Now is the time to learn how to use the oven’s initial and afterheat as well as the convection function, which allows Christmas dishes to be baked even on top of each other.
There is no need to leave the Christmas ham unbaked to save electricity, because once baked, there is enough food for several days. Adobe Stock/AOP
Quite a few of the familiar Christmas dishes are prepared in the oven. The oven bakes Christmas tarts, peppers, Christmas cakes, ham, turkey as well as boxes.
This Christmas, you should devote more time than usual to planning the Christmas menu, because you need to carefully heat up the oven. We put together 10 tips for saving electricity.
1. Plan
Christmas preparations start from thinking about the whole. Think about how you should build your own Christmas table this year, so that it is delicious, but durable and affordable.
Would there be a place on the Christmas table this Christmas, for example, for a new, plant-based dish? Various salads or marinated lentils are suitable for the Christmas table, for example.
2. Fry a lot at once
You should prepare several foods or pastries with one heating of the oven. Savory dishes, such as Christmas boxes, can even be placed in the oven one on top of the other if the oven has a convection function.
Cake pans should be fitted to the oven before heating. You can often bake several cakes in parallel in the oven. When one batch is ready, immediately put the next one in the oven.
3. Create new traditions
Now is a good time to create new traditions as well. For example, organize a Christmas baking day together with relatives, friends or neighbors.
In a joint baking day, a lot can be prepared with the same heating, and the workload is also divided between several people, which eases the Christmas stress.
4. Make use of initial and residual heat
For salty foods, such as Christmas boxes or meat, it is definitely worth using the oven’s initial and secondary heat.
So you can put the food in the oven as soon as the oven clicks on and, accordingly, you can turn the oven off shortly before the cooked food is to be taken out of the oven.
In baking, baking times and temperatures are more important, so the tip is only suitable for cooking.
5. Engrave and acid cook
The Christmas table also includes many delicacies that do not require an oven. For example, many fish delicacies are created without an oven by grilling or acid cooking.
So, this Christmas, for example, favor various herrings, herrings, grayling fish and roe delicacies.
6. Think about the appropriate size of the ham
Would a slightly smaller ham be enough this year? However, the most important thing, regardless of the size of the ham, is that it does not go to food waste.
Even a large ham is allowed, as long as it is used up to the last piece, for example in pasta dishes, pea soup and pizza after the Christmas holidays.
7. Use the recirculation function
Using the recirculation function, the temperature of the oven is 15 degrees lower than with top and bottom heat.
8. Prepare in an airfryer
A small ham is conveniently prepared in an airfryer, which uses less electricity than an oven. In the Airfryer, the ham is baked at 100–120 degrees and the icing is made at 180 degrees.
9. Do not put cold meat in the oven
Meat, whether it’s ham, turkey or roast, should be taken out of the refrigerator well in advance to room temperature before putting it in the oven.
The internal temperature of the ham should be 15 degrees when put in the oven. Always remember to use a meat thermometer.
10. Try non-electric cooking methods
If you have a baking oven in your household, you should learn how to use it now at the latest. Christmas dishes made in the oven have their own magic.
Charcoal grilling is also great in winter: this is how you prepare Christmas ham on the grill, like Sirly Ylläsjärvi. Also prefer flaming or smoking, if only the possibilities are found.
Marttoten’s development manager has been interviewed for the story Emmi Tuovi and HKScan Finland’s marketing director Mikko from Järvi.