It’s nearly time (Picture: Getty Images)
Christmas is almost here, which means it’s time to prep for the big festive meal.
Given how quickly December 25 will roll around, many will want to get organised and stock up on food sooner rather than later.
There are plenty of Christmas foods you can freeze – but what storecupboard items can you buy now and keep until the big day?
Here are a few ideas for your shopping list, so you can start Christmas day feeling prepared and ready to host.
Christmas pudding ingredients like icing, almonds, and brandy
If you want to make a Christmas pudding, you can buy these ingredients now and pop them away in the pantry until you’re ready to bake:
Icing sugar
Granulated sugar
Flour
Almonds
Brandy
Spices
Dried fruit
Eggs (in the carton, stored in the fridge).
Christmas puds, once made, can also be kept in a cool, dark, dry cupboard for a period of time.
Christmas puddings last ages (Picture: Getty Images)
Nigella’s website says her Ultimate Christmas Pudding recipe is good to be kept for up to six weeks, for example.
The folks at BBC Good Food actually say puddings made with dried fruit could potentially last up to two years, and some can also be frozen, making them last a good length of time.
Plus, given ‘Stir Up Sunday’ – the day when the mixture is traditionally mixed before being fed with alcohol afterwards – fell on November 24 this year, you’ve nothing to worry about.
If you don’t want to make one from scratch, you can also buy your Christmas pudding ahead of time. When shopping, simply check the best before date is after December 25.
Stuffing mix
Saving time on cooking this Christmas? Buy a box of stuffing mix.
According to Waitrose, dried stuffing mix can be kept in a cool, dry place for up to one year.
Check the packet, again, for any best before dates – but it’ll almost certainly last you from now until Christmas.
Goose or duck fat
If you like your roast potatoes to be extra crisp, you might want to baste them in goose or duck fat.
Tesco’s goose fat says it should be stored in a cool, dry place, and once opened it can be used within three months. It’s the same for the supermarket’s own brand duck fat.
So, you can buy now, pop in the pantry, and use when you’re ready to cook.
Check the label on whatever brand you do buy before you purchase though, and always follow the instructions.
Goose or duck fat – for crisp roasties – can be bought in advance thanks to a long shelf life (Picture: Getty)
Gravy granules
A pantry staple, and Christmas dinner essential, is gravy.
Gravy granules such as Bisto tend to last for a good length of time in the cupboard, with a long best before date (printed on the product) – so should see you from now until Christmas.
Sauces like apple, cranberry, horseradish
If you like a sauce to accompany Christmas dinner, such as a dollop of cranberry sauce or a lashing of horseradish, then you’re in luck.
You can typically purchase those a few weeks before Christmas, storing them in a cool, dry place. Once opened, they’ll usually keep for a few weeks in the fridge.
Obviously, follow your exact product’s instructions, but as an example, Colman’s horseradish says: ‘Refrigerate after opening and use within two months’.
Trimmings such as cranberry sauce, horseradish, stuffing and gravy can all be bought in advance of the big day (Picture: Getty)
Mincemeat (and mince pies)
For those who want to make their own mince pies, mincemeat can be kept in the cupboard, and once opened can be stored in the fridge.
Often, it’ll last for weeks when refrigerated – and as this Tesco Finest example shows, up to six weeks. It’s also the same for Asda’s version and Sainsbury’s too.
Again, always check the storage instructions on your exact product.
As for ready-made mince pies, while you don’t want to leave them in the cupboard for weeks, many are best kept in the freezer, meaning you can buy now and defrost whenever you’re peckish for a festive treat.
Ready-made marzipan
Festive bakers will know that ready-to-roll marzipan, such as Dr Oetker brand, lasts for a while in the cupboard.
That product, as an example, has official instructions of: ‘Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, wrap any unused marzipan in polythene or foil to prevent it drying out. Do not refrigerate.’
There’ll be a best before date, which you should follow, but it’ll more than likely be dated after Christmas.
Is it Christmas without a bit of chocolate? (Picture: Newscast/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Christmas chocolates
Yep, tubs or boxes of Quality Street, Cadbury Roses, and similar, will last from now until Christmas.
They’ve been in shops for a while, so you can definitely buy now. Chocolates do have a best before date though, so even if it’s way down the line do do make sure they’re all gobbled up by that date.
Generally, chocolate can be stored in a cool, dry place for a long period of time.
Cooking essentials like foil, baking parchment and cling film
Last but not least a Christmas cupboard essential is… all of the supplies you’ll need to cook!
Foil for cooking turkey, baking parchment for sweet treats, and clingfilm for storing tasty leftovers are all handy to have are three good examples of things you can buy now for the big day.
They’re also easily forgotten amid the chaos of Christmas food shopping, so it makes sense to get them sorted early on.
This article was originally published on December 6, 2022.
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