rice-sprouts-patties with red cabbage salad and marinated tofu

we already saw the delicious sauces from stars & rice on other german blogs and got curious. so when stars & rice asked us, if we want to test their sauces, we were really happy. as a photographer and stylist the first thing, that we do, is look at the package and that was already very convincing. so the next step was the taste and it was really good!!

as we cook a lot it´s actually quite nice to have an ingredient, which is ready to eat and makes every dish even more special.

you can get their sauces in many different flavours and i´m very sure, that we gonna taste the salted caramel one too :)

for this recipe we used their mango-chilli-sauce, which was a perfect combination with the tofu! as we used soy sauce and tofu this recipe is not low on histamine, but as usual it´s glutenfree of course. 

you already know, that we are all over into christmas this year, so we included red cabbage in the recipe, a very typical "christmas-food" in germany. we hope you enjoy it and have a good start to the new week!

ingredients for 4 persons:

rice-patties

125g brown rice & wild rice

1-2 tbsp sprouts

2 eggs

1 el rice flour

olive oil

salt

(cooking ring plus pusher ca. 7-8cm ø)

red cabbage-salad

300g red cabbagel

60g apple

2 tbsp apple juice (or a squeeze of lemon juice)

1-2 tbsp olve oil

1 dash of sugar

1 dash of salt

tofu

200g tofu

3-4 el soy sauce 

1-2 el liquid honey

2 el black sesame

red-cabbage-salat

cut the red rabbage into very thin slices, spread some salt on it and knead the cabbage for 2-3 min with your hands. add apple juice, olive oil, sugar and little chopped apple-pieces and mix everything. allow to infuse the dressing 1 hour before you eat the salad.

rice-patties

prepare rice as said on packing instructions, then let cool off. mix eggs, rice flour, sprouts and salt with the rice. heat some olive oil in a pan and create small rice-patties with the cooking ring and pusher - about one heaped spoonful each pattie. fry from both sides until starting to turn brown.

tofu

mix soy sauce, honey and sesame. cut tofu into squared pieces, place into a soup dish and marinade with the sauce for about 20min. heat a pan and fry the tofu with all the remaining sauce until the sauce starts to caramelize.

german translation

die saucen von stars & rice haben wir jetzt schon auf einigen deutschen blogs entdeckt und sind gleich neugierig gewesen. um so mehr haben wir uns gefreut, als uns stars & rice gefragt hat, ob wir ein paar ihrer saucen probieren möchten. als fotografin und stylistin wandert der erste blick unweigerlich auf die verpackung und die fanden wir schon mal ziemlich überzeugend! der nächste schritt war natürlich eine kostprobe und es war wirklich richtig gut!! da wir wirklich viel selber kochen, ist es hin und wieder wirklich schön eine zutat zu haben, die man nicht noch vorbereiten und kochen muss, sondern die man direkt essen kann und jedes gericht noch ein bisschen besonderer werden lässt.

die stars & rice saucen gibt es in vielen verschiedenen geschmacksrichtungen und ich bin mir sicher, die sauce mit gesalzenem karamell werden wir auch noch probieren :)

für dieses rezept haben wir die mango-chilli-sauce verwendet, was wunderbar mit dem gebratenem tofu harmoniert hat. da wir in diesem rezept mit sojasauce und tofu gekocht haben, ist es nicht histaminarm, dafür aber wie gewohnt natürlich glutenfrei.

wir ihr mittlerweile ja vielleicht schon gemerkt habt, sind wir etwas weihnachtsverrückt, eine weihnachtliche zutat musste also unbedingt integriert werden, in diesem fall der rotkohl. wir hoffen ihr lasst es euch schmecken und habt einen guten start in die neue woche!

zutaten für 4 Personen:

reis-patties

125g naturreis & wildreis gemischt 

1-2 el sprossen

2 eier

1 el reismehl

olivenöl

salz

(servierring mit stampfer ca. 7-8cm ø)

rotkohl-salat

300g rotkohl

60g apfel

2 el apfelsaft (oder 1-2 el zitronensaft)

