Start the morning before and mix all dry ingredients together in a very large mixing bowl. Then add all the fruits. Mix everything well then incorporate the liquids. Give everything a good stir then cover the surface with a large plate and leave until evening. The mixture will be quite sloppy and drop easily from a spoon. Following an eight hour soak the mixture will be thick and wholesome and now it is time to give a good stir and prepare for cooking.

Lightly grease a 2lb pudding basin with butter then add mix into the basin and smoothing with the back of a spoon. Cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper making a centre pleat to allow for any expansion then tie off with string. Cover then with a sheet of kitchen foil securing it around the rim of the basin.

Use a large stew pan with a trivet in the bottom. Place the pudding on top then fill with boiling water so that it comes about 1/3 rd of the way up the basin. Cover the casserole pan with a lid. Bring the water to a boil and turn down and simmer for 15 minutes before transferring the casserole to the oven which has been preheated to 100 degrees centigrade.

Steam in the oven for 10 hours or overnight. I usually put mine in the oven at 10pm and bring it out at 8am the next morning (large pudding) Small puddings (1lb) I steam in the oven in the same way for 7 hours,

Leave to cool completely then remove the paper and foil. Place a clean piece of paper and string over the pudding - wrap in foil and leave in a cool dark place until Christmas Day. serve with rum sauce or thick cream.