Summer Potions
Part two
This is our second summer potions entry. There is something so relaxing about making cordials. I don’t know if it’s the wonderful smells from the fruit or the satisfaction of seeing the bright colours in the bottles but I love it. It’s an activity that always brings me peace.
One of our favourite parts of the Anne of Green Gables series is when Anne is allowed to invite her friend Diana over to share cakes and raspberry cordial. The cordial is ‘ever so much nicer than Mrs Lynde’s’ and that is because it is actually currant wine. Poor Diana is drunk on three glasses and stumbles home.
We had to have a go at making Raspberry cordial. My mum would usually use lemon juice, but I hate any citrus flavours so we use red wine vinegar as a preservative. My elderly relatives often used vinegar as the acid to preserve cordials without refrigeration. Apple Cider has a rather sharp taste, and raspberry vinegar is expensive so we opted for the red wine one, you do need to add a bit extra sugar.
Raspberries and blackberries aren’t in season yet, Mum grows her own raspberries, but often need to go to the pick-your-own farms to get the amount needed. Unfortunately, both me and my sister LOVE berries so Mum has to buy frozen raspberries in order to stop us nibbling!
I have put the recipes underneath for anyone who wants to have a go. But I really recommend visiting my Mum’s YouTube ‘List Writer’ channel see how it’s done!
‘Anne of Green Gables’ Raspberry Cordial
- 500 grams of Raspberries
- 450 grams of sugar
- 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- Put the raspberries and sugar into a small saucepan. Place over a low heat and squidge or mash the fruit and bring to a slow simmer. Cook for ten minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
- Push the raspberries through a fine sieve into a jug leaving the seeds and pulp behind in the sieve.
- While still hot, pour very carefully into the bottle, put on the lid and allow the cordial to cool.
- Serve over ice and dilute with cold water.
It’s great over ice cream, in fact, it makes a great raspberry ripple ice cream. And it’s a lovely gift for friends.
Raspberry and Blackberry Cordial
- 250 grams of Raspberries
- 250 grams of Blackberries
- 450 grams of sugar
- 3 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- Put the raspberries, blackberries and sugar into a small saucepan. Place over a low heat and squidge or mash the fruit and bring to a slow simmer. Cook for ten minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
- Push the raspberries and blackberries through a fine sieve into a jug leaving the seeds and pulp behind in the sieve.
- While still hot, pour very carefully into the bottle, put on the lid and allow the cordial to cool.
- Serve over ice and dilute with cold water.
The way I normally drink my cordial is to put ice into a mason jar. I pour a little cordial over it and dilute with cold water. Then I put on the lid and shake it vigorously. Then all I need to do is to grab a straw and drink. For the first time, I understand why James Bond always said ‘shaken not stirred’. I really do find it tastes better!
Please try out these recipes they are great on a hot day.
The History Alchemist 