Jerte Picota Infused Pimm's

After a few cooler days we are back to hot and humid again. Sigh. I'm not made for this weather, I'm a Northerner through and through. I could never live in the properly hot countries.
On hot summer days we drink lots of iced tea, both bought and homemade.
Ice cube trays are replenished daily.

Pimm's is the quintessential British summer drink. All the pubs in town have boards with offers of jugs of Pimm's. We don't often indulge in it. The last bottle of Pimm's I bought to use in a recipe, lasted me over 2 years. I added it to berry salads and fruit crumbles a little bit at a time, and still it took ages to shift it.
There are many variations of the Pimm's cocktail: some prefer to add borage instead of mint, some go for a ginger beer rather than lemonade or soda water.
Strawberries are lovely, but you can always swap them for another juicy berry or fruit.
Have you tried Pimm's with cherries?

Jerte Picota cherry is the perfect addition in a delicious glass of Pimm's.

Jerte Picota Infused Pimm's (recipe courtesy of Dialogue Agency)
Ingredients:
100ml Pimm's No.1
225g Jerte Picota cherries, pitted
200ml soda water or lemonade
2 sprigs fresh mint
2 slices of cucumber
fresh Jerte Picota cherries, to serve
ice, crushed
Method:
1.Place the cherries into a food processor until a smooth puree is produced.
2. Put the cherry puree, cucumber slices, 1 mint sprig and Pimm's in a jar and mix well.
3. Pour in the soda water/lemonade and add crushed ice, then gently stir
4. To serve, pour into glasses and garnish with fresh mint leaves and Jerte Picota cherries.
Enjoy this refreshing and tasty drink in time for summer!

About Jerte Picota P.D.O.
The Jerte Picota is not only unique because of its PDO status, but also because it's harvested without its stalk. Its shape, too, is unique, with the slight peak at the base prompting the name Picota or peaked.

I managed to find Picota cherries in Sainsbury's (currently at £1 per punnet). I know that the Co-Op used to sell them as well, but I couldn't find them there this year.

They are only available for six weeks per year, but their taste is worth the wait.
For more information, visit Picota.

If you cannot find Picota, or when the season is over, you can always swap them for British cherries.

I fancied trying the recipe, but didn't want to buy the whole bottle, so used a pre-mixed tin of Pimm's with lemonade, as you can see from the photos.

Of course, if you are entertaining, it makes sense to buy a big bottle and mix your own cocktails.

This is a lovely summer cocktail, with beautiful flavours all along.

Are you a fan of Pimm's?