Traditional English Christmas lunch in Germany ... help sourcing ingredients!

[MilchandCookies]

We're hosting Christmas for the first time ever, and my English family are coming over. They want a traditional Christmas lunch, which I'm very happy to provide, and I'm wondering how you all do it.

Does Edeka sell turkeys? Can I just order one? And what size do I need for 6 adults and some small people

What on earth is sausage meat (to make stuffing with) in German? German sausages are so different to English ones. Would pork mince work? I like vegetarian stuffing, but would prefer to make a meat one too.

Can I buy mixed peel (for mincemeat)? Or should I candy the rinds of lemons and oranges myself? Fuck that What about suet? Or is butter a better bet?

And where can I find parsnips?! I haven't seen any all autumn!

I'm in Hamburg, if that makes any difference.

Wow, loads of replies!

I found a sort-of mixed peel this morning in Edeka -- little plastic boxes of "Orangeat" and a lime version. Korinthen like Medium said are currants, and I got some lighter ones (from Australia!??!) as well as normal sultanas. Alnatura Rohzucker, Bio lemons and apples, and cranberries are in too. I've gone with the Nigella recipe, so no suet or butter. Smells great.

The lady behind the meat/poultry counter at Edeka said I could order a turkey from them, but not yet, as she didn't have her forms with her. And she reckoned I should just squeeze out the middle of the Bratwurst to make stuffing. I'll look for Zwiebelwurst next time though.

DSis is indeed flying, so I will rethink the crackers! Thanks for pointing that out.

We do have a Rewe somewhere near us, but it's a bit of a drive. We're not in HH centre, more rolling countryside out in the sticks nearby.

The British food shop is still going, as far as I know, and there's a place in Bergedorf, too, that does some items. I had completely forgotten about them until you mentioned it.

TK Maxx has had crackers the last few years I think.

Another alternative for mincemeat is this one: www.rivercottage.net/recipes/apple-ginger-and-pear-mincemeat

There's no suet and it's gorgeous.

You can use minced pork for your stuffing. Just up your spicing a bit (I like to add some ground nutmeg for a christmas smell.

Some retailers in the UK used to sell 'international' crackers which didn't have the snap in and were designed to be posted/go on planes. But it's more than a decade since I lived in the US and needed them...

crackers - I ordered them as I use them to inflict English Christmas parties on my English students as well as for family - its a box of 50 so you would need friends to take some off your hands or some other use for them ... or keep some for next year I guess!

There are actually smaller packs on Amazon.de too

What do you mean, Finally, stock up in Lidl in October? I haven't been yet, have I missed all the German Christmas stuff?

We were away in October and didn't get to Lidl til late In the month. The best flavour of marzipan had sold out but the other things were all there. Delicious. I have to actually hide them all from myself, or we just had to get more before christmas.

My mil definitely brought us crackers in her case when she flew over. so either she is a naughty smuggler or they've changed the rules, sorry.

I actually got some of the snaps and made my own the last couple of years. The challenge is finding a cool present to put inside. Otherwise though I printed off some cheesy jokes and made some hats (was v quick and easy) that was cool. They are easy to do. like I said only hassle is finding small presents.

But, although you and your guests want traditional british fare, why not also include some of the amazing german traditional stuff. My family loves stollen (with birds custard) and lebkuchen

There'll be plenty of Stollen and Lebkuchen, don't worry! I'm all set for the German traditions; it's the English ones that were causing me Angst

The mincemeat is amazing. We managed to eat one jar on hot bananas and yoghurt as pudding tonight "just to try".

Get this: DH turned to me and said, "Schmeckt voll lecker ... but why the Orangeat? I hate the stuff."

I never, ever buy Christmas stuff (except an advent calendar for each child) before December, and its never been a problem at all. In fact one of the things I like best about Christmas here is that it doesn't start til 1st Advent, I blimin hate the way Christmas starts in UK shops in September! Its true that there is Christmas food in the shops from late October, but at least they aren't decorated and piping Christmas music in October and November, and I just avoid that aisle til December! :o

Just in case OP is still looking for help two weeks late, or someone else wants tips, I've done over 20 Christmases in Germany now and have it down to a fine art . It sounds a lot, but I do it bit by bit over quite a few weeks, and I like baking.

I do my cake in October according to the Delia Smith recipe. I just count up the total amount of dried fruit and make that up with Corinthen, Sultaninen, Orangeat, Belegkirschen, getrockneten Pfirsischen. I feed the cake once a week with either Glühwein or Kinderpunsch. Ready rolled marzipan is now commonplace, and this year Dr Oetker is producing ready to roll fondant icing for the first time. Or you could make your own royal icing easily enough.

A friend makes my Xmas pud, she gets suet from the English shop in Cologne (mail order).

Cranberries are available fresh from most supermarkets, so we do the sauce a few days before Xmas; it only takes 10 minutes to make.

I made a large stock of custard last week, using the Delia recipe. It gets frozen until Christmas. However, I do order a can of Ambrosia too for emergencies.

I order a pack of Paxo sage and onion as a back-up, but my main stuffing is made with normal minced pork and fresh sage, then also frozen in portions.

I order a fresh organic turkey from our local Biosupermarkt - their orders have to be in by around 5/6 December. We only pick it up on the 23rd or 24th and store it in the cellar or shed to keep it cool without taking fridge space.

Maltesers and After Eight are available in most supermarkets. Dr Oetker produces small cartons of double cream.

Everything else I order from the English Shop, but I think there are expat shops in most big cities (Berlin has two branches in Charlottenburg and Kreuzberg). Each year I get a box of crackers, a Terrys Chocolate Orange, a box of Roses, spare mincemeat, Mr Kiplings mince pies, some British craft beer.

"Is the shop Britishfoods Englishbooks still in Hamburg? The owner had a second branch in Berlin for a while, which closed,"

The one run by Robert? The Berlin branch was utterly bonkers, down in Neukölln. My kids used to love going there, but it was so often empty.

Theres an english shop in cologne that has quite a comprehensive range.