Blackcurrant Cordial

Recipe for: BLACKCURRANT CORDIAL

Ingredients:

·        Fresh blackcurrants, rinsed & picked over (but you can leave the stalks)

·        Sugar (see method below)

·        Zest and juice of one unwaxed lemon

Method:

1.      Put the blackcurrants in a pan with enough water to cover

2.      Bring to the boil until the berries split, and remove from heat

3.      Squash the berries in the pan using a potato masher

4.      Tip the mashed berries into a muslin-lined jam/ jelly bag over a bowl, and allow the juice to strain through.  Do not force the juice through – just let it drip of its own accord – or the result will be cloudy.

5.      Leave for several hours, or overnight.

6.      Discard the solids left in the jelly bag.

7.      Measure the clear liquid you have collected.  For each pint of liquid, you need 1lb sugar.

8.      Put the juice & sugar into clean pan, and heat until the sugar dissolves.

9.      Whilst it is heating add the zest and juice of the lemon.

10.   Strain the liquid through muslin again, into a clean container. It should be thick, syrupy and intensely flavoured.

11.   Cool and bottle.  Keep in the fridge.

12.   To serve – dilute with water, soda, lemonade

What else you need to know:

1.      A little goes a long way

2.      Also nice over ice-cream or in porridge