Why did my Christmas pudding go moldy?

In this article, we will answer the question “Why did my Christmas pudding go moldy?”, and how to make Christmas pudding in a pressure cooker?

Why did my Christmas pudding go moldy?

Incorrect storage leads to the spoilage of Christmas pudding. Sugar and alcohol are the two natural preservatives in a Christmas pudding. If your pudding contains fresh fruits, it can not last beyond 3 days of refrigeration. 

The pudding goes moldy if it is not kept in a cool, dark, and dry place for maturing. Correctly stored pudding can be kept for as long as 2 years. To extend the shelf-life of the pudding and prevent mold growth, you may consider freezing the pudding after plastic wrapping it. Make sure the pudding has cooled down before wrapping.

Pressure cooker Christmas 

Ingredients 

  • ⅔ cup (100g) dried cranberries, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes
  • ⅔ cup dried (100g) apricots, chopped and soaked if they are not already soft
  • ⅛ teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200g) raw (Demarara) sugar
  • 3 tsp (11g) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ginger powder
  • ½ teaspoon (1 gram) cinnamon powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 15 tablespoons (1¾ sticks or 200g) unsalted butter, roughly chopped
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons (50g) maple syrup
  • 1 medium carrot, grated (about 100g)

Instructions 

  1. In a bowl large bowl, dump the dried fruits in boiling water. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside. If you opt for soft dried apricots, you can skip the soaking step.
  1. Lightly grease a pudding mold, or 5-cup capacity heat-proof bowl with olive oil and set it aside. Make a foil sling which will be used as a makeshift handle to lift or lower the pudding.
  1. Fill the pressure cooker with 2 cups of cold water and a steamer basket or a trivet. 
  1. Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a food processor until well-combined. 
  1. Then add the butter and pulse until it is distributed evenly across the dry ingredients. 
  2. Add the eggs and maple syrup and pulse again until everything is homogenous.
  1. Strain the dried fruit and rinse it under cold running water. Add the dried fruit and shredded carrots to the mixture. Use a spatula to mix the fruit into the pudding mixture until just combined.
  1. Spoon the pudding mixture into the prepared pudding basin and lower the basin into the steamer basket. Close the pressure cooker lid. 
  1. If your pressure cooker does not have a lid, you can work with any lid that roughly fits the top of your cooker. Then take out the pressure valve and gasket from the pressure cooker lid; or, set the valve to “release” or “no pressure”.
  1. Electric pressure cookers: Set the cooker at the Brown/Saute setting. When the pressure cooker starts releasing steam(in about 10 minutes), start the countdown for 15 minutes of steam-without-pressure pre-cooking time.


Stovetop pressure cookers: Set the cooker at the highest heat setting. When the valve starts to release steam(in about 10 minutes), reduce the heat to medium and start the countdown for 15 minutes of steam-without-pressure pre-cooking time.

  1. When the time is up, remove the lid in a tilted position to make sure the condensation moisture does not drop in the pudding. Use oven mitts to put the hot lid back onto the cooker, or put the valve and gasket back on.
  1. Close the lid and set the valve to pressure cooking position.
  1. Electric pressure cookers: Cook for 35 minutes at high pressure.
    Stovetop pressure cookers: Close the lid, and cook for 30 minutes at high pressure.
  1. When the time is up, let the pressure release naturally. This should take about 10 minutes. For electric pressure cookers, turn off the “keep warm” mode or unplug the cooker and open it when the pressure indicator has gone down (about 20 minutes).
  1. Do not open the pressure cooker for about 10 minutes even after the pressure is released. Leaving the pudding in the cooker like this will ensure that it does not quickly turn dry and rubbery due to extreme temperature fluctuation. 
  1. Tilt the lid while removing it to ensure that the condensation moisture does not fall back into the pressure cooker. 
  1. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center of the pudding. If it comes out clean, the pudding is ready.
  1. Lift the pudding out of the cooker and do not unwrap until serving.
  1. Serve with fresh cream or custard and enjoy.

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?

How to mature a Christmas pudding?

Does Christmas pudding go off?

Conclusion 

In this article, we answered the question “Why did my Christmas pudding go moldy?”, and how to make Christmas pudding in a pressure cooker?

References 

https://www.womensweeklyfood.com.au/how-to/christmas-pudding-tricks-1287

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