My Gran's Christmas Cupboard

This thread has reminded me that I have a mould to make sugar mice. I need to make some for the DGC.

And Baileys, as it was sold at a good price.

Hiya fellow cupboarders, I now have a small stash of Xmas goodies thanks to this thread, tho DP and me stole a box of Sainsbury mince pies from it the other day to have a couple of them warmed (20 secs in the micro) with mid morning coffee.
2nets of walnuts, Choc biscuits, biscuits for cheese, mince pies,
Xmas pud, and some luxury fruit and nut nougat slices.

I remember the smell of fruit bought for Christmas and stored under the stairs in the hall. Pretty much apples, oranges and tangerines, seems odd in these days of plenty!

We used to have Mathers black beer and lemonade it was called a Sheffield perhaps someone on here knows why .

I actually found some Newberry fruits when I was out shopping yesterday, I haven’t seen them for years, but I thought I’d add them to my stash.

I bought my chocolate liquors the other day I love them only at Christmas though. It’s funny how these little treats just taste that extra special at Christmas.

Lovely memories! My Christmas cupboard (top shelf in wardrobe) is now most definitely going to include marzipan fruits and orange and lemon slices, possibly a box of chocolate liqueurs!

Oooh yes. Cheese!

Our special treats are handmade chocolates from a chocolatier near us who supplies F&M and Harrods.

I love sticky sweet dates, nuts and and really good Cox apples. Plus of course a cheese board of favourite cheeses.

I didn’t have grandparents, but when I had young children and money was tight I would start making mince pies, sausage rolls, a chocolate log, and a Christmas cake in the last month before Dec, 24th.
An extra treat went in the grocery shop each week from November, things like Shortbread shapes, lemon and orange jelly slices, hollow chocolate Father Christmases, hanging tree chocolates, sticky dates, Matchmakers (mint choc only then), chocolate coins in little nets, small bottle of rum for rum sauce on Christmas Day, table crackers, and Christmas paper napkins.

I've started filling a box with a tub of Roses, Christmas biscuits, newberry fruits some chocolates and savoury cheese snacks.
I use to love the ham in a tin with all the jelly but it's to salty now for me. Drink I've got so many bottles in the cupboard I'm going to have to regift them lol.

Freya and IamMaz - were they actually figs or were they persimmon?

I’ve bought 5 various tins (plastic boxes really) of Roses, Heroes, celebrations and Quality street for each of my children’s families and for the lovely staff at my mum’s residential home. I had to ask my husband to put them in the loft otherwise I’d be too tempted.

One granny lived in Ireland and the other lived nearby but was not a very homely sort of person and we were never invited to her house at Christmas. She always managed to invite herself to someone else’s house so she was waited on.

My Mum and Dad never had much money but made it go a long way. Mum made her own wonderful xmas cakes, sausage rolls and mince pies and trifle. She was a great cook. Dad grew all the veg we ate so it was all as fresh as you can get …. Potatoes, carrots, leeks, cabbage, cauliflower, parsley for homemade stuffing etc.

I am racking my brains to think of treats Mum bought in but all I can remember is maybe a box of fruit jellies. My Dad used to buy some monkey nuts and usually made us some fudge or toffee. There just wasn’t any money left over for treats but we always had the best Christmas food because it was all homemade.

I am loving this thread!
Thank you all for your memories

IamMaz

I loved Batgers Chinese Figs! In an octagonal red and black box.
Sadly I don’t think you can get them any more…

No you can't, unfortunately. They were discontinued in 2000.

I have tried to buy in advance, to put away but one year months after Christmas I found 2 tins of sweets I had hidden from the kids and forgot all about them.

Yes I lived with my grandparents and remember all these traditional goodies. Not much of a treat for me as I don’t like most of them especially the dates, mince pies, fruit cakes and jellies. We only buy a few things such as chocolates and a big tin of biscuits. If our grandchildren are with us they prefer crisps, olives, nuts and salami! There’s no stocking up for me. I just buy everything a few days beforehand, having put money aside since the Summer.

My G'ma used to ask my Mum to look after the Christmas chocolates as she would be too tempted if they were in her house.
Of course we weren't tempted at all and never ever had to buy a replacement box (or sometimes two) in a hurry !!! can I uncross my fingers now?

I don't remember a gradual accumulation of Christmas things at all.
I do remember the quantity of everything seemed enormous though.

I never knew my gradparents, all dead before I was borm. Mum used to squirrel stuff away and had a christmas savings account at the co-op, which guaranteed that she could afford nice food

I was the one who had the christmas cupboard, I remember making sugar mice

This is such a lovely comforting thread. Many of the treats mentioned, my mum would buy. Wow betide us if we opened them!

My grans hidden stacks for Christmas included rum butter for the pudding ,home made pudding and Christmas cake fed with Navy rum,also Grasmere gingerbread. Cumberland sauce and a big joint of ham that seemed to boil all day.
One also made her own wine that tasted like port from a reedy plant she called a Burnett we helped her pick them in the late summer. Crab apple jelly,pickled onions and pickled red cabbage all to accompany the Christmas roast and cold ham.
Then like others the Newberry fruits,boxes of dates with a fork sugared orange and lemon slices and a special Irish brand of chocolate Brazil nuts.Also non alcholic wine for the children they called raisin wine that they seemed to buy from the chemist.
My mums was much the same only the spare bedroom was full of Christmas cakes that she made and decorated for all the extended family, I hate the smell and taste of Christmas cake I think because it permeated the house from October onwards.

My mum had her Christmas cupboard where she would put a special treat each week from October onwards. It was locked so we children weren't tempted to raid it.