Experts give the date you should be buying your Christmas dinner ingredients

Shopping for Christmas dinner ingredients can be a nightmare – and because of that a lot of us will want to get it out of the way as soon as we can.

However, with the many different ingredients that all seem to require different ways of storing and cooking, it can get a bit complicated. Fortunately, experts have revealed all the necessary tips to make the task easier.

Sarah Taylor, food hygiene expert at High Speed Training, has explained when we should buy our Christmas dinner ingredients as well as how to store them and prepare them for the big meal.

Starting off with the main event – Turkey. Sarah shared that if your bird is bought frozen, you can collect and freeze it at any time, but if it’s fresh, the best thing to do is collect and refrigerate it a week before Christmas.

She said: “If you’ve bought a frozen turkey, make sure it remains frozen until the final run down to Christmas day. At this point you’ll want to begin the defrosting process by moving it to the fridge.

“You should allow approximately eight hours per key to defrost in the fridge. Aim to have your bird defrosted by the 23rd to ensure that when you actually begin cooking, there are no frozen parts that have not yet defrosted.

“If you’re defrosting at room temperature, allow three hours per kg, and ensure that you work backwards from Christmas day to ensure it’s fully defrosted.”

In regards to vegetables, the food hygiene expert advises buying green vegetables no more than a week before Christmas – and says root vegetables can be bought at any time. Leafy vegetables are best stored in the fridge as well as some root ones – including carrots and parsnips – to “keep them fresh and crunchy.”

For turnips, squashes, suedes or onions, she said: “Store them in a cool, dry place, such as a cupboard or a pantry. Remove them from their packaging to prevent premature ripening, and if possible, avoid storing them alongside other veg.”

What’s a Christmas dinner without pigs in blankets? If you plan to buy frozen ones they can be bought anytime before Christmas, but if you’re buying fresh ones, they should be purchased no more than a week before the dinner.

Sarah said: “If you’re buying fresh pigs in blankets or making your own, it’s best to buy the ingredients no more than a week before the meal. Keep the packaging sealed to ensure they remain fresh, and keep them refrigerated at all times. Make sure to check the use by dates before purchasing and choose the products with the longest remaining shelf life.”

And, of course, the precious roasties… well potatoes can be bought anytime before Christmas. Any that are stored properly can even last into the new year as well, according to the expert.