How one can freeze turkey, roast potatoes and different Christmas meals

Don’t fear, you don’t must eat every part if plans have modified (Image: Getty Photographs)

Boris Johnson’s announcement that London and the South East is in Tier 4 means these residing there gained’t be capable of spend Christmas with family members as deliberate.

Up till this weekend, a lot of households have been planning a giant meal, with three households coming collectively.

However with the comfort cancelled for a lot of and Christmas meals already purchased or ordered, some individuals are going to have much more than they want.

Fortunately, Christmas meals freezes fairly effectively and in case you have sufficient area, you might reserve it to eat collectively sooner or later in 2021 when it’s secure to take action.

With vaccines on the horizon, possibly having a giant household meal in a number of months will likely be potential – and all of us deserve two celebrations in 2021.

If you happen to’ve purchased some pre-made gadgets to save lots of time, there’s often directions about freezing on the packet and it’s greatest to look out for these first.

Turkey

You possibly can freeze a complete turkey in case you have area to take action. Freeze it in it’s packaging and while you’re able to eat it make sure that it’s utterly defrosted earlier than you cook dinner it.

Yow will discover guides on-line on how lengthy to defrost a turkey in line with its weight and measurement. A tough information is to thaw it in a fridge at 4C (39F) for 10 to 12 hours per kilogram.

It’s vital to make sure it’s defrosted throughout so it cooks evenly.

A complete turkey retains for as much as 12 months within the freezer, supplying you with loads of time to have a Christmas do-over.

You can too minimize up and freeze your turkey for those who don’t have area for the entire thing. Wrap the items tightly in freezer baggage or plastic wrap and maintain for as much as six months within the freezer.

You can too retailer cooked turkey within the freezer, in baggage. Defrost within the fridge in a single day earlier than cooking inside 24 hours.

Pigs in blankets and stuffing balls

These trimmings can simply be frozen and it’s greatest to examine the packaging for directions. Some will be capable of be cooked from frozen at a later time and others will want defrosting first.

Potatoes

Potatoes, of their cooked type often freeze effectively. You can also make them up as deliberate and maintain within the freezer, then cook dinner them from frozen for a fast facet for a mid-week dinner.

Unfold them out on a tray, ensuring they aren’t touching and depart in a single day to freeze. The subsequent day, raise them off the tray and pop them right into a freezer bag or hermetic container for as much as three months.

Greens

Carrots and parsnips and Brussels sprouts are the normal veg on the Christmas dinner plate.

Carrots and parsnips may be frozen if they’re cooked first. Blanching them in scorching water for a couple of minutes is greatest to cease them shedding vitamins and flavour however you can even freeze roasted carrots and parsnips.

With each blanched and pre-roasted carrots and parsnips, you possibly can retailer them for as much as three months and cook dinner them straight from the freezer.

Brussels additionally freeze effectively and it is perhaps helpful to take action if you wish to have a Christmas dinner later as they’re arduous to seek out at different instances of the yr.

The very best factor to do is to blanch them – merely plunge your Brussels right into a pan of boiling water for 4 minutes after which take them out and plunge them right into a bowl of ice water to cease them cooking additional.

Lay them out on a baking tray and pop within the freezer, earlier than gathering them up right into a bag or hermetic container as soon as frozen.

Christmas pudding

Wrap your pudding in two layers of plastic wrap or foil and freeze for as much as a yr.

Do you could have a cooking tip to share?

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