I love this time of year when soft summer berries are in an abundance and I love summer pudding so guess what I made with the first of my crop from my allotment.
As some of you know I have a small allotment plot. Although I have had an allotment for just 3½ years, last year, I moved plots and decided to go for mainly soft fruits. At 4m x 3m I could not possibly grow all my vegetables on it, but I could get a good selection of summer berries. I love soft summer fruits and as they tend to be rather expensive in the shops, growing them myself is ideal. I have raspberry canes, a blackberry bush, red, white and black currants, gooseberry bushes, a blueberry bush and strawberries. I also have a rhubarb plant, some herbs and a little area for growing other bits such as lettuce or this year I have a couple of courgette plants.
I find growing soft fruits particularly good , as on the whole they are not too time dependant and time is one thing I always seem short of. Once planted they tend to look after themselves and I just need to do a bit of pruning and some weeding - well thats the idea at least. I am hoping that once they are more established I will have a good crop each year and can make jams and preserves in the future. And if time is very tight at harvest I can always freeze them to use later.
Fresh or frozen berries
This year the strawberries have been a bit disappointing, not many and they are not as sweet as they could be. The raspberries are just beginning to ripen now and there are a few blackcurrants ripening now too. Last week I was able to harvest just enough berries - ok almost enough to actually make a dessert from them. As summer pudding is a favourite of mine and the rest of the family, I decide to make and share the recipe with you. To be honest, I was a little short, so I just added a few frozen blackberries that I had in the freezer to make up the quantity. And that is the beauty of this dessert, it is almost as good made with frozen fruit as it is with fresh.
To make the pudding, the fruit is just cooked until tender then piled into a bowl lined with bread. Covered with more bread and then weighted and left overnight. It is really that simple and if you make it with all frozen fruit you do not even have to cook the fruit, just mix with the sugar and allow to defrost before spooning into the bowl. You may know that I am a fan of sourdough but this is one occasion when regular soft white bread is the best.
step by step summer pudding
Summer pudding
Ingredients
- 700 g mixed soft summer fruits e.g. strawberries raspberries, blackberries, red and black currants etc
- 75 g caster sugar
- about 8 slices bread crusts removed
- cream or ice cream to serve
Instructions
- Hull or strip the fruits from their stalks if necessary. Place in a saucepan with the caster sugar. Cook gently over a low heat stirring occasionally for 5 to 10 minutes until the fruit is tender and the juices have begun to run.
- Use the bread to line the base and sides of a 900ml bowl.
- When the fruit is tender remove from the heat and spoon into the bread lined bowl adding all the juice. Cover with the top of the fruit with bread.
- Place a small saucer that will just fit inside the top of the bowl, on top of the pudding and weight down with some scale weights or some cans of food. Stand the bowl on a plate and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- To serve, loosen the sides of the bowl carefully with a knife. Place a serving plate over the bowl and turn out. Serve with whipped or pouring cream or with a scoop of ice-cream
Notes
Nutrition
To serve
When you are ready to serve, loosen the edges of the pudding with a knife. Place a serving plate over the bowl. Invert then give the pudding a sharp shake to release the pudding from the bowl. Serve with whipped cream, pouring cream or ice cream.
Click on the images for more berry recipes made easy
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Melissa @ My Wife Can Cook says
Looks amazing! Just discovered your blog through Cookies for England's Meet the Neighbors post. So happy to have discovered it! I'll be back!
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Hello Melissa - Welcome so glad you found me and look forward to your return visits.
Monika Dabrowski says
This dessert looks absolutely stunning, I am sure it tastes delicious:)
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Thank you Monika, it does taste pretty darn good even if I do say so myself.
Mandy says
This is my all-time summer dessert - love it so much! #CookBlogShare
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Thank you and thanks for featuring it on the #CookBlogShare round up. Jacqui x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
This pudding is perfect for us at the moment! We have so many soft fruits in the garden that need using. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Ive just got back from my little allotment with soft fruit - I love this time of year! Hope you like the pudding, do let me know. jacqui x
Louise Fairweather says
I usually use frozen fruit - one of my favourite summer desserts
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
That's why it is such a great pudding as it works either way. Before i grew my own fruit i often made it with frozen because of the cost of fresh fruit> Put i think a small amount of fresh strawberries (which do not freeze at all well) makes it even nicer.
Maurits Kalff says
I am very inspired- can't wait to make it!
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
When you do make it Maurits, do let me know what you think. I love it
John hayward says
Ooooh, this is just beautiful!!!!! Good job!
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Thank you John
Eb Gargano / easypeasyfoodie.com says
This looks so good, Jacqui and I imagine it tastes even better! Have pinned!! Eb x
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
It did taste good. Thanks for pinning. Jacqui x
Corina says
This looks so good! I wish I had green fingers and could grow my own berries but I haven't had much success in my attempts yet. We often go pick your own instead!
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
I used to go pick your own a lot as a child, ate more than we took home for sure. Lovely memory but sadly don't get much chance to do that anymore.
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
Mmmm, that looks soooo good Jacqueline with all the delicious fruit packed into it. We grow a few strawberry plants in our garden (I'd love an allotment one day) and have found that they haven't been very good this year either, I think we've just not had enough nice warm weather to help them on their way.
Angela x
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Having an allotment is fab can't believe I am lucky enough to live in central London and have one but i was on the waiting list for 7 years! Yes Im sure you are right about the strawberries, too much rain and not enough sun. Jacqui x