Homemade Lemon Cordial

 

Lemons and summertime just seem to go together don’t they? All that summer yellow I guess. I’m trying to buy fruit and vegetables in season because it makes so much sense but I am unable to desist buying lemons in summer. They are actually my indulgence, if you can call a lemon an indulgence, because I have lemon juice on almost everything I eat.

I’m also keen to avoid consuming products containing unwanted and unknown ingredients. You too can avoid store bought cordial by making this recipe. It’s not hard and oh so worthwhile. 

I adore a bowl of lemons on the table. Lemon curd is sublime. I love the way lemons can be used in sweet and savoury cooking, and when they’re all squeezed and ready to be thrown out, they still come in handy for cleaning my hands.  

This refreshing recipe, for homemade lemon cordial, comes from a quaint English book called The Larder Shelf. I have searched old Australian cookbooks and found that their recipes required, and made, quantities beyond my imagination. I wonder why? This little recipe is just right. I follow Mathew Evans’ hint of keeping the squeezed lemon halves and adding them to the saucepan, along with the juice, for an added kick of flavour.

Enjoy this summer drink with soda water and ice. If you want to try it as a cocktail, add some gin along with soda water and ice. You won’t be disappointed.

Homemade Lemon Cordial

(Makes about 700ml)

Ingredients

• 6 lemons
• 450g castor sugar
• 300ml water
• 15g tartaric acid 

 

Method

1. Check Conversion Charts  if necessary.
2. Scrub the lemons really well, unless you are lucky enough to grow your own, in which case you can vouch for your lemons.
3. Grate the rind off the lemons, preferably using a Microplane. You want little speckles of rind, not chunks. If you end up with chunks you may want to strain the cordial before bottling.
4. Squeeze the juice. Put the juice, sugar and water and lemon halves (if using) into a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves, stirring all the time. Cool a little. Before stirring in the tartaric acid, remove the lemon halves.
5. Pour into sterilised bottles.   Keep it in the fridge.
6. Add some to a glass and pour in water or soda. 

The Larder Shelf by Rosamund Richardson

The Weekend Cook by Mathew Evans in the Sydney Morning Herald – Good Weekend supplement

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