Make your own orange cordial

We drink a lot of water but in hot summer months but a glass of cordial with plenty of ice works wonders in quenching your thirst.

Just reading the labels of a commercially produced cordials gave us the desire to make our own. Homemade cordial is