Pancake day is finally here, and many people across the country will be having pancakes for dinner.
The date of Pancake Day changes from year to year because it always 47 days before Easter – which this year falls on Sunday 9 April.
This means that Shrove Tuesday 2023 is on 21 February.
But what if you have leftover batter? Here is what to do.
How long does pancake batter last in the fridge?
If you have leftover pancake batter (and that’s a very big if), then you might want to know how to avoid wasting it.
Don’t worry, assuming the ingredients will all remain in date, then you have some time to use it up.
Expert Home Tips says: “Ever wondered if you can keep pancake batter in the fridge? Standard pancake batter (made from flour, milk and eggs) should last for between two to four days when stored in the refrigerator, depending on the expiry date listed on your milk and eggs.
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“If your eggs and milk expire before this window, we suggest using the batter in line with the expiration dates listed on the packaging, going with whichever date falls first.”
Just make sure it is in an airtight container or you have a good seal on the clingfilm over your bowl.
You can also freeze pancake batter by pouring it into a sealable container, a zip lock bag or equivalent is good, and removing as much air as possible. To thaw place it in a bowl of warm water. You can keep it in their for 1-3 months.
Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?
Shrove Tuesday is the day that immediately precedes Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent in Christianity.
The Christian season is supposed to replicate the Biblical story of Jesus Christ’s withdrawal into the desert for 40 days.
This is why Lent is traditionally a period of abstinence, with many non-Christians still getting into the spirit of the season by giving up a particular treat.
Lent, particularly when it was adhered to more widely and strictly, marked a time to eat simpler food, and give up things like sweet, rich and dairy ingredients.
With the bleak prospect of 40 days of discipline looming, it was perhaps inevitable that Shrove Tuesday would become an occasion to gorge oneself and cram in as much frivolity as possible.
The day before the season started was therefore the ideal time to make pancakes as a means to use up leftover eggs, milk and sugar.
And then there are the pancake races, which supposedly originated in 1445 when a woman in Buckinghamshire is said to have been caught out by the sound of church bells before she’d finished making a pancake.
Her solution, the story goes, was to sprint from her home to her local church service still carrying her frying pan, flipping the pancake within to prevent it burning.
Olney, the town where the tale is based, still holds a world-famous annual race, with female contestants battling it out over a 415-yard course, traditionally wearing an apron in honour of pancake racing’s founder.
What is Shrove Tuesday?
The name “Shrove Tuesday” is derived from the old middle English word “shriven”, which referred to going to confession to repent for the things you have done wrong.
Because Lent always starts on a Wednesday, people would go to confession the day before, an occasion which became known as Shriven Tuesday, which evolved into Shrove Tuesday.
The date is associated with different foods around the globe, with Christians in countries like Russia and Ukraine eating blinis, their own traditional pancakes.
In French, the date became known as “Mardi Gras”, or “Fat Tuesday” due to its excesses, and the label has been adopted in other nations too, most notably the USA, when it is an occasion for large-scale parades.
Other traditions have developed around Shrove Tuesday beyond excessive eating, such as the unruly, village-wide football games in the UK which date as far back the 17th century.
The most celebrated of these takes place in the picturesque Derbyshire town of Ashbourne, which descends into a brutal contest between the “Up-ards” and “Down’ards” at 2pm on Shrove Tuesday each year.
