Homemade lemon cordial

The sun is getting up earlier and going to bed later and there’s the fresh smell of jasmine in the air. It can only mean one thing; Spring has sprung and what better way to prepare for the much anticipated sunshine ahead, than with a recipe for homemade lemon cordial.
Some of my favourite memories of starting out in my own kitchen after leaving ‘the nest’  include the evenings my friend Anya and I spent whipping up delights, often based on recipes passed down to her by her foodie father. This recipe is one of them; simple, tried, tested and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients (makes 3 litres):
14 lemons
1.5L boiling water
1.2kg brown sugar
Method:
1. Grate the zest of 6 lemons and set aside.
2. Juice all the lemons, pouring the juice through a sieve into a large pot to catch the pips.
3. Add the lemon zest and the boiling water (I add it straight from the kettle) to the lemon juice. Gently warm the mixture over a very low heat – it mustn’t simmer or boil.
4. Add the sugar, stirring continuously until completely dissolved.
5. Pour the warm cordial into sterilized glass bottles and seal. The cordial keeps in the fridge for a month or so. Learn how to sterilise glass bottles.

To serve, mix your cordial to taste with still or sparkling water. Download print-friendly version of this recipe.

Homemade lemon cordial. It’s so delicious, you might just want to start making batches of the stuff now for the sunny days ahead.