? I have tried all different recipes over the years and have never found one which tastes as nice as the ones my Dad made when I was growing up. He never used a recipe but I know that his pudding didn't have nuts in it. I have bought loads of shop ones too and they were all not that nice. I am going to make mine soon and am looking for a new recipe to try out.

MrsTinks

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email abuse@moneysavingexpert.com.

I have moved this to the OS board as it seems more OS than Christmas and the cooking guru's might be able to give some more advice over there

Tine

kethry

recovering spendaholic (what a lovely name)..

i'd be happy to share the recipe.. the recipe i have doesn't use suet, but it does have nuts in. Not a great deal, and could easily be left out (pop in a bit extra fruit for bulk maybe).... the problem with posting the recipe is the copyright thang.... its a really old book - its not even listed on ebay - so i can't even tell you where to go to get it!

however, i'll drop you a pm with a few useful tips.

keth
xx