Is there any reason you can’t buy and freeze Christmas meat early?

[RubaiyatOfAnyone]

Bare with me - it’s probably a stupid question but i’ve been vegetarian for 20 years and know sod all about cooking meat.

DH would like some meat for xmas dinner for him and DCs (possibly beef, maybe chicken). I suspect if i wait until my 22 December shop i risk getting “out of stock” or the last shrivelled specimen in the shop.

Is there any reason i shouldn’t buy it now and freeze? If no, is there in fact any advantage to buying fresh, or should i buy frozen in the first place?

Ffs *BEAR WITH ME bloody autobollocks

I'm sure by 22nd December you you'll still be a me to get good quality meat anywhere. The only reason I'd buy in advance and freeze is to be organised and not have to battle the supermarket/butcher. It's a very good idea!

I've bought a frozen turkey in the past - it was absolutely fine.

I have a friend who makes the actual Christmas dinner, plates it up then freezes them in November!

Thank you - I know it will be fine, but given we will probably be on lockdown and have no choices if it isn't, I think i'd like to get it early. I just can't work out why everyone seems to wait until the last minute (e.g. shops running out of turkeys etc) if frozen is just as good.

Making Christmas dinner plates in advance is genius but probably a level to organised for me.

It will be fine I’m planning on doing this

Frozen is perfectly fine, and probably sensible this year, given the predicted turkey shortage. I have a space earmarked in my chest freezer myself.

Yes no reason why not - shops do know about and anticipate the Christmas demand for meat and in fact if you care to take the gamble you can get some brilliant 'yellow sticker' bargains by going in at about 4-5pm on Christmas Eve (as most supermarkets would prefer to over-stock and be left with excess than risk running out). I guess the reason most people don't is that a family sized turkey plus other joints of meat if you are catering for large numbers won't easily fit into a normal sized freezer plus will take a long time to defrost (and maybe people are paranoid about food safety with the defrosting too, although there's no real reason to be). But if space is no concern then why not sort yourself out early and save the hassle...

We order now from the butcher to collect on the 24th. They start winter orders in October. Can you do that?

Marks and Spencer already have Christmas meats (turkey, hams) in their freezer sections, so you could just buy frozen now.

I've ordered delivery direct from my butcher on 23rd December as I don't have space in my freezer. If I had space I'd be happy to buy now and freeze.

Our only local butchers has a sign up every year "Christmas Orders only available for regular customers", and as this is the only time of the year I buy meat we sadly don't qualify

Thank you all, I think I shall get it in the next couple of weeks and freeze (thankfully have the space). My 22 Dec shop is an Ocado delivery slot, and although they are pretty good, sod's law would be that that would be the one item unavailable.

@actiongirl1978

We order now from the butcher to collect on the 24th. They start winter orders in October. Can you do that?

For me it's also the horror of having to go anywhere 2/3 days before Christmas Day. Crazy people everywhere. It's usually hideous!

I've ordered a Morrisons click and collect for December 23rd. Their meat is ok if you have one near you.
They have ready prepared fresh meat just to go in the oven, which fir you as a vegetarian might find easier to dell with!
I've ordered duck, my DD has ordered a turkey breast thingy
my.morrisons.com/foodtoorder/browse/christmas

My turkey is already in the freezer - Tesco Finest Bronze. We’ve had them before and they are fine .

We almost always buy frozen turkey. When we've had 'foodie' guests with us on Christmas Day I have bought fresh from the butcher and there was no difference in flavour and quality; but about £40 more.
Other meat I have bought early in December from the butchers and frozen as they don't deliver and you can queue up to an hour in the days before Christmas. No impact on flavour.