Tag Archive for: Cordial

Elderflower Cordial

I love the smell and the taste of Elderflower, so every year it is a race to make as many things as I can from them to last for the rest of the year. This is one of the most versatile options because you can use it to make so many other things.

What you’ll need:

  • 10 heads of Elderflowers.
  • 750ml water.
  • Juice of 3 lemons or 2 teaspoons of citric acid.
  • 600g sugar.

How to make it:

  1. Heat the water and dissolve the sugar into it.
  2. Take the water off the heat and add the lemon juice or citric acid, and the Elderflowers.
  3. Make sure that the Elderflowers are properly submerged, and leave to infuse for 2 to 3 hours.
  4. Strain the liquid through a muslin cloth, and pour into sterilised bottles.
  5. Keep the bottles in the fridge and use within 3 months.

Now you have Elderflower cordial, you can have it as a cold drink, a hot drink, a cocktail, you can freeze it in cubes for other drinks, you can use it in baking and other desserts, you can add it to creams, and many many other uses.

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Rosehip Cordial

Rosehips have been used for many, many years and it’s common knowledge that there is more vitamin C, pound-for-pound, than in an Orange. But what does it taste like? Well that’s a difficult question to answer as there isn’t anything else similar tasting. The best I can do is to say that it’s like a citrus fruit, but not like any other citrus fruit you’ve ever tasted.

It can be served as a lovely cold drink, a hot drink, and even as a non-alcoholic hot spiced cordial which is very reminiscent of mulled wine.

You can make this with cultivated rosehips (as long as they haven’t been sprayed), but I find that wild rosehips are much nicer.

What you’ll need:

  • 1kg of wild rosehips.
  • 3 litres water.
  • 500g sugar.
  • Juice of 2 lemons or 2 teaspoons citric acid.

How to make it:

  1. If your rosehips aren’t quite ripe and squishy, freeze them for a couple of days, then defrost them.
  2. Roughly chop your rosehips and put in a pot with 2 litres of water.
  3. Bring to the boil and keep boiling for 15 minutes.
  4. Allow to cool and strain through a double layer of muslin, squeezing out as much juice as you can.
  5. Put the pulp back into the pan and add another 1 litre of water.
  6. Bring to the boil and keep boiling for 15 minutes.
  7. Allow to cool and strain through a double layer of muslin, squeezing out as much juice as you can.
  8. Discard the pulp now and bring the juice together in a pan.
  9. Put the juice back on the heat and add the sugar, keep stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  10. Allow to cool, then decant into sterilised bottles.

This will keep for 3 months or more in the fridge, if you can avoid drinking it all before then!

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Stinging Nettle Cordial

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It’s difficult to think of nettles in anything other than savoury but I hope this recipe will change your mind . The reason I like this recipe is because I wanted to find a use for the older nettle leaves that I can’t use for eating fresh like you do with the nettle tops. This is perfect with ice, goes nicely with a G&T and with tonic water.

I will often make this with the discarded nettle leaves I won’t use for making crisps.

Ingredients:

  • 200g nettle leaves.
  • 500g caster sugar.
  • 4 Squeezed Lemons or 4tbsp lemon juice.
  • 500 ml water.

Method:

  1. Put your nettles and water in a large pan and bring to the boil for 10 minutes.
  2. Strain the nettles out of the liquid through a fine mesh colander or a cloth.
  3. Take the strained juice and add the sugar to it.
  4. Put this back on the heat and warm slowly, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
  5. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
  6. Allow it to cool and place in sterilised bottles.
  7. Use within 6 months, once opened keep in the fridge and use within 2 weeks.
  8. Enjoy with sparkling water, water or add to jellies, ice lollies to give a wild nettle flavour.
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