Dore and Christmas Pudding Traditions

Pudding History

There are lots of recipes for Christmas Puddings often passed down through families, but you may be surprised to learn that in medieval times in Dore the traditional Christmas 'pudding' was a potage. This was a thick soupy porridge made up of boiled beef or mutton broth, plums and various spices. This evolved into frumenty which was still sloppy, being made of boiled wheat, milk, and spices.

During the time of Oliver Cromwell the eating of Christmas Pudding was declared illegal as being 'too sinfully rich'. Apparently this piece of legislation has never been repealed. It gives a new meaning to 'naughty but nice'.

It wasn't until Victorian times that the more solid Christmas pudding appeared. Mrs Beeton's Cookbook from 1861 has a recipe for a Christmas pudding which is recognisable today. However Mrs Beeton also included two recipes for 'Figgy Pudding'. Plum Pudding or Christmas Pudding is supposed to have 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and the Twelve Disciples.

Figgy Pudding dates from the 14th Century and has far fewer ingredients albeit still luxurious for the times: "Take blanched almonds and finely grind them. Mix with water and wine, quartered figs and whole raisins. Add powdered ginger and clarified honey. Boil well, salt and serve."

Stir–Up Sunday

Going back to Plum Pudding means explaining that 'plums' were raisins and that there was a ritual involved in the making of the pudding. On Stir–Up Sunday (the first Sunday in Advent — in 2025 this being Sunday 23rd November) all the family were expected to assemble. Each family member stirred the ingredients from East to West mimicking the journey of the Three Wise Men travelling to meet baby Jesus. As they did so they could make a wish for the coming year.

The introduction of silver sixpences to the mix started in Victorian times but must have led to many a cracked tooth. Traditionally whoever found it would have good luck, wealth and happiness in the coming year. It is not a wise thing to do today to our puddings and their potential heating up in a microwave.

Post–war Shortages

The above article appeared in the Derby Daily Telegraph on the 22nd November 1949. As Christmas approached the newspapers carried information from the Ministry of Food to inform housewives of what was available for making their Christmas puddings.

Recipe for Christmas Pudding

On the 10th November the newspaper had printed the recipe for an eggless pudding submitted by a Derby resident. Eggs were rationed to only one egg per person per week. As Dore was in a rural location the local farms and villagers would have had chickens so eggs would have been available off the ration.

Also on the 10th November the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer reported on the front page that mincemeat was scarce and, as can be seen in this Derby Daily Telegraph newspaper extract from the 6th of December, supplies of sultanas, raisins and currants were running out and housewives were asked to consider chopping up prunes, dates and figs as a substitute in their Christmas recipes.

Post–war Christmas Food Shopping

Our Dore source has her mother's order book for O.H King, grocer and greengrocer of 172 Baslow Road. Here is the page with the order placed on December 19th 1949 and delivered on December 23rd. People grew vegetables in their back gardens and so these are the rationed items for Christmas. Meat was obtained separately from the butcher. You will see on the Christmas order mincemeat was annotated with a question mark and was relatively expensive at 1/6. (One shilling and sixpence in pre-decimal money)

Our source remembers that the late 1940s were very difficult, even though the war had ended. Rationing did not finish until 1953/4. The prudent housewife would have been on the lookout for raisins and currants throughout the year in readiness for making the puddings, cake and mince pies. During the war years carrots, potatoes and other root vegetables were used in the recipe. Carrots figured in many wartime recipes.

Certainly in Dore there are many families who remember and still create home produced Christmas Pudding, Christmas Cake and Mince Pies, the latter of which have in their name the ingredient reference to the meat–based origin of the first Christmas potage.