The girl on the above postcard is holding aloft a traditional plum Christmas pudding topped by a sprig of holly. She may be holding it up either to show it off or to keep it away from the dog who looks ready to jump at it.
Plum pudding first became associated with Christmas back in medieval England, and the association became stronger in the 19th century. Ingredients and methods of preparation evolved over time. Originally dried fruits were used as a method of preserving meat. When methods of preserving meat improved, the meat content in the mixture diminished as the sweet content increased.
Before the 19th century, the English Christmas pudding was boiled in a pudding cloth, and often was round like a cannonball. Since the Victorian era the usual method of preparation has involved putting the batter into a basin and then steaming it. The pudding is usually made ahead of time and reheated for serving. It may be topped with a sprig of holly and/or flamed with brandy and served with a sauce.
A recipe for steamed Plum Pudding for Christmas can be found here. A microwave version of the recipe is also included there. A refrigerator version of plum pudding was published by Knox Gelatine on the recipe card shown below. This card has a 1930 copyright. The refrigerator recipe looks easy and tasty, but it includes uncooked egg whites. Uncooked eggs are unsafe and should not be eaten nowadays. Maybe egg white substitute would work.
Plum pudding first became associated with Christmas back in medieval England, and the association became stronger in the 19th century. Ingredients and methods of preparation evolved over time. Originally dried fruits were used as a method of preserving meat. When methods of preserving meat improved, the meat content in the mixture diminished as the sweet content increased.
Before the 19th century, the English Christmas pudding was boiled in a pudding cloth, and often was round like a cannonball. Since the Victorian era the usual method of preparation has involved putting the batter into a basin and then steaming it. The pudding is usually made ahead of time and reheated for serving. It may be topped with a sprig of holly and/or flamed with brandy and served with a sauce.
A recipe for steamed Plum Pudding for Christmas can be found here. A microwave version of the recipe is also included there. A refrigerator version of plum pudding was published by Knox Gelatine on the recipe card shown below. This card has a 1930 copyright. The refrigerator recipe looks easy and tasty, but it includes uncooked egg whites. Uncooked eggs are unsafe and should not be eaten nowadays. Maybe egg white substitute would work.
The Plum Pudding recipe also was included (without the picture) in the Your Electric Refrigerator and Knox Sparkling Gelatine recipe booklet (©1929). Knox Gelatine is recommended as a thickener than prevents ice crystals from forming in the refrigerator. It is also recommended as a way to use left-overs.
The most festive looking recipe from the Knox booklet is the one for Asparagus Bavarian Salad.
My mother used to make Jello salads for holiday dinners, and I always enjoy having a molded Jello salad for holiday dinner. That is actually the only time I eat Jello. My mother always added an envelope of Knox Gelatine to the recipe to make the salad firmer, but I don't do that. The idea of colorless unflavored gelatin has always made me a bit squeamish when I think of its source. Gelatin is derived on a commercial scale in the United States today from, (in order of predominance), pigskins, cattle bones, and cattle hides (source).
If you would like to try making a Christmas Plum Pudding, the fastest and most modern way to cook it is in the microwave as shown in this video. (Unfortunately, measuring in grams is not the American way. I never heard of black treacle before. It is supposed to be similar to molasses. )
If you would like to try making a Christmas Plum Pudding, the fastest and most modern way to cook it is in the microwave as shown in this video. (Unfortunately, measuring in grams is not the American way. I never heard of black treacle before. It is supposed to be similar to molasses. )
Visit Sepia Saturday to see more vintage images.
19 comments:
What a wonderful post! I enjoyed every word. Thank you for posting these fabulous recipes. Wow!
Merry Christmas!
I love plum pudding! I even tried to make it once - successfully, but wasn't crazy about the taste of suet.
I prefer mine out of a Crosse and Blackwell's tin, thank you very much!
Lovely post!
A really interesting post and I love that first card with the dog leaping up and ever hopeful of a morsel of plum pudding.
such a sweet postcard! not sure I'd like plum pudding, but an interesting post.
Im looking forward to a pudding this Christmas - it won't be home made thought. Great post, especially the postcard at the start.
I love old recipes, and I get a kick out of what people used to eat that makes us gag today. I've dug up a few from an old magazine that I'll post shortly.
I should of course have said that I revere Marguerite Patten (in the video) who is the subject of my Sepia Saturday post this week. I’m very glad you chose her video (though the music almost drowned her out).
I made a plum pudding once. It was quite good, but I was told to keep it in the fridge for months and keep giving it a bath of rum or brandy. I just don't have that much space in the fridge, so i haven't done it since. It was quite good though.
Great post. I'm looking forward to my Christmas pudding. The Bavarian Asparagus salad looks revolting!
Stirring and wishing she says...bringing the family together...really nice touch! I made my first Figgy Pudding last year, (and will again this year, but I also was thinking of making Plum pudding as well....and I like the microwave method! very cool post thanks!
Your postcards have brought back some great memories for me!
My great aunt taught me to make Christmas pudding, and it wasn't until I read this that I remembered that she always called it plum pudding. I've tried it in a microwave and for me it never turned out quite the same - too pale.
What great photos those are from those recipes. I'm so hungry now!
Just Reading Your Post Has Gained Me 1000 calories!
Whenever I think of Knox Gelatine I think of tomato aspic and bluish white skim milk. It was served at a women's club luncheon I was once dragged to in the late '60s. I don't believe I've ever bought a box. Don't think even a Christmas pudding would tempt me.
Plum Pudding ... a new holiday tradition for us? I just might have to give this a try. Great post on a holiday tradition I hadn't thought of much before!
Great post on theme, but you forgot to mention that these puddings can be made several months in advance of the holiday. My wife sometimes will store two or three in the cupboard. I think the alcohol can help preserve them for years even.
My Gran's Christmas Pudding ( which was close to the Escoffier version ) still knocks spots off any other recipe I've ever tasted! But I very often only make it a couple of days before Christmas, but boil for 10 hrs, plus another 4 on The Day, for that makes it a deep, rich colour. Yummy!
Christmas puddings are a big tradition in England but not the United States. My only first hand experience was with one that came in a gift package. Pie is more popular here.
Just to let you know that I actually made that microwave pudding of Mrs Patten’s this year, and it worked!
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