Jul 12

Jul 12 Summer Pudding

Stewed Fruit was a feature of my childhood. Quite a major one actually. I think it stemmed from some kind of folk memory in my family that raw fruits weren’t actually very good for you.

I am not entirely sure where this wild fantasy of an idea came from. Although I do have several branches of my family tree dangling precariously in rural places where superstition is the order of the day.

I think it’s more to do with fruit in puddings like crumbles and the like and much nicer than eating a healthy piece of raw fruit.

Pretty certain that stewing frut and adding lots of sugar somewhat negates any ‘five-a-day’ benefit.

Hey-ho.

This time of year was the start of Summer Pudding Season.

Legend has it that it was invented in the middle of the 19th century, although I can’t think that’s true. It does have Victorian England written all over it though. I imagine the cook in Downton Abbey proudly entering the dining room holding a magnificent Summer Pudding aloft to polite applause.

It has been known by many names - the most curious being Hydropathic Pudding which was served in Victorian spas. Another theory is that it was a summer replacement for a suet pudding.

Dr. Johnson certainly knew of it - or a version of it which was made of layers which included rhubarb and there’s a version called Wakefield Pudding which contains gooseberries.

Ingredients:

300g of Strawberries

300g of Blackberries

300g of Raspberries

100g of Redcurrants

200g Caster Sugar

White Sliced Toasting Bread

Method:

Stew up the fruit with the sugar.

Butter an oven proof bowl, and line it with slices of bread. Remember to cut off the crusts. Pour in the fruit mix, top it with a lid of bread, making sure not to leave gaps, and fold over any bready edges. You need a plate or a saucer to place over it and something to exert weight on it. Into the fridge it goes.

Leave it - preferably overnight - until the bread has become saturated with the fruit mix, remove from the fridge, and flip it over onto a dish.

You should have a pleasing pudding shape.

Serve with cream