CORDIAL MAKING AT HOME
The most important thing with cordial making at home is that all the ingredients in the recipes are known (no artificial colours or flavours). The use of tartaric acid and citric acid is only as a preservative.
The second most important thing is that it is really good fun to make and friends and family seem to be really impressed!
Here are some of my favourite recipes:
CHILLI CORDIAL
Ingredients:
20 birds eye chillies (cut 4 in half lengthwise)
5 cups water
4 cups sugar
juice of 1 lime or 1 lemon
2 tsp tartaric acid
Method:
Boil sugar and water with chillies for about 10 minutes. Cool and strain. Add juice and acid.
To serve, dilute 4 parts water to 1 part cordial concentrate.
LEMONGRASS CORDIAL
Ingredients:
6 long green leaves of lemongrass, crushed
2 litres of boiling water
2-3 cups of sugar
2 litres of cold water
Method:
Pour boiling water over leaves. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes to steep.
Remove the leaves and dissolve the sugar. Dilute with cold water to taste.
SWEET POTATO LEAF CORDIAL
(Pink-tipped leaf variety)
Ingredients:
2 litres of water
2 cups of sugar
Juice of 2 lemons or limes
30 sweet potato leaf tips
Method:
Bring water to boil, add tips and simmer 3 minutes.
Remove the tips. Add the sugar and juice until dissolved. Allow to cool.
Dilute 50-50 with water to make pleasant and refreshing drink.
LIME CORDIAL
Ingredients:
3 cups of sugar
4 cups of water
1 teaspoon of citric acid
1½ cups of lime juice
zest from 4-5 limes
Method:
Bring sugar and water to boil, add zest and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Allow cooling then add acid and juice.
Dilute 5 parts water to 1 part cordial concentrate.
DATE: May 2000
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