Raspberry cordial

Raspberry cordial is widely available in supermarkets and shops but it is very easy to make your own and it is an unusual alternative to the more usual raspberry jam if you have a glut. Homemade cordial is also far more vibrant in colour and taste than anything you can buy, which kids especially seem to appreciate.

You can make it using frozen raspberries, so don’t be afraid to freeze any surplus berries and make this at your leisure when things in the garden are less frantic!

Ingredients

• 500g raspberries
• 500g granulated white sugar
• 500ml water
• Juice of one lemon

Makes around 1lt of cordial, depending on how juicy the raspberries are.

Method

1. Boil the raspberries and water together for five minutes, crushing the raspberries with a potato masher or fork.

2. Remove from the heat and add the sugar and lemon juice. Leave to sit for an hour with the lid on, stirring from time to time.

3. Strain through a sterilized jelly bag. Don’t squeeze it; leave it to drip slowly over the next few hours.

4. Mix some of the cordial up in a glass to check for sweetness, adding more sugar if necessary. You will probably need to warm it through to help the sugar dissolve.

5. Bottle in sterilized bottles or in Tupperware containers if you want to freeze it; it will keep for a few weeks on the shelf or in the fridge, or indefinitely in the freezer.

Variations

Serve this raspberry syrup diluted with four parts of still or sparkling water, or add a dash to a bottle of lager or cider for a fruity twist during a barbecue that is far less cloying than the fruit-flavoured alcoholic drinks you can buy from a supermarket.

Still have lots of raspberries to use up? Visit our raspberry recipe section.