It’s time to start aging your eggnog (plus other holiday food prep)

Not only have stores’ Halloween decorations been consolidated to make way for tinsel, lights, wrapping paper, and Christmas trees, but there are also other signs that the holidays are fast approaching. With only 68 days to go before Christmas, 67 until the beginning of Hanukkah, and 69 until the start of Kwanzaa, the clock is ticking for us to get ready for the holiday season. There are many ways to work ahead with food items to avoid being overwhelmed later.

For starters, Punch reminds us that there is no better time than the present to start aging your eggnog. The flavors will deepen the longer you let it sit, and some bartenders quoted in the article have years-old eggnog batches! In addition to eggnog, fruitcake preparations should be commenced soon according to King Arthur Baking. They recommend starting 6 to 7 weeks prior to eating or gifting, so you have a couple of weeks’ breathing room for these. If you are making a homemade liqueur like limoncello or making homemade vanilla extract, starting now is a great idea so the finished product has time to develop the fullest flavor.

Most cookie doughs will last a few months in the freezer, so you can make the dough over the next few weeks and bake them when you need them. The same goes double for pie crusts, and another helpful tip is to freeze those right in the pie pan so they are ready to go without the need for rolling or shaping later. You can even make a lattice top now and freeze it, assuming you have a safe space to store it so it doesn’t get damaged. Finally, most bread and roll recipes can be frozen to allow for easy baking on the day of your celebration.

In addition to baked goods, other holiday meal items can be prepped ahead of time and frozen or refrigerated until the big day. You can freeze mashed potatoes for weeks, but if you are going that route, I suggest making Duchesse potatoes instead because they are soooo delicious and gorgeous to boot. It’s also a great idea to have a make ahead breakfast casserole ready for the day after, when you are so tired of cooking you don’t even want to look at a whisk or saucepan.

The most organized cooks create timelines for their holiday cooking and baking so they never fall behind. I would love to be counted among these rare creatures but alas I’m a last-minute train wreck kind of cook. What are your best plan-ahead holiday tips?