The delicious silliness of pink lemonade jelly

The onset of summer makes me feel giddy. And it seems from those piling into beer gardens and loading up their hampers for picnics in parks, I’m not alone. Perhaps this is because it is of course too early for summer, I’m not ready for it. And to be fair, it’s barely arrived. Spring is still stamping its feet with April showers, and shaking its blossom filled trees to remind us of its presence. But those hot hazy golden days are creeping in, even on bank holiday weekends, the traditional domain of miserable, dreary weather, which we bravely brazen out, so determined are we to make the most of the one day vacation from work. No need this year: sunshine and giddiness prevails.

Such giddiness calls for something silly, something bright and zippy, and maybe a bit childish. Something that is as intense and ephemeral as the British summer. I’m making jelly. And not just any jelly: a jelly flavoured with old-fashioned lemonade, sharp and sweet, and a little cloudy, turned rose pink by raspberries, muddled and whole. I’m not going to pretend that this jelly is anything but silly, in all its bright pink jiggling glory, but the lemon juice means that the birthday-party-sweetness of the pudding is balanced by the citrus tartness – it also ensures a soft set on the gelatine, so the jelly stands proud when unmoulded, but melts in the mouth.