Christmas tips

Christmas means extra people and extra food; use our tips to help you make the most of the food you buy over the period.

• Keep your cauli fresh

  Submitted by Helyn Douglas, Northumberland

  Covering your cauli - either with it's own leaves or a plastic bag - stops it going brown. So buy caulis with all their leaves still on and leave them on - it'll keep for longer.

• Lighten up your Christmas pudding

  Submitted by John Cumberland, Liverpool

  Chrismas pudding - if yours comes out like a solid lump don't despair. Put the heavy pudding into a larger bowl and cut it up so that you get a lot of air into it. Crumble it if you can. Replace it into the original bowl. Microwave it. It heats up very quickly because the fruit conducts the microwave energy quicker than you might think. What might have been a solid lump will now be the lightest Christmas pudding you have ever eaten. Don't foget to add a tablespoon of brandy over the piping hot pud and the same goes for the hot custard sauce. Enjoy.

• Salmon and eggs

  Add leftover smoked salmon to scrambled eggs and pile onto toasted muffins or toast.

• Who said potatoes don’t freeze?

  They’re guaranteed to be crispy and golden if you parboil and freeze them for later. Just thaw in the fridge and roast.

• Bread crumbs

  Submitted by Mary Dawe, Worcestershire

  If you have bread going stale, make bread crumbs and freeze ready for the next time you make stuffing or bread sauce.

• Lots of carrots?

  Submitted by Sheila Wilmac, Porthcawl

  Scrape/peel, top and tail the carrots, but don't put them into water. Slice into rings, pop into a plastic bag and freeze. They can be cooked from frozen. When you take them out of the freezer, give them a little knock and they will loosen. Great!

• Leftover Bubble and Squeak

  Submitted by Jo, Essex

  If after Christmas or at the weekend you are left with spare Brussels sprouts and roast or boiled potatoes, simply chop and fry together in a pan with some butter for a thrify bubble and squeak.

• emergency cold storage

  Submitted by Mags, Surrey, surrey

  when my bargain conscious husband turned up on Christmas eve with arms full of reduced items, I was reduced to keeping some food in the CAR in the drive.....Vegetables,eggs, drinks etc were fine!

• Cream

  Whip any leftover cream before you freeze it to stop it from becoming grainy when it’s thawed.

• Cooling Stock

  Submitted by Natalia, Winchester

  Chicken stock can take a long time to be cool enough to go into the fridge. In winter I place the stock pan outside the back door to let it cool down over night before giving it a last blast in the morning and decanting it to the fridge or freezer. This means it can be on a very low simmer right up until I go to bed!