Cook's countdown

One year before

It's the ideal time for post-christmas shopping like wrapping paper and decorations.
Gather ideas for the next Christmas.

Six to three months before

Set up a budget, a rough guest list and work out your Christmas menu. Write a list of what you'll need to buy.
Get your kitchen ready. Buy any equipment you may need. Check your cupboards to make sure you'll have enough serving dishes, plates, glasses, cutlery and a big roasting tin.
You can prepare your cakes and puddings well in advance if you store them properly.
To do so, wrap them in greaseproof paper, then in a plastic wrap and store them in the refigerator or in a dark and cool place (under the bed of an unused room in the perfect place).
In fact, a long storage will give flavors time to devellop. Christmas cakes can be store up to 3 months in advance and puddings up to 6 weeks. You can also froze them for up to 12 months.
It's a good time to buy in season's fruits to make liqueur fruits for Christmas day or for ginving as gifts. You can keep bottled liqueurs for up to 6 months.

One month before

Stock up on wines and soft drinks. Start buying what you want to serve with your lunch. Take advantage of any special offers.
Order hams and turkeys. Count numbers for lunch so you can buy the right size bird. As a general rule a 7kg ham will feed 20 people and a a good size of turkey for the family is 6kg, which will serve 8 people with plenty of left over when served with all the vegetables and stuff.
Make your mincemeat for mince pies as it matures in a month.
Plan your table settings. Finish any last minute decorating projects.
Prepare jams, pickles and chutneys for stocking you pantry and for giving as gifts.

One week before

Check that you have choppings boards and a sharpened carving knife and fork. Make sure your baking dish is large enough otherwise you can buy disposable ones.
Prepare the shopping list and buy all the non-perishable food. Don't forget the napkins, tablecloths, candles and toothpicks.
Ice the Christmas cakes.
Prepare your jams, curds, cholocates and fudges.
Make your gingerbreads house, mince pies, shortbread, biscotti, panettone, panforte, etc. And keep them well sealed in an airtight container.
Christmas goodies can be made ahead and then frozen or left well sealed untiready to use.
Decorate the house. Get ou the gralands, wreaths and candles.

Three days before

Make a last-minute poudding
If you haven't yet made a Christmas pudding, see our delicious recipes on 'the puddings page'.
Ice the Christmas cakes.
Prepare your jams, curds, cholocates and fudges.
Make your gingerbreads house, mince pies, shortbread, biscotti, panettone, panforte, etc. And keep them well sealed in an airtight container.
Christmas goodies can be made ahead and then frozen or left well sealed untiready to use.

Two days before

Plan the menu : try to choose a desert, starter or side dish that can be prepared a couple of days ahead and then stored in the fridge.
When planning a buffet, arrange the cutlery in napkins and place them in a decorated basket.
Make sure your serving dishes are clean, polished and of a suitable size.
Fill up your sugar bowls, salt and pepper shakers.
Defrosting a large turkey can take up to 3 days. Do it now for all what needs to be defrosten. Make sure to remove the liquid while thawing and cover with a plastic wrap.

One day before

Set the table. Prepare your Christmas table so that all you have to do it light the candles. Iron the tablecolth, fold the napkins, put the candles in holders, arrange a coffee tray with liqueur or brandy glasses and lay out decoration. See our 'table setting ideas'.
Buy your fresh produce. Check supplies of fruit, vegetables, milk, bread, seafood and fresh flowers. Go out and get it over very early.
Check your supplies in coffee, butter and garbage bags.
Make stuffing and store them in the fridge.
Make your custards, dessert sauces or pavlova.
This is a good time to to stock up the fridge with drinks like wine, Champagne, mineral water and various children's drinks ready for the celebration.
Plan what to cook when according to recipes' cooking times.

Christmas Day

This is for lunch at 2pm.
7.30am - Pre-heat the oven and prepare your turkey by stuffing it, etc. according to the recipe.
8.15am - Put the turkey in the oven. Begin to peel and chop the vegetables.
Now you have time to open presents and have breakfast with the family.
12pm - Put serving dishes, dinners plates and a large turkey plate in to the oven or somewhere warm.
12.30pm - Vegetables to be roasted should be placed in the oven.
1.15pm - Add the other vegetables.
1.30pm - It's time for the turkey to come out to rest on the serving plate. Wrap tightly in tinfoil to keep warm (up to 45 minutes).
Vegetables that don't take long to cook should be added while the roast is resting.
Start to reheat the pudding (see the related pudding section for reheating instructions).
Arrange the turkey with the garniture.
Gently reheat cooked vegetables then transfer to warmed dishes. Keep warm
Time off! Have a glass of Champagne with everyone else.
2pm - Sit down to Christmas dinner!
At the appropriate moment after the main course, remove the pudding from heat and turn out on a warm plate. Serve the pudding with the sauce.

Bakery and confectionery industry - machinery and equipment
Bakery ovens
Beverage industry - machinery and equipment
Brewing - machinery and equipment
Butchery - machinery and equipment
Cheese-making machinery
Cold cuts and prepared meats - machinery and equipment
Dairies - machinery and equipment
Dough mixers for bread- and pastry-making
Flour milling - machinery and equipment
Food canning and preserving - machinery and equipment
Food industry - machinery and equipment
Ham-slicers for butchers and delicatessens
Meats - butchery and delicatessen - machinery and equipment
Pastry-making - machinery and equipment
Tobacco industry - machinery and equipment