1-2 el olivenöl

1 prise zucker

1 prise salz

tofu

200g tofu

3-4 el sojasauce 

1-2 el honig

2 el schwarzer sesam

rotkohl-salat

rotkohl in dünne scheiben schneiden, etwas salz dazugeben und den rotkohl mit den händen 2-3min kneten. olivenöl, apfelsaft, zucker und kleingeschnittenen apfel dazugeben und untermischen. mindestens 1 stunde ziehen lassen.

reis-patties

reis nach verpackungsanleitung zubereiten, abkühlen lassen. eier, mehl, sprossen und salz mit dem reis verrühren. etwas olivenöl in einer pfanne erwärmen und mit hilfe des servierrings kleine patties portionieren (etwa 1 gehäuften el pro pattie). knuspig von beiden seiten anbraten.

tofu

sojasauce, honig und sesam verrühren. tofu in flache quadrate schneiden und für 20min in einem flachen teller mit der sauce marinieren. eine pfanne erhitzen und die tofu-filets von beiden seiten anbraten bis die sauce karamellisiert.

The 14 Food Ingredients that must now be Declared as Allergens on Food Labelling

The Food Information Regulations are changing and new rules come into force on 13 December 2014.

This requires food businesses providing non-prepacked food e.g. restaurants, delis, canteens, takeaways, cafes, retail outlets etc., to indicate to consumers the use of any of the 14 allergenic ingredients listed below that are used in the production or preparation of food.

The new EU food labeling rules, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in 2011 (Food Information for Consumers Regulation), are claimed to ensure that consumers receive clearer, more comprehensive and accurate information on food content and help them make informed choices about what they eat.

The basic principles of food labelling remain the same in providing safe food which is honestly described and presented continue and the following information is still required on prepacked food labelling: 

• A true name or description of the food 
• The ingredients it contains, in descending weight order
• How it should be handled, stored, cooked or prepared 
• Who manufactured, packed or imported it 
• Origin information if its absence would mislead 
• Allergenic ingredients identified on the label 
• Specific information declaring whether the food is irradiated or contains genetically modified material or aspartame, high caffeine, sweeteners, packaging gases, phytosterols etc. 
• Net quantity in grams, kilograms, litres or centilitres (or abbreviations thereof)
• Alcoholic strength where there is more than 1.2% alcohol by volume (alcohol x%vol.) 

The new regulations replace the current food labelling requirements and introduce new ones including:

• Minimum font size on labels
• Mandatory nutrition labelling
• A clearer indication of allergens in the ingredients list and the need to be able to tell consumers about allergen contents in non-packaged food
• Extension to the rules for country of origin labelling.

The 14 Food Ingredients that now must be Declared as Allergens in the EU are:

1. Cereals containing Gluten namely: wheat (such as spelt and khorasan wheat), rye, barley, oats or their hybridised strains, and products thereof, except:

(a) wheat based glucose syrups including dextrose
(b) wheat based maltodextrins
(c) glucose syrups based on barley
(d) cereals used for making alcoholic distillates including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin

Paper wrapped Labels are ideal for freshly baked breads

2. Crustaceans and products thereof

3. Eggs and products thereof

4. Fish and products thereof, except:

(a) fish gelatine used as carrier for vitamin or carotenoid preparations
(b) fish gelatine or Isinglass used as fining agent in beer and wine

5. Peanuts and products thereof

6. Soybeans and products thereof, except:

(a) fully refined soybean oil and fat
(b) natural mixed tocopherols (E306), natural D-alpha tocopherol, natural D-alpha tocopherol acetate, and natural D-alpha tocopherol succinate from soybean sources
(c) vegetable oils derived phytosterols and phytosterol esters from soybean sources
(d) plant stanol ester produced from vegetable oil sterols from soybean sources

7. Milk and products thereof (including lactose), except:

(a) whey used for making alcoholic distillates including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin
(b) lactitol

8. Nuts namely: Almonds (Amygdalus communis L.), Hazelnuts (Corylus avellana), Walnuts (Juglans regia), Cashews (Anacardium occidentale), Pecan Nuts (Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch), Brazil Nuts (Bertholletia excelsa), Pistachio Nuts (Pistacia vera), Macadamia or Queensland Nuts (Macadamia ternifolia), and products thereof, except for nuts used for making alcoholic distillates including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin.

