-
Finely chop the dried fruit.
-
Put in a bowl with the peel, raisins,
sultanas, currants, ale, rum, rind and juice.
-
Cover and leave overnight.
-
Mix the fruit with the remaining
ingredients and a pinch of salt.
-
Leave for 10 minutes.
-
Cut an 80cm square from a piece of
calico, place in a large saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 20
minutes.
-
Remove and wring out well.
-
Cover the pan and keep at a simmer.
-
Spread out the calico and cover with a
generous, even layer of plain flour, using about 1/4 cup, leaving a
border around the edge. (This forms a seal and prevents the pudding
absorbing water)
-
You will need to flour-coat enough
calico so that the pudding mixture can be completely enclosed by the
floured area.
-
Spoon the pudding mixture into the
centre of the cloth.
-
Bring the points of the cloth together
over the top and gather in the excess material, keeping the pleats
as small and neat as possible.
-
Pat into a nice round shape.
-
Leave a small amount of room at the
top for expansion, and tie tightly with string so there is no gap
where water can get into the pudding.
-
Tie another length of string around
the top, long enough to tie to the handles on either side of the
saucepan to suspend the pudding.
-
If your pan doesn't have suitable
handles, suspend a wooden spoon across the top and tie the string to
that.
-
Carefully lower the pudding into the
simmering water.
-
The pudding should float, without
touching the bottom.
-
Tie the string tautly across the pan
to the handles.
-
Cover, weigh down the lid if possible,
and boil the pudding for 5 hours.
-
Replenish with boiling water when
necessary, ensuring that the water remains at a constant, low boil.
-
Remove the pudding from the water and
hang in a well-ventilated, dry place where it will not touch
anything.
-
Hook up the calico ends or open up and
place loosely on top of the pudding.
-
Leave hanging overnight to dry.
-
Untie the cloth and if there are damp
areas at the top, spread it out until dry.
-
When it is dry, re-wrap and tie with a
new piece of string.
-
The pudding will store, hanging, in a
cool, dry place for up to 4 months.
-
To serve, boil for 2 hours then hang
for 15 minutes.
-
Remove from the cloth and cut into
wedges.