It is possible to make a good summer pudding using some frozen fruit. It is not, however, possible to make a good summer pudding using all frozen fruit, as the quality of the juice is diminished. Strawberries are not good, and too many blackberries or blackcurrants will result in purple juice rather than rich crimson.
Ingredients
1 loaf white bread, thinly sliced, crusts removed
½ cup water
125 g sugar
125 g redcurrants, stripped from their stalks
125 g loganberries, or mulberries
375 g raspberries
Method
Put water and sugar into a large non-reactive saucepan. Cover and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Add any frozen fruit now and allow it to thaw. Tip in fresh fruit and give a good stir. Cover and allow fruit to return to a boil, then remove from heat. Stand a colander or muslin-lined strainer over a bowl and tip in fruit and liquid. Leave until juice has drained into bowl. Reserve juice. Allow fruit to cool completely.
Meanwhile, cut sufficient triangles of bread to line the bottom of a 1 litre basin. The lining should be a good fit to prevent premature or excessive loss of juice. Cut slices to line sides. Reserve 2–3 slices to form the lid. Put bread-lined basin on a tray with a rim or on a large, rimmed plate. Spoon in drained fruit right to top. Level fruit, then pour over a little reserved juice, so that filling looks wet but is not swimming in liquid (keep any remaining juice for serving). Cover with reserved bread. Place a double sheet of foil over pudding, then press in a saucer that just fits inside rim of basin. Weight saucer with tins and refrigerate pudding overnight or up to 2 days.
To serve, remove weights, saucer and foil. Put a deep serving plate over basin and invert carefully. The pudding should be a deep crimson and some juice will ooze and seep onto the serving plate. If the colour is not as rich as you would like, spoon over some of the extra juice. Offer the remaining juice when the pudding is cut, along with thick cream.
