Mary Berry Freezing Christmas

[HouseIsOnFire]

There's an article all over the place with a lady following a vintage booklet by mary berry about preparing christmas the year before!!!

I can't find the leaflet anywhere! Has anyone seen it? Does anyone else freeze their entire Christmas dinner and want to share some tips?

https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/02/super-saver-mum-preps-christmas-food-months-early-to-cut-costs-by-half-19589838/

Thanks for sharing this op it's totally mental. I've been known to buy wrapping paper and cards on twelfth night at a discount and stashing it with the decorations for a year but this is another level.

I know! I'm just desperate to see the recipes (and the end result!)

I'm fortunate, my Christmas jobs are the lasagne for Christmas eve, the peeling (done Christmas eve with a bottle of bailies and a hallmark movie) and the oh so taxing job of topping blinis on the day itself 🤣

I've begged to help more, but two very cantankerous parents frog march you out of the kitchen... if they could have some things done in advance, we could possibly avoid some chaos!

Look at the Mary Berry Christmas cookbook, it contains many freezable recipes and can be brought for around £4

Yes got that booklet, my mother has had it since new. Some of the recipes I don’t like but over alll it’s pretty good.
its October when you start freezing things not September !

Usually the red cabbage, cauliflower cheese, stuffing and bread sauce is done way in advance and frozen. It covers recipes for the whole Christmas period not just Xmas dinner and somethings are easier to buy in rather than make such as cranberry sauce.

The woman has tiktok and shares the recipes there.
I'm sure my mum will have had this booklet new back in the day keep meaning to ask her.

I make stuffing and pigs in blankets in advance and freeze, but that’s it. If I had a big freezer I’d probably make a load of (uncooked) mince pies too, but then the temptation to get some out and scoff before 1st December (my not-before rule to avoid excess 🐷-ery) would probably be too great to resist.

Could you theorhetically do the entire Christmas meal in advance? < this is the bit I'm most in awe of!

What is her tiktok

Mary Berry's cranberry sauce (well, she calls it Scarlet Confit) is delicious, really easy to make and freezes brilliantly (we've had some the following year and it's just as good). You should give it a go!

Yes you can. I’ll try and screen shot some of it later

But if you're always making it a year in advance, then you're still making it every year... why a year? And not a month for example?

The cranberries only appear in the shops just before Christmas which defeats the whole make ahead point. So that’s why I don’t bother

The only thing I buy the year before is discounted gift wrap, bags and cards.. I don’t leave anything in my freezer that I’ve cooked for more than 6 months. It’s nuts that someone would even think about it… also it’s taking up space.

It didn’t sound to me like she was cooking a year in advance. She just went shopping the day after Christmas, which tbf, many people do. I haven’t paid full price for wrapping paper or crackers for years.

My great uncle used to make Christmas puddings on Boxing Day and give them as gifts the following year and they were fabulous. I’ve never had one as nice since he died. But it’s the one good item I would buy after Christmas and store because its flavours improve with age.

There are lots of make ahead recipes on the bbc food website

This one is a daily mail link but has some good advice.

Here are a few pages. Including the menu for the Christmas period.

How gloriously retro is that? Thank you!

somethings are easier to buy in rather than make such as cranberry sauce.

Whilst of course it is easier to buy in cranberry sauce. it is ridiculously easy to make and so much nicer. I freeze in ramekins, enough to use with roast chicken over the next few months