As the seasons change, the food and drink that we love to consume changes too. And as the days get longer and the air just that little bit warmer, there’s nothing quite like a cordial to give tastebuds a daily treat. Homemade cordials are the best, in our opinion, because you can get the flavour combinations just right when you’re making them at home. Use one of our glass swing stopper bottles as the perfect storage companion with its airtight design, and your cordial will take you all the way through summer too. Below are a few of our favourite recipes for you to try at home.
Refreshing Lemongrass, Lemon and Ginger:
This might be one of the simplest cordial recipes we’ve ever come across – if you’re a fan of Asian cuisine then you’ve probably already got all the ingredients at home. You’ll need to boil together sugar and water, once this step has been completed it's time to add lemongrass, ginger and lemon juice. Boil again for 1 minute and then let simmer for around 10 minutes. Leave at room temperature for all those magical flavours to develop. When your liquid is super fragrant, pour into sterilised bottles. This is a great cordial to have with water, sparkling water or even with a little gin at cocktail hour.
Raspberry Riot:
Raspberries don’t officially come into season in the UK until June but there are already plenty of these robust red fruits around. If you can’t find fresh raspberries then you can just as easily make a cordial with a bag of frozen raspberries. You’ll need to boil them up with sugar, lemon and water and then leave to infuse, as above. The balance of sugar, fruit and lemon is mouthwatering on its own and you can also add it to champagne or prosecco if you’re looking for a special celebratory drink.
Rhubarb Rhubarb:
There’s something quintessentially British about the rhubarb, which also makes a delicious cordial. Chop your rhubarb and then boil with sugar and sprigs of rosemary before sieving and transferring into bottles. This cordial is delicious and unusual mixed with water but can also be added to drinks, or used to bring extra flavour to fruit salads or yoghurt.
Citrus Botanicals:
Citrus fruits are probably the most popular ingredients for cordials because they’re so refreshing and mix well with such a wide range of other ingredients. Choose from orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit – or combinations of these delicious zesty fruits – and then add herbs for that botanical twist. Basil, rosemary or lavender go particularly well in a super tasty spring cordial.
Elderflower Cordial:
Elderflowers start to bloom in May so late spring is the perfect time to start making your own elderflower cordial. You’ll need the heads of elderflower bushes to make this cordial, plus sugar, citric acid and lemon slices. Make sure you wash the flowers well before you use them and leave to infuse for at least 24 hours.
JBC’s Swing Stopper Bottles are the ideal companion in your cordial making ventures. Highly durable and made of top quality ensuring easy to work with bottles and storage that will keep your cordial fresh all the way through the summer.
See our range here.