How to store Christmas pudding once cooked?

In this article, we will answer the question “How to store Christmas pudding once cooked?”

This article also includes a brief Christmas pudding guide. 

How to store Christmas pudding once cooked?

Things you’ll need

  • Brandy, whiskey, or another spirit
  • Plastic wrap
  • Aluminum foil

Instructions 

  1. Soak your freshly cooked and cooled plum pudding in brandy or another spirit. Do not soak the pudding until it the brandy starts to drip from it. Add enough amount so that the plum pudding softens.
  1. Wrap the plum pudding in plastic and then in aluminum foil. Keep the wrapped plum pudding somewhere dark, dry, and cool. A cellar or a cabinet is a good storage place for the pudding.
  1. Pour little amounts of brandy or another alcohol in your pudding after wrapping it every week or two. Do not add too much spirit or else the pudding will not be able to hold its shape and become flammable. After every feeding, rewrap the pudding and return it to its storage place.

Christmas pudding troubleshoot guide

Choosing a recipe 

There are various ways to cook your Christmas pudding. For example, in the slow cooker, pressure cooker, instant pot, steamer, or on a stovetop. The recipe you choose depends upon what equipment is available to you to process your Christmas pudding.

For someone who does not like too much prep time, slow cooking is the best option. The slow cooker cooks the pudding slow and low. 

The size of the pudding basin is also very important. Go with a bigger basin if you do not mind having Christmas pudding leftovers. You do not have to follow the recipe card word by word. You can use your favorite dried fruits in your pudding instead of what the recipe calls for.

For texture, you can add some nuts. For a rich and fragrant pudding, feel free to throw in lemon or orange zest. 

A secret ingredient 

A few tablespoons of finely chopped dates add a zing to the Christmas pudding. During cooking, the dates melt into the pudding making it moist and fudgy. Just throw in some handful of dates for an improved texture. 

Soaking your fruit-Booze or not?

The amount and the type of alcohol you use to soak your pudding greatly impact the taste of your pudding. You will need to add extra alcohol if your fruit is old. The best spirits for puddings are Tia Maria, Amaretto, Cointreau, Dark rum, Glayva, Frangelico, Todka, and Vanilla vodka.

If you want to skip the alcohol, you can use a tea concoction instead with some more spices. Alternatively, you can squeeze a whole orange into your pudding along with its zest. The Christmas pudding made with fruit will need to be refrigerated and have a short shelf-life. 

Gluten-free variations 

Since the Christmas pudding is all about dried fruits, you can safely substitute the wheat flour or breadcrumbs with a gluten-free option. 

A gluten-free version of self-rasing flour is readily available in any grocery store. Substitute the crumbs with almonds since no other gluten-free version is available. 

Suet or not suet?

Suet is the grated fat present around the internal organs of pigs and beef. Suet is super flavorful so it can be safely substituted for butter in your Christmas pudding. Estimate a 1:1 ratio for substitution. 

If you are making your pudding in the pressure cooker, increase the cooking time from 45 minutes to 2 hours. Because the suet takes longer to break down during pressure cooking. 

To check for doneness, insert a skewer into the center of the pudding. If it comes out clean, the pudding is ready. Alternatively, you can use a digital thermometer. The pudding is ready if the thermometer reads a minimum of 75C.

What sort of basin do I need?

Any type of basin would work as long as you know how to use it. For example,  ceramic pudding basins, reusable plastic ones, Pyrex bowls, or even metal “steamers” would get the work done just right.

Make sure to leave a 1-inch space around the pudding basin to allow the heat and steam to circulate freely. If you opt for a thick ceramic basin or Pyrex bowl, increase the pressure cooking time by 10-15 minutes. 

Storing and maturing your puds

If you opt for ceramic or plastic to make your pudding, replace the foil with greaseproof paper when the pudding has cooled down. Then store the pudding somewhere dark, dry, and cool. 

If you opt for the metallic steamer to cook your pudding, unmould the pudding and wrap it in greaseproof paper and foil. This is important because long maturing periods enable the reaction of metal with the fruit juices in the pudding.

Other FAQs about Pudding that you may be interested in.

Can pudding go bad?

Can you substitute cook and serve pudding for an instant in a recipe?

What do you eat Christmas pudding with?

How to steam Christmas pudding without a steamer?

Conclusion

In this article, we answered the question “How to store Christmas pudding once cooked?”

References

https://www.ehow.com/how_7685915_store-plum-pudding.html

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