9. Celery and products thereof

10. Mustard and products thereof

11. Sesame Seeds and products thereof

12. Sulphur dioxide and Sulphites at concentrations of more than 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre in terms of the total SO2 which are to be calculated for products as proposed ready for consumption or as reconstituted according to the instructions of the manufacturers

13. Lupin and products thereof (lupin flour is used quite widely in bread, cakes and pastries)

14. Molluscs and products thereof

These 14 specified allergenic ingredients must be declared in foods. 

Other ingredients to which some people may have an allergy or intolerance do not need to be declared, although the information should be provided voluntarily.

Owners/Managers of Food premises need to make all staff aware of the 14 allergenic ingredients and put a system in place to identify and record the allergenic ingredients being received and handled by the food business to enable you to meet the food allergen declaration requirements.

For further information on Allergens in food production and much more, go to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland website at www.fsai.ie/faq/allergens.html and Follow them on Twitter @FSAIinfo

Zack

My Easy to Make Christmas Pudding and Brandy Custard

Hi!

Christmas pudding is also known as plum pudding because of the abundance of prunes in it! This rich tasty pudding is boiled or steamed, made of a mixture of fresh or dried fruit, nuts and suet (beef or mutton fat). Vegetarian suet may also be used.

This pudding is very dark and is saturated with whiskey or brandy, dark beer, or other alcohols. They used to be boiled in a "pudding cloth," but today they are usually made in pudding bowls.

You can't beat a Traditional Christmas Pudding flamed with Irish Whiskey

People have always stirred lucky charms into their Christmas pudding mixture for good luck similar to Halloween Barmbracks.
These were always:
silver coins (for wealth), tiny silver wishbones (for good luck), a silver thimble (for thrift), a gold ring (for marriage) or an anchor (for safe harbour)
and whoever got the lucky serving, would keep the charm!

Ready-made and cooked puddings are now available in the shops but they will never compete with the pleasure that comes with the flavour of your own Christmas Pudding!

Here's my easy to make Christmas Pudding recipe with a whiskey/brandy custard cream too!

My Ingredients:

125g ready-to-eat prunes, chopped

225g raisins

225g currants

225g sultanas

Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

50g chopped almonds

1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and grated

1 medium carrot, peeled and grated

225g demerara sugar

225g suet (I use vegetable suet rather than beef)

125g fresh white breadcrumbs

125g plain flour

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

3 eggs

150ml Stout

1 tbsp black treacle

35ml Irish Whiskey or Brandy

It sounds like a lot of work - but the Christmas Pudding is very easy to make!

My Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.

2. Whisk the eggs, stout, whiskey or brandy and black treacle together and stir into the mixture.

3. Cover and leave to stand overnight in a cool place.

4. Butter three x 600ml pudding bowls and put a circle of grease-proof paper in the base.

5. Pack the mixture into the bowls and smooth the top. Leave about 2.5 cm space to the top of the bowl.

6. Cut a double layer of grease-proof paper into a 30cm circle. Cover each pudding with the paper and tie with string around the edge. Tie another piece of string across the top of the pudding so that it can be easily lifted in and out of the pan.

7. Put the bowls into a heavy-based saucepan (placing an up-turned plate in the bottom of the pot first, to raise the pudding bowls off the bottom of the pot). Pour boiling water around the edge until it comes two-thirds of the way up the sides of the bowls. Cover with a lid and simmer for 3 hours. Top up the pot with boiling water to the starting level every hour.

8. Lift out the puddings after 3 hours and let them cool. Put on a new grease-proof or parchment cover and then cover tightly with foil.

9. Store in a cool dark place until Christmas. The puddings will keep for up to six months.

10. To serve cut into portion sizes and heat in a microwave, on full power, for 1 minute until piping hot. Warm two tablespoons of whiskey or brandy in a small saucepan. Set alight and carefully pour over the pudding. Serve with my flavoured custard cream (see recipe below).

Christmas Pudding with a Brandy Custard Cream!

Brandy Custard Cream

This is a very simple and tasty Christmas cream that I prefer to serve with my Christmas Pudding more than anything else!..

Whip 250ml cream until it holds a figure eight shape and stir it into 250ml of cold custard (you can make this yourself or buy it pre-made). Pour in 35ml (one shot) of Irish Whiskey or brandy and add a pinch of grated nutmeg and stir until smooth.

This can also be served over warmed mince pies for a delightful change to the usual! Enjoy!

Zack

Follow me @IrishFoodGuide on Twitter 

glutenfree little domino cakes with apricot jelly, marzipan, sea salted almonds and pink pepper

first of all we want to announce the winner of our design letters give-away!! it´s julia from chestnut & sage. thanks so much to EVERYONE, who participated!! we would have loved to give it to every single one of you, but the random number generator can only pick one. so congratulations to julia, we will write you a mail today.

but now let´s talk about this delicious recipe. as it´s the second sunday in advent today, we have a special christmas recipe for you. 

we already told you, that we love christmas and it also always reminds me of my mum, who was completely in love with christmas-time. nice memories, that make this time even more special for me. this recipe was inspired by a typical german christmas treat called 'dominostein' - is that common in other countries too?

anyways, the only thing, that misses here is the chocolate, that every 'dominostein' is covered with. the base of this little cake is a glutenfree gingerbread dough, then there is a layer of apricot jelly and on top of that is marzipan, sea salted almonds and pink pepper.  so if you can tolerated almonds and replace the gingerbread seasoning with cinnamon this recipe is even low on histamine. i heard of some people, that even can´t tolerate cinnamon due to a histamine intolerance but i never had problems with it. do you? 

the pink pepper and the sea salted almonds on top of the little cake make it even better that every 'normal' dominostein you had before, so give it a try!

you can also find the recipe on lovely rikke's blog that nordic feeling as she asked us for a guest post a while ago. we met rikke at the vipp flower styling event in copenhagen and love her blog since then. so make sure you take a look and have a good sunday guys!

ingredients for 4 small cakes 

(cooking rings 6,5/7,5cm and a springform pan ca. 18cm ø)

dough:

30g butter

honey

50g sugar

1 egg

100g rice flour

1 tl gingerbread seasoning

1 tl tartan baking powder

1 dash of salt

50g ground almonds

gelee:

200g apricot jelly or jam

3g agar-agar (or another gelling agent)

topping:

100g marzipan (you can buy it already rolled out)

grounded pink pepper

4 little rosmary sprigs

sweet salty almonds:

50g almonds

1 eggwhite

sugar + salt

dough:

preheat oven to 160degrees (fan assisted; or 180degrees top/bottom heat).

melt the butter in a pot, add the honey and sugar and stir until everything is dissolved. let the mixture cool off for a while, put it into a mixing bowl and stir in the egg. mix in a separate bowl rice flour, gingerbread seasoning, tartan baking powder and salt and sieve the flour-mixture to the egg-butter-bowl  (in 3 parts) and stir. then fold in the ground almonds. line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. fill the dough into the springform pan and bake for 25-35min until the dough is done. let cool off about 10min, then take off the cake from the springform pan and let cool down completely on a cooling rack. cut out small circles with the cooking rings and cut the top even. put them back upside down into the cooking rings, place them on an even plate and press the dough a bit down at the sides, so the jelly cannot run down the sides.

apricot-jelly:

mix a bit agar-agar (amount ca. 3g for 250ml liquid - look at the packing instruction ) with the jelly and add a bit water (about 4 tbsp), bring to boil, cook for 1min and spread the jelly carefully into the cooking rings. leave the cakes for at least 1hour in the fridge (the jelly has to be firm), then push the cakes carefully out of the cooking rings.

sweet salty almonds:

preheat the oven to 175degrees top/bottom heat. roast the almonds in a pan from both sides. whisk a bit an eggwhite and toss the almonds in it. line a baking sheet with baking paper and spread some salt and sugar on the paper. place the almonds on it and spread more sugar and salt on top. bake the almonds for 5min and take them off for cooling down.

marzipan-top & decoration:

roll out the marzipan (you can spread a bit icing sugar on your worktop). cut out marzipan-circles with the cooking rings, arrange them on the jelly and press on lightly. sprinkle with some freshly ground pink pepper. top with the sweet salty almonds and a rosmary sprig.

german translation

als erstes möchten wir heute die gewinnerin von unserem design letters give away bekannt geben: es ist julia von chestnut&sage! vielen lieben dank an ALLE, die mitgemacht haben!! wir hätten am liebsten jedem einzelnen von euch ein breakfast-set gegeben. aber der zufallsgenerator kann leider nur einen auswählen, also herzlichen glückwunsch an julia!! wir schreiben dir später eine mail.

aber nun zum heutigen rezept. da es der zweite advent ist, haben wir ein schönes weihnachtliches rezept für euch. wir haben ja bereits im letzten post geschrieben, wie sehr wir weihnachten lieben und außerdem erinnert es mich immer an meine mutter, die weihnachten über alles geliebt hat. schöne erinnerungen, die diese zeit für mich noch wertvoller machen.

bei unserem rezept haben wir uns vom klassischen dominostein inspirieren lassen. das einzige, was fehlt, ist der schokoladenüberzug. die basis unseres kleinen törtchens besteht aus einem glutenfreien lebkuchenteig, dann kommt eine schicht aprikosengelee gefolgt von marzipan und meersalz mandeln mit rotem pfeffer on top. wenn ihr trotz histaminintoleranz mandeln vertragt, und das lebkuchengewürz durch zimt ersetzt, dann ist das rezept sogar histaminarm. wir haben zwar schon mal davon gehört, dass einige betroffene durch die histaminintoleranz auch keinen zimt vertragen, aber damit hatte ich noch nie probleme. habt ihr erfahrungen damit?

die meersalz mandeln und der rote pfeffer on top machen dieses kleine törtchen jedenfalls sehr schmackhaft und sogar noch ein bisschen besser als jeder 'normale' dominostein. also probiert es aus und lasst es euch schmecken!

unser rezept findet ihr übrigens auch (in englisch) auf rikke's blog that nodic feeling, da sie uns vor einiger zeit nach einem gast-post gefragt hat. wir haben rikke in copenhagen bei dem vipp flower styling event kennengelernt und schätzen ihren schönen blog seitdem sehr. schaut doch mal bei ihr vorbei und habt noch einen schönen sonntag ihr lieben!

zutaten für ca. 4kleine törtchen 

(servierringe 6,5/7,5cm; springform ca. 18cm ø)

boden:

30g butter

100g honig

50g zucker

1 ei

100g reismehl

1 tl lebkuchengewürz

1 tl weinsteinbackpulver

1 prise salz

50g gemahlene mandeln

gelee:

200g aprikosengelee oder -marmelade

3g agaranta (oder ein anderes Geliermittel)

decke:

100g marzipan (gibt es auch schon fertig ausgerollt zu kaufen)

50g geröstete mandeln mit zucker und salz

1 eiweiss

etwas rosa pfeffer

teig:

ofen auf 160grad umluft (oder 180grad ober-unterhitze) vorheizen.

butter in einem topf schmelzen, zucker und honig darin auflösen, dann etwas abkühlen lassen. 

mix in eine rührschüssel umfüllen und das ei dazugeben und alles gut vermischen. in einer separaten schüssel reismehl, lebkuchengewürz, weinsteinbackpulver und salz vermengen und zu der ei-butter-mischung dazusieben und in 3 teilen darunterrühren. zum schluss die gemahlenen mandeln unterheben. den boden einer springform mit backpapier bedecken und die seiten mit butter einfetten. den teig in die springform füllen und für ca. 25-35min backen bis der teig durch ist. 10min abkühlen lassen, dann aus der springform lösen und auf einem kuchengitter komplett abkühlen lassen. mit den servierringen kleine kreise ausstechen und obere seite abschneiden, sodass sie eben ist. teigkreise mit der bodenseite nach oben wieder in die servierringe drücken, auf eine unterlage stellen und mit einem teelöffel oder stempel den teig etwas festdrücken, sodass später das gelee nicht in teiglücken laufen kann. 

aprikosengelee:

aprikosengelee mit etwas agaranta (menge sie packungsbeilage) verrühren und mit etwas wasser (ca. 4el) in einem topf zum kochen bringen. für 1min köcheln lassen, dann in die förmchen füllen und für ca. 1stunde in den kühlschrank stellen. wenn das gelee fest ist, küchlein vorsichtig aus der form drücken.

süß-salzige mandeln:

mandeln in der pfanne rösten, ein eiweiss verquirlen und die mandeln darin kurz schwenken. geröstete mandeln auf ein mit zucker und salz bestreutes backblech mit backpapier legen und oberseite mit zucker und salz bestreuen; für 5min bei 175grad im backofen backen, dann abkühlen lassen.

marzipandecke & topping:

marzipan mit einer teigrolle dünn ausrollen (evt. puderzucker auf der arbeitsfläche verstreuen). mit den servierringen marzipankreise ausstechen und auf die küchlein legen und andrücken. etwas roten pfeffer mit einer pfeffermühle mahlen und über die marzipandecke streuen. mandeln und rosmarinzweig dekorativ arrangieren.

Love a Real Tree this Christmas and Support the Jack and Jill Foundation

Christmas Tree Growers donate 500 trees to Jack & Jill Foundation

Wicklow grower, Christy Kavanagh, has been crowned the Christmas Tree Grower Supreme Champion 2014 in the national Christmas tree growing competition. This is the fifth time that Christy has received the accolade for his Nordmann Fir range in the annual competition organized by the Christmas Tree Growers Association. As an experienced and avid grower, he is enthusiastic about the benefits real Christmas Trees bring to the celebrations, noting that the Nordmann Fir is the most popular type of tree, accounting for 75% of trees sold in Ireland.

The Christmas tree harvest is currently underway due to excellent growing and favourable harvesting conditions, according to the Irish Christmas Tree Growers.  Bord Bia estimates that approximately 500,000 trees will be harvested this year by Irish growers, 300,000 for the home market and 200,000 for export, mainly to the UK.

‘Love a Real Tree’ Campaign

This Christmas, the Irish Christmas Tree Growers Association has launched a new initiative, ‘Love a Real Tree’, to highlight the benefits of choosing a real Christmas tree for your home. This new campaign was developed to include a logo and website (www.lovearealtree.ie) which highlight the benefits of a real tree versus and an artificial tree, in particular that real Irish Christmas trees are environmentally friendly as they can be recycled, while the land used for growing them can be replanted or returned to traditional agriculture.  

Speaking about the campaign, Christy Kavanagh said, “The look, the scent and the very feel of a real tree are all part of the Christmas tradition! Growing the perfect tree takes more than planting a tree and hoping for the best. It takes seven to ten years to produce a 2 metre tall tree, and this means year round care for the life of the tree by growers to produce the best tree possible. When you buy a real Christmas tree, carefully grown and cultured locally, there is that extra special knowledge that you are supporting nature and the environment.”

The Irish Christmas Tree Growers Association represents the major body of producers and suppliers of top grade Christmas Trees in Ireland, with over 100 members nationwide. Ireland has developed a solid reputation for the production of high quality trees for both the domestic and export Christmas tree market.

Christy Kavanagh of the Irish Christmas Tree Growers Association

Christmas Tree Growers Donate 500 trees to Jack & Jill Foundation

The Irish Christmas Tree Growers Association is donating 500 four foot Irish grown Christmas trees to the children’s charity, Jack and Jill Foundation. These trees will be used by the charity to stage a one day giveaway on Saturday, 6^th December at two locations; Leopardstown Racecourse and Newbridge Retail Park. The trees are available for an on the spot donation of €16 and are ideal for apartments, offices or smaller rooms. 

About the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation

The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation was founded by Jonathan Irwin and his wife Senator Mary Ann O’Brien based on their own experience caring for their son Jack at home until he passed away in December 1997. This experience became the blue print for the Jack & Jill model of home nursing care which supports 300 children with severe disabilities as a result of brain damage today and the Foundation has supported over 1,800 families (county breakdown below) since 1997. The service includes funding, home visits, advice, information, lobbying and bereavement support and up to 64 hours of home nursing care per month at a cost of €1,024 per family.  It also includes end of life care of up to 80 hours per month at a cost of €1,280 with a clear focus of supporting parents who decide to take their child home to die. Jack & Jill requires €2.7 million per annum to operate this critical service and, with less than 20% coming from the State, the Foundation depends on the generosity of the public to keep going and on wonderful fundraisers like this, with every €16 raised funding 1 hour of home nursing care

Christy Kavanagh with Jonathan Irwin from the Jack and Jill Foundation

Your Guide to Choosing a Real Christmas Tree

The Irish Christmas Tree Growers Association's top Tips for Buying your Christmas tree:

• Try not to buy your Christmas tree until you are ready to set it up. In many countries, such as France, the Christmas tree is not set up until Christmas Eve and taken down after January 6^th.
• After you bring your Christmas tree home, keep it in a cool place like an unheated garage, porch or patio until you are ready to bring it indoors.
• Set it up in a cool area (less than 15 centigrade) and as far away as possible from sources of heat including fireplaces, radiators and vents. This will prolong the life of the tree for the holiday season.
• Place it in a "water stand". Most Christmas tree sellers have these available. The stand has a wide   base and bolts for giving the tree stability, and a basin for water to keep your tree fresh.
• Just before standing your tree in the water stand, you should make a fresh saw-cut, straight across the stem, at least 3 cm above the original cut. This fresh cut allows the tree to absorb water easily.
• Check out your local County Council website for Christmas Tree Recycling locations near you.

Irish Christmas Tree Facts

• Production is mainly concentrated in counties Wexford, Carlow, Wicklow, Tipperary and Cork where soils and climate combine to produce high yields.
• Approximately 8 million trees of all ages are currently growing on circa. 1, 500 hectares
• There are approximately 10 significant producers and 70 to 80 smaller growers.
•  The farm gate value of current domestic and export sales is estimated at €10 million, plus retail values of €25 million
• The three most popular varieties of Christmas tree are the Nordmann Fir (accounting for 75% of trees sold in Ireland), the Noble Fir (accounting for 15% of trees sold in Ireland) and the Lodgepole Pine.

Why buy a real Christmas Tree?

• Locally grown Christmas trees are really fresh due to the reduced travel stress on them.
• There is a tremendous variety and a large range of different size trees available to meet your particular needs.
• Once cared for properly, non-shedding trees, such as the Nordmann Fir, Noble Fir and Lodgepole Pine, will not lose their needles.
• Each tree is cultured as an individual tree and produced to the highest quality standards from the time they are planted right through to delivery.
• Your real Christmas tree is a natural resource and therefore can be recycled.  This is in contrast to artificial trees, which are usually made of metal and plastic materials and use oils and minerals in their manufacture.  An artificial tree may last up to six years in your home but takes centuries to break down in landfill sites.
• The forest environment is protected by the fact that Christmas trees are continually being planted to replace those trees being harvested.
• As well as adding to the beauty of our landscape, growing Christmas trees produces large amounts of oxygen and removes the harmful carbon dioxide or “greenhouse gas” from our atmosphere.  Real trees also provide natural habitats for forest animals and birds.

All the funds raised go to the charity with each €16 donation accounting for one hour of home nursing care for one Jack and Jill baby. Visit www.jackandjill.ie for more information.

For more tips on buying and caring for your real Christmas tree, visit www.lovearealtree.ie.  

Zack