Steaming a Christmas pudding

I use my largest saucepan and fill it so that the water comes half the way up the pudding basin, keeping an eye on the water level while the pudding is steaming and adding more boiling water as and when it is needed.

If you have a glass lid from a preserving jar or a saucer you are not particularly fond of, pop it in the bottom of the pot for the pudding basin to stand on.

This was the way my grandmother steamed her puddings, and it has always worked for me. My great-aunt steamed meat-loaf in a stone jar in the same fashion - it tastes great, and if the saucepan is large enough you can boil the vegetables in the water for the last half-hour, or so.

Do you have a slow cooker? I steamed mine in the slow cooker for 8 hours before letting it go cold prior to storing.
Saves steaming up the kitchen and takes no watching for boiling dry. (I just top up the water level occasionally). Have done my puddings like this for the last few years and they’re delicious.

I'm not sure what you mean by a steamer. Can you not just do it in a saucepan? It's years since I steamed mine in a pan anyway. I either do it in the oven or in my slow cooker.

To oven steam, I stand the pud on an upturned ovenproof saucer or similar in a roasting dish. I then make a 'tent' out of foil, leaving a gap to pour in boiling water to two thirds full. Then I close up the foil and very carefully transfer it all to the oven on a low heat. I check it after a few hours to make sure it hasn't run dry, topping up if necessary.

Nowadays, though, I simply pop it in my slow cooker for the appropriate amount of time. That means it doesn't need to be attended at all.

I use an old upturned saucer in bottom of large saucepan for big pudding, and the three little ones I line up in my “fish kettle” and put it over two gas thingys on top of range.

I also cook Christmas puds in slow cooker

I am thinking of using the slow cooker. In fact, I must get off here and get on with it otherwise it will still be slow cooking at 2 am.

I used to use a pressure cooker without putting the weights on the top.

I do mine in the pressure cooker too

I just do mine in a big saucepan with boiling water halfway up, like a pp. It's always worked fine. You need to be on the spot for a lot of topping up, though.
For the past few years I haven't bothered to re-boil on the day - takes up too much room on the hob - just 2 lots of 5 mins in the microwave, while it's still in the basin.

I like the sound of that Witzend ..... the microwave I mean

This one is like mine, only mine is not so posh because I bought it in a pound shop years ago. www.amazon.co.uk/Judge-Multi-Steamer-Insert-Silver/dp/B00140SJ5I/ref=sr_1_23?s=kitchen&keywords=steamers+for+cooking&tag=gransnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1542987344&sr=1-23

I do one of mine using the steamer and the other one in a saucepan with boiling water. They come out the same but the steamer doesn't take so much topping up.

Done! Two slow cooking, with a little one (the taster) steaming away in the old pressure cooker.
Now I'll have to stay up until about midnight to make sure the water stays topped up.

If we're at home, I put it in the slow cooker again on the day, Witzend, somewhere out of the way of the rest of the cooking.

Great replies - thanks! I do have a slow cooker but I don't think it's tall enough to take this 3 pint pudding. Why didn't I make 2 smaller ones? I can't use the oven as the puddings are in plastic bowls with lids. Jalima1108, you made me laugh.

I cook mine in my microwave, start with 6 minutes and do extra minutes if necessary. For a three pounder, probably 8 or 9 minutes.

Has nobody heard of those new fangled things called microwave ovens?

Upturned saucer, water halfway up bowl and keep topping up.

Just use a saucepan, its easy.
also cover the top with greaseproof paper before the foil, remember that we got rid of our aluminium saucepans as they cause dementia well Aluminium foil does the same if it touches the food - leaves a strange taste too..
Microwaves explode the molecules in any food and destroy any nutrition, so a waste of effort.

Heavens to Murgatroyd! Microwave….

i buy mine ready made. Problem solved. lol

I also use a slow cooker, both for cooking and then in Christmas Day for reheating. Just plug it in in a corner somewhere, even in the garage. Doesn't need watching, doesn't take up space on the hob, just remember to turn it on at least two hours ahead of when you need it.

I used to use a Slow cooker but found that the puddings were too cooked and had little body. Now I place the pudding bowl in simmering water in a pan over a low heat on the hob for 2and half to 3 hours. Perfect and with a lid on the pan not much steam and it does not need topping up. On the day invert over a serving plate and a couple of minutes in the microwave the pudding drops onto the plate ready too eat. You could to do it from scratch on the day and it would taste just as good covered with flaming brandy.

That's the way we do it, too. Same with Steak and kidney pudding - never so much as thought of buying a steamer except maybe for Chinese meals!

I use my slow cooker to steam my Christmas puddings. This means no steamy kitchen and they come out perfect .