A Christmas pudding is the classic festive finish to your Christmas dinner. Combining the sweetness of dried fruit and sugar with aromatic spices and a kick of brandy, it's been a feature of the British Christmas table for centuries.
We have our very own traditional Christmas pudding recipe for you here to try out at home - but in the meantime, read on for our guide to when is the best time to cook your pudding, as well as the traditions associated with making Christmas pudding.
How is a Christmas pudding made?
Prior to the 1700s, a Christmas pudding would have tasted very different to the classic dish we know today. It was common for recipes to freely mix 'dessert' elements like fruit, nutmeg and cloves with meat - originally, mince pies were so called because they contained spiced mincemeat. Under the influence of the German-born King George I, the German-style meatless pudding became the default.
There are infinite variations on the recipe, but modern Christmas pudding typically contains raisins, currants, sugar, lemon and orange peel, mixed spices, flour, eggs, milk, and brandy.
And until the 19th century, the pudding mixture would be wrapped in a cloth and boiled, meaning the final result would be round. It was the Victorians who started steaming the pudding and serving it in a dish, giving it the familiar semi-circular shape we recognise today.
Oh, and if you've ever wondered why Christmas pudding is sometimes referred to as plum pudding, despite plums not featuring among the ingredients, it's because the term 'plum' historically meant raisins, currants or prunes.
What is Stir-Up Sunday?
Stir-Up Sunday is the last Sunday to fall before the start of Advent, the traditional period in the Christian calendar that leads up to Christmas. In 2022, it falls on Sunday 20 November.
You might assume the name comes from the action of mixing up a cake batter, but actually it derives from the day's collect, the name for the specific prayer assigned to each Sunday of the year according to the Anglican Church's Book of Common Prayer. The collect for the final Sunday before Advent begins 'Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people'. At some point in history - at least several centuries ago - worshippers developed a tradition of 'stirring up' their Christmas pudding on the same day.
Christmas pudding traditions
One of the best-known Christmas pudding customs is to put a silver sixpence in the mix - whoever discovered it inside their slice of the cooked cake was promised good luck for the year.
Sixpences are rather harder to get your hands on these days, so you could use a current coin instead. Some sources suggest that modern coins aren't safe to add to your pudding batter, but the UK's Health and Safety Executive says this is a myth. Just make sure you give them a good wash first, though - you don't know who has handled them before you!
If a coin doesn't appeal, you can pick another kind of lucky charm to hide in your cake. Traditional options include a bachelor's button - if found by a male guest, he will remain single in the year ahead - or the old maid's thimble, meaning the same for a female guest. Although we have to say, we're not sure these traditions will win you any friends!
Just make sure whatever trinket you choose is heatproof. If in doubt, insert it after the pudding is cooked, just prior to serving. And don't forget to let your guests know before they sink their teeth into their slice!
It is also supposedly good luck for every member of the household to take a turn stirring - we suspect this tradition might have been invented by a cook with tired arms!
How long does a Christmas pudding need to mature?
Once you've mixed your batter and steamed it until cooked - usually around eight hours - place your pudding in an airtight container (it's best to leave the pudding in the dish it as steamed in, to ensure it remains intact) and store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, such as a larder, utility room or garage.
A Christmas pudding needs to be matured for a lengthy period, giving the rich flavours of fruit, spices and alcohol time to infuse into the dense mixture.
Making your Christmas pudding on Stir-Up Sunday is a tried and tested method for ensuring the cake is sufficiently matured in time for Christmas - but you'll be pleased to know that you can be pretty flexible with the actual date you prepare the pudding.
The sugar and alcohol content means that your steamed pudding, if properly stored, can last for months before you serve it - some cooks even make their pudding in December for Christmas the following year! However, the flavours will have fully developed after about eight weeks of maturing, so leaving your pudding in storage any longer than this won't add any further benefit to the taste.
If you're a bit less organised, the good news is that a Christmas pudding can be served relatively 'fresh' - a week of maturing should be enough in a pinch, although the more traditional five to eight weeks will really showcase those deep, intense flavours at their best.
How long does leftover Christmas pudding last?
Properly stored, leftover Christmas pudding can spend a couple of weeks in the fridge, which should give you plenty of time to finish it off. And if you simply can't face another slice, why use the leftovers to make Christmas pudding truffles or simply crumble into vanilla ice cream to add a touch of sweetness and spice to a refreshing dessert.
Can you freeze Christmas pudding?
If you still have slices lingering in the fridge after a couple of weeks, the good news is that Christmas pudding can be frozen. The easiest method is to wrap slices individually in cling film and place inside a resealable bag, where they can stay in your freezer for up to a year. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and if you want to heat up your slice, making sure it's piping hot before you tuck in.
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