Stir-Up Sunday

It's Stir-Up Sunday! 

Traditionally, the last Sunday before Advent is the day when Christmas Puddings should be made. It then gives the pudding time to mature for Christmas Day. The dating of Advent varies a little from year to year, it can fall anytime between November 20th and 26th. This year it's today. 

As recipes go, the Christmas Pudding is pretty flexible EXCEPT that it should, by tradition, have 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and the 12 disciples. These can include raisins, currants, suet, brown sugar, breadcrumbs, apple, figs, lemon peel, carrots, orange peel, flour, mixed spices, plums, almonds, eggs and milk. Oh, and plenty of brandy. Then more brandy is poured over the pudding and set alight before serving. The flaming brandy is said to represent the passion of Christ. 

On Stir-Up Sunday, you should mix the ingredients together with a wooden spoon (representing the manger) and stir anti-clockwise - from east to west – to symbolise the journey taken by the three wise men. Traditionally, every family member should stir the pudding three times and make a wish.

The Christmas pudding originated in the 14th-century as a sort of porridge called frumenty, which was made from wheat boiled in milk and seasoned with cinnamon and saffron. It was associated with meatless days, such as lent and advent, and was often served as a plain dish. As time went one, things like beef, mutton, raisins, currants, prunes and spices were added. A 14th century recipe for 'Figgy Pudding' describes it like this: 

Take almaundes blanched, grynde hem and draw hem up with water and wyne: quarter fygur, hole raisouns. cast perto powdour gyngur and hony clarified, seeth it well & salt it, and serue forth. 

This was a meal in its own right - not a pudding and, as time went on (as with mince pies) other ingredients - including meats like beef and lamb - were added. In the 17th-century it began to be thickened with eggs and breadcrumbs, and beer or spirits were added. Then the Victorians turned the recipe into something we'd recognise today.

Here are a couple of Victorian recipes for you:

   

Have a good Stir-Up!