Yahoo Movies 4 Christmas dinner hacks to reduce your energy consumption
With Christmas dinner set to be nearly 22% more expensive this year than in 2021, it's no surprise that households are looking for clever ways to reduce their energy consumption at home.
According to new research from Iceland, over half of those surveyed (53%) plan on either reducing the number of hot meals they eat, or cutting them out completely this Christmas, Grocery Trader reported. Meanwhile, Uswitch.com found that half of households (50%) are planning on changing their cooking habits to save energy.
"This year has been tough for many households across the UK as the cost-of-living crisis has gripped the nation's finances," Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, says. "While bills overall will be higher this year, there are still ways to save and reduce home energy consumption by adjusting your cooking habits this Christmas."
We're all looking for ways to save money at the moment – and even small things can make a real difference. We spoke to chefs, food writers and producers to find out the energy saving tips that will help you create a festive feast using oven-alternative cooking methods. Keep reading for everything you need to know...
1. Barbecue your turkey
If you often run out of oven space at Christmas (and want to reduce those soaring bills), cooking the turkey on the barbecue could be just the solution.
Tommy Heaney, owner of Heanys restaurant in Cardiff likes to do things a little differently at Christmas and use the BBQ. "I try to do as much as I can on Christmas Eve. I usually brine the turkey 24 hours in advance. Cooking times vary, depending on size. It usually takes around three hours at 180 degrees (if you're cooking an average seven kilo turkey).
Tommy uses a Big Green Egg, the tool favoured by those who take barbecuing seriously, but any sort of bbq with a lid will also do the job. He says choosing the right fuel is important. "I'd recommend 100% organic lumpwood charcoal. It's free from accelerants or chemicals as this will taint the flavour of your festive goods."
When it comes to knowing when it's cooked, it's more important to go by temperature, rather than time when cooking on the BBQ. Tommy suggests using a probe to measure it. "You want to make sure the turkey is cooked to 63C and the legs at 75C."
To cook it, he says: "Place the turkey breast-side down in the roasting pan, and put the lid down. After the first hour, pick the turkey up by the legs and carefully flip it over, so the breast faces upwards. Pop the lid down and cook for a further two hours."
2. Consider a slow cooker
Slow cookers have much lower wattage than ovens and gas hobs, so even if you use them for a number of hours, it's still a more energy efficient way to cook. Plus, it saves you time and they're very easy.
Abby Allen, Director at Pipers Farm, suggests cooking with a slow cooker and going for smaller cuts, such as a crown on breast instead of a full bird.
"If you're looking for a more conscious Christmas feast, opt for beautiful bronze turkey legs. They can be gently cooked using a plug in slow cooker. Even though the slow cooker will be on longer than your conventional oven, it will use a fraction of the energy. Not only is that brilliant for our purses and our planet, but the results are remarkable too."
Abby explains that to cook it, all you need to do is: "Fill the slow cooker with your turkey legs and glug over some stock, or try the classic French technique of 'confit' and smother them in fat. You'll have gorgeous, melting meat in a matter of hours."
3. Try an air fryer
When it comes to cooking, the air fryer has undeniably become the most sought-after appliance. In fact, sales figures for the worktop gadget have increased by a staggering 300% compared to the same time last year, according to Sky News.
Their popularity comes as figures from energy company Utilita found that an average annual run cost of an air fryer was £55.72, while the same for an electric cooker was £335.57, making air fryers six times cheaper to use.
Food blogger and recipe developer Dennis Littey thinks air frying turkey is a great way to cook it. "The benefit (unlike oven cooking) is you get both crispy outer but a super succulent inside too."
You can cook your veg in there, too. Dennis says "chop carrots, broccoli etc and place them underneath the Turkey while cooking", or you can cook them separately, which takes a similar time to cooking them on the hob.
Its usefulness doesn't stop there though. "You can also air fry Yorkshire puddings. Just drop some oil into a ramekin and let it heat up, then drop your mix in. If you cook between 180-200C for 18-20 mins they should be perfect."
4. Don't dismiss your microwave
The microwave has endless uses for helping with your festive feast, but did you know it's also great for cooking vegetables?
Becky Excell, author of Quick and Easy Gluten Free cookbook, says: "Even though the cooking time may be very similar to boiling vegetables, by using the microwave you've completely eliminated the need to boil a kettle, pour it into a pan and then bring it to the boil again" — all of which saves energy and time.
"All you need to do is put the veg into a small dish, add a few tablespoons of water, cover and microwave on full power until cooked to your liking."
She also explains that the microwave isn't just the most energy efficient way to cook veg, it's also the healthiest for us, as cooking them as quickly as possible is "the best way to ensure that vegetables don't lose all their nutrients".
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