Get ahead with your festive preparations this year. Spending a little time in the kitchen during November and December can mean you’re more relaxed and organised in the holidays.
Freezing Groceries for Christmas
There are lots of Christmas food items that can be prepared in advance and stashed in the freezer to be thawed at the right moment.
Consider your family’s eating patterns at Christmas and freeze only what you’ll need – otherwise you’ll quickly run out of freezer space.
Get-Ahead Ideas
Here are some suggestions for things to prepare in advance and freeze.
If you usually have a family supper, for example on Christmas Eve, you could prepare a casserole now and freeze it in oven-ready foil dishes (with cardboard lids; available at supermarkets and cooking stores).
For family parties or hungry kids, prepare some sausage rolls (use chilled, not pre-frozen, sausages and puff pastry) and freeze them between layers of greaseproof in a tupperware tub.
if your family gets through lots of bread, it’s worthwhile to bake or buy some extra loaves and freeze them now.
Ingredients:
3 lb (1.4 kg) pears
2 cooking apples
1 lb (450 g) onions
1 lb (450 g) seedless raisins
1 tsp hot chilli powder or cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground ginger
1 garlic clove
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
juice and grated rind of 2 lemons
1 lb (450 g) soft brown sugar
1 pint (570 ml) white distilled vinegar
Method:
1 Peel, core and chop the pears and apples. Peel and chop the onions. Chop the garlic.
2 Put all of the ingredients into a large pan with the vinegar and stir well with a wooden spoon. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and continue simmering for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until it is thick.
3 Ladle into hot, clean, sterilized jars, cover and seal. Label when fully cool.
Freezing Groceries for Christmas
There are lots of Christmas food items that can be prepared in advance and stashed in the freezer to be thawed at the right moment.
Consider your family’s eating patterns at Christmas and freeze only what you’ll need – otherwise you’ll quickly run out of freezer space.
Get-Ahead Ideas
Here are some suggestions for things to prepare in advance and freeze.
If you usually have a family supper, for example on Christmas Eve, you could prepare a casserole now and freeze it in oven-ready foil dishes (with cardboard lids; available at supermarkets and cooking stores).
For family parties or hungry kids, prepare some sausage rolls (use chilled, not pre-frozen, sausages and puff pastry) and freeze them between layers of greaseproof in a tupperware tub.
if your family gets through lots of bread, it’s worthwhile to bake or buy some extra loaves and freeze them now.
Ingredients:
3 lb (1.4 kg) pears
2 cooking apples
1 lb (450 g) onions
1 lb (450 g) seedless raisins
1 tsp hot chilli powder or cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground ginger
1 garlic clove
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
juice and grated rind of 2 lemons
1 lb (450 g) soft brown sugar
1 pint (570 ml) white distilled vinegar
Method:
1 Peel, core and chop the pears and apples. Peel and chop the onions. Chop the garlic.
2 Put all of the ingredients into a large pan with the vinegar and stir well with a wooden spoon. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and continue simmering for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until it is thick.
3 Ladle into hot, clean, sterilized jars, cover and seal. Label when fully cool.
O Chutney pode ser descrito como uma compota picante de origem Indiana. È normalmente consumido em pequenas quantidades, acompanhando geralmente pratos com carne, enriquecendo o sabor.
Existe uma grande diferença entre o que se entende por Chutney no Oriente e o que se pensa no Ocidente.
O Chutney na Índia é costumeiramente feito com especiarias frescas, moídas em um “Mortar” de Masalas, levando especiarias como gengibre, menta, coentro, frutas acidas ou amargas, manga, coco e outros.
Colocando em palavras simples, as Compotas, Picles ou Chutneys, nada mais são que uma maneira de preservar os alimentos, sejam eles carne, peixe, legume ou frutas, com seus sabores e aromas originais ou associados a outras especiarias e ou ervas.
Por mais interessante que sejam, devem ser utilizados com cautela, para que não roubem o sabor principal do prato, deve ser utilizado de maneira a harmonizar e não para ofuscar outros sabores.
Ingredientes:
1,4 kg de peras
2 maçãs
450 g de cebola
450 g de passas de uvas sem sementes
1 c. de chá de pó de pimenta cayenne
1 c. de chá de gengibre em pó
1 dente de alho
1 c. de chá de sal
½ c. de chá de noz-moscada moída
sumo e casca ralada de 2 limões
450 g de açúcar mascavo
570 ml de vinagre branco destilado
Método:
1 Descasque e corte as pêras e as maçãs. Descasque e pique a cebola. Picar o alho.
2 Coloque todos os ingredientes numa panela grande com o vinagre e mexa bem com uma colher de pau. Deixe ferver, mexendo ocasionalmente. Reduzir a força do calor e continuar cozendo por cerca de duas horas, mexendo ocasionalmente.
3 Coloque o chutney ainda quente em frascos previamente esterilizados.
En realidad el Chutney admite casi cualquier fruta y o verduras cocidas en vinagre con azúcar y especias. La cocción debe durar hasta obtener la consistencia de confitura, aunque tampoco quedan mal todos los ingredientes reducidos a puré.
En el chutney el azúcar a emplear debería ser morena. Las especies más utilizadas son la mostaza de grano machacados), el clavo, canela, jengibre y curry en polvo. Las guindillas no deben faltar en la confección de un buen Chutney.
Ingredientes:
1,4 kg de peras
2 manzanas
450 g de cebolla
450 g de pasas de uva sin semillas
1 cucharadita de pimienta de cayena en polvo
1 cucharadita de jengibre en polvo
1 diente de ajo
1 cucharadita de sal
½ cucharadita de nuez moscada molida
jugo y ralladura de 2 limones
450 g de azúcar morena
570 ml de vinagre blanco destilado
Método:
1 Pelar y cortar las peras y las manzanas. Pelar y picar la cebolla. Picar el ajo.
2 Coloque todos los ingredientes en una cacerola grande con el vinagre y mezclar bien con una cuchara de madera. Hervir, revolviendo ocasionalmente. Reduzca el fuego y continuar la cocción durante unas dos horas, revolviendo ocasionalmente.
3 Coloque el chutney todavía caliente en frascos previamente esterilizados.





















