Equipment
Ingredients
Berry Filling
- 800 g mixed summer berries, fresh or thawed from frozen
- 150 g caster sugar
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 60 ml pimm's no. 1
- 10 g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Casing
- 250 g stale white bread, crusts removed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 295 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 63 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 38 g
- Sodium
- 227 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 0 mg
- Potassium
- 272 mg
- Calcium
- 75 mg
- Iron
- 2.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 30 mg
- Phosphorus
- 77 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 80 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.20 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.18 mg
- Niacin
- 2.2 mg
- Folate
- 78 mcg
- Water
- 141 g
- Alcohol
- 2 g
- Caffeine
- 3 mg
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Wash and hull the mixed berries, halving any particularly large strawberries to ensure even sizing. Leave delicate fruits like raspberries and blackberries whole.
Place the prepared berries, caster sugar, and lemon juice into a saucepan. Heat gently over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until the juices begin to run and the fruit slightly softens, reaching approximately 85°C/185°F.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the Pimm's No. 1 and the finely chopped mint leaves, folding gently to ensure they are evenly distributed without crushing the remaining whole berries.
Set a fine mesh sieve over a wide mixing bowl and gently pour the berry mixture through. Allow the juices to drain completely for a few minutes. Reserve both the drained berries and the collected crimson juice.
Cut a circle of bread to fit the bottom of your 1-liter pudding basin, then cut the remaining slices into wide wedges or thick rectangles. Dip one side of each bread piece into the reserved berry juice and line the inside of the basin, overlapping the edges slightly and pressing down to seal any gaps.
Spoon the drained berries into the bread-lined basin, pressing down gently to pack them tightly and eliminate air pockets. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of juice over the fruit, reserving the remainder of the juice in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Cover the top of the berries completely with the remaining pieces of bread to seal the pudding. Place a small plate directly on top of the bread layer, weigh it down evenly with heavy cans, and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the weights and plate. Carefully run a thin knife around the inside edge of the basin. Place a flat serving plate on top and invert in one swift motion to turn out the pudding. Generously brush any pale, unsoaked spots on the bread with the reserved berry juice before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Using slightly stale bread is crucial. Fresh bread will turn into a mushy paste, while slightly dry bread absorbs the juices while maintaining its structural integrity.
- Always reserve at least 60ml of the berry juice before assembling. You will inevitably find a few white spots on your unmolded pudding, and this juice is your visual eraser.
- Do not boil the berries vigorously or they will lose their shape and turn into jam. A gentle simmer just until the fruit begins to burst is perfect.
- For a deeper color and richer flavor profile, ensure a high proportion of blackberries or blackcurrants in your mixed fruit selection.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Best eaten within 2 days to prevent the bread from becoming too mushy.
Troubleshooting
White, unsoaked patches on the outside of the turned-out pudding
Cause: The bread was not dipped in enough juice before lining, or the pudding was not pressed firmly enough under the weights
Fix: Dab the reserved berry juice directly onto the white patches using a pastry brush until thoroughly colored
Prevention: Briefly dip the outward-facing side of the bread in juice before lining the basin, and ensure the overlapping edges are pressed tightly
Pudding collapses when turned out
Cause: Gaps were left between the bread slices or the bread used was too fresh and soft
Fix: Cannot be fixed structurally, but can still be served in bowls as a delicious messy dessert
Prevention: Overlap the bread slices firmly and use bread that is 1 to 2 days old for better structural integrity
Cultural Context
Summer pudding, originally known as hydropathic pudding in the nineteenth century, was created at British health resorts as a lighter alternative to heavy pastry desserts. The addition of Pimm's No. 1, a gin-based fruit cup famously associated with Wimbledon and English garden parties, marries two iconic British summer traditions in a single dish.
