Ginger cordial recipe

Ginger cordial is a delicious drink and, given that ginger is reputed to be good for digestive problems, it can be a healthy one too!

Making ginger cordial couldn’t be easier, and while the amount of ginger might seem excessive, it gives a nice, strong flavour so you need less of it when you are making it up.

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Ingredients

Makes: just under 2lt of cordial

• 200g fresh ginger
• 1.5 litres water
• 500g granulated white sugar
• Juice and zest of two lemons
• 1tsp citric acid

Method

1. Peel and thinly slice the fresh ginger.

2. Remove the zest from the lemons and squeeze the juice.

3. Add the sliced ginger to a large saucepan and cover with the water. Add the sugar, lemon juice and zest.

4. Boil for around 45 minutes until the ginger is tender and the syrup is sticky but still fairly thin. If it gets too thick, add a little more water.

5. Remove from the heat and stir in the citric acid.

6. Sterilize a jelly bag and place in the stand. If you don’t have a jelly bag then a large sieve or colander lined with a double thickness of muslin or a clean tea towel will work just as well. (Please make sure that they haven’t been recently washed as the taste of detergent and conditioner will come through in the finished cordial.)

7. Carefully tip the juice from the saucepan into the jelly bag and leave to drip through for an hour or so.

8. Decant into sterilised bottles and seal. The finished ginger cordial will keep for up to two months on the shelf. Once opened, it is best stored in the fridge and used within a week or so.

Thrifty tip

Ginger freezes very well, so if you see it on offer in the shops then you can stock up in advance. You just need to wrap it in foil or pop it in a freezer bag, label and use within six months or so.

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