Pimm's Picnic Jelly Jars - for adults only!

Pimm's Cup is the classic summer drink as far as I'm concerned - it's so refreshing, fruity and just a little bit alcoholic! I wouldn't dream of drinking it in the winter but as the weather is warming up nicely and the Wimbledon tennis tournament is looming on the horizon I think now is just about the right time to kick off the Pimm's season. 

I love Pimm's (mixed with fizzy lemonade and pieces of strawberry, apple, cucumber and mint) so when I came across the idea of making jelly deserts with Pimm's I couldn't resist trying it out!

These alcoholic jellies are so easy to make and I think they really capture the fruity, summery essence of Pimm's. Poured into a glass and eaten with a spoon, they look just as beautiful and taste as refreshing as the real thing. They make a light and delicious end to a summer outdoor meal and can be made portable by pouring the jelly into a glass terrine jar, or other lidded jar, so become a fantastic way to round off a lazy picnic. 

Pimm's Picnic Jelly Jars Recipe

Notes: 

This recipe makes 600ml of jelly. Add the quantity of fruit stated in the recipe to the jelly and it fills 5 x 200g terrine jars (approx 1.25 litres) in total and produces a jelly packed with fruit. Feel free to adjust the fruit / jelly quantities to suit your taste. 

I used 4 Dr Oetker gelatine leaves which works out at approximately 7g in weight.

Please note that as Pimm's is alcoholic these gorgeous jellies should be kept strictly for adults only. 

Ingredients:

200ml fizzy lemonade or 7up

200ml Pimm's No 1

200ml orange juice

juice of half a lemon

60g caster sugar

4 leaves of leaf gelatine (see notes) 

4-5cm piece of cucumber, diced finely

350g strawberries, hulled and sliced

1tsp fresh mint, finely chopped

Method:

1. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water in a bowl for 10 minutes or according to the packet instructions.  

2. Mix together the lemonade, Pimm's, orange juice, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan. Heat while stirring to dissolve the sugar and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat.

3. Squeeze the excess water out of the gelatine and add the leaves to the hot liquid. Stir well until the gelatine has dissolved completely.

4. Pour the liquid into a jug and allow to cool until cold but not set.

5. Divide the strawberries, cucumber and mint between 5 serving glasses (see notes) and pour in the cold jelly mixture.

6. Transfer the jelly to the fridge and leave to set overnight.

Inspired by Sainsbury's Magazine