Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-02-26
GIANT PLUM PUDDINGs.
some ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT Were
Baked in England to supply
Whole Parishes


Plum pudding is as closely associated
with an English Christmas as the holly
and mistletoe. No Christmas dinner
would be compete without it.
Occasionally we read of monster
plum buildings large enough to feed
an entire parish. In the village of
Paignton, in Devonshire, the old char
ter provided that on each fftieth
Christmas day the village should pro-
vide a plum pudding large enough to
feed all the poor, says the New York
Sun.
In accordance with the provisions of
that charter on the first Christmas of
the nineteenth century pudding was
made which weighed 500 pounds. The
ingredients included more than a
busheI of eggs, 100 pounds of suet,
like weight of raisins, and 500 pounds
of flour.
Such monster pudding required a,
good deal of boiling, and a large brew
ing copper was utilized for that pur-
pose. 1t was kept boiling from Sa tur-
day morning to Tuesday evening, and
when those in charge thought it suf-
fciently cooked it was drawn by three
horses to the village green, and there
served out to the people, not only to
the poor. but to every person who
liked to participate. Unfortunately, it
had not been boiled long enough, for
the heat had not penetrated to the
center of the vast mass.
few years later there was mon
ster pudding made in Southwark, then
1ha
pudding was carried through the
streets in procession, headed by
band, playing alternately Christmas
music and popular tunes.
In 1858 the village of Paignton was
connected with civilization by means
of a railroadand; TO celebrate the event,
the people, remembering the ord char
ter, thought well to have a monster
pudding as part of the festivities. The
preparations cost 1925, the ingredients
considerably more.
These consisted of 600 pounds of
flour, 400 pounds of raisins, 100 pounds
of currants, 400 pounds of suet, 191
pounds of breadcrumbs, 95 pounds of
sugar, 300 lemons, IA nutmegs and 800
quarts of milk.
Remembering the previous failure,
the persons who undertook the prep
aration of the pudding de it in parts,
building it up into the usual round
shape after the cooking had been done.
This pudding weighed nearly ton and
a half, and eight horses were employed
to take it to the village green with all
befitting ceremony.
At a church fair held about ten years
ago monster pudding formed part of
the attraction. It was not nearly SO
large as the giants just referred to,
though it stood four feet high and
weighed $50 pounds.
The ingredients consisted of 70
eggs, 50 pounds of flour, currants and
raisins, 81 pounds of sugar, PA pounds
of breadcrumbs. pounds of candied
lemon peel, and two pounds of mixed
spice. This was also boiled in, sections
and erecte d after being cooked.
In some parts of England the pud-
ding eaten on Christmas day is year
old, the good wife making enough pud-
! dings to last over several family cele-
bration days, but reserving one pud-
ding for the following Christmas. If a
genuine English pudding is Boiled long
enough it grows richer with age, hence
| the custom.
Many housekeepers boil the pud-
! dings "a hours, and. then let them cool
until one is wanted, the selected one be-
ing boiled from four to six hours longer
previous to being placed on the table.