Summer Fruit Pudding

If you have been following our allotment adventures both here on the blog and over on Instagram you will be fully aware of the amount of soft fruit we have picked recently. We've been scoffing the berries and currants as they are, made jelly until we ran out of jars and given some away. Still there are more to use. Next on the list was a classic summer pudding.

It really is a very simple concoction of fresh summer fruits, some sugar to take the sharpness off the taste and white bread. Once put together it very impressive and makes quite a centrepiece. A couple of notes on its making – it needs to set overnight in the fridge so make sure you make it the day before you want to serve it. Since it does need a day a set the fruit will need to be as fresh as possible.

Equipment: large saucepan, sieve, 1½ pint (1 litre) 'Pyrex' glass bowl, saucer or small plate, weights (can be tins), serving plate.

Ingredients

1½ lbs (750g) Mixed summer berries and currants (I used raspberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants but you could also use white currants and strawberries)

4oz (115g) Caster sugar

8 slices of White bread, crusts removed

Method

1. Put the currants in the saucepan and add the sugar. Heat through and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the currants start to soften.

2. Add the raspberries or any other fruit you are using and stir through.

3. Drain the fruit but keep the juice. Leave to cool.

4. Dip the bread into the juice and then start to arrange around the sides of the glass bowl reserving some for the top. Make sure there are no gaps.

5. Spoon the fruit into the bowl until it fills up to the top.

6. Cover the top with the remaining bread.

7. Place the saucer on top and weigh down the top.

8. Transfer to the fridge to chill overnight.

9. When ready to serve remove the weights and saucer and replace with the serving plate. In one quick motion turn upside down. If the pudding doesn't come out then turn back again and gently run a knife or long spatula around the edge before turning again.

10. Serve with any remaining juice and berries plus cream or ice cream.