Mint cordial might sound exotic but it’s fabulously easy to make and helps get rid of vast quantities of mint, which is always nice given how rampant it is in the summer months!
This is also the easiest of all cordials to make, so I’ve given you a recipe that makes a fairly small amount as it is worth making it fresh on a regular basis. However, it does keep, and you can even freeze it in small Tupperware containers if you’d rather make one large batch. Simply scale up the quantities and don’t be afraid to adjust the ingredients to better suit your own taste.
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Ingredients
- 1 litre of freshly picked mint leaves and stalks
- 500g granulated white sugar
- 500ml water
Makes around 700ml of cordial
Method
1. Tear up the mint leaves and stalks as you pick them and stuff them in a measuring jug until you have a tightly packed one litre.
2. Place them in a saucepan and cover with the boiling water. Boil for five minutes before removing from the heat. Stand back and enjoy the wonderful smell!
3. Cover the pan with a lid and leaving to steep for another hour or so. The liquid will be golden in colour, rather than green.
4. Strain the liquid through a sterilised jelly bag or clean tea towel into a saucepan.
5. Add the sugar and warm gently until it has all dissolved.
6. Leave to cool before decanting into sterilized bottles and sealing. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.
Variations
Because this is a very delicately flavoured drink, you can halve the quantity of sugar and drink it neat if you prefer a stronger mint taste. Or, you can freshen it up by adding a couple of bruised stalks of lemon grass for a lemon grass and mint Cordial.
I’ve also made it with lemon balm, which gives a lovely, delicate flavour making it ideal to add to a glass of prosecco.
Visit our drink section for more cordials, cocktails and more
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