Lemon Cordial

This is so easy and actually tastes of the fruit – no need to worry about what % of fruit is in the cordial. You know and can taste it. Home made cordial is quite trendy at the moment, it is very easy and is a great use for excess citrus fruit.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups sugar (makes a fairly strong cordial – why store added water)
  • 7 cups boiling water
  • 7 cups of juice from limes, lemons, mandarines, tangelos, grapefruit – any combination of citrus.
  • Zest peeled from the skins of 4 pieces of the fruit
  • 1 tbs tartaric
  • 1 tbs citric acid

Method

  1. Bring the water to a boil with the citrus zest, add the sugar and powders, stir until dissolved and continue to boil for 3 minutes, add the juice and return to simmer for a further 2 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat and strain out the zest and other solids.
  3. Bottle in clean containers (Old wine bottles are good).
  4. Serve with chopped fresh mint, a touch of ginger beer cordial and top up with water or soda water. Make ice cubes out of the mixed cordial for parties so the drink doesn’t dilute.
  5. Serve in a large glass jar.

Tastes like a very adult cocktail, but its not alcoholic. It wouldn’t be hard to make it that way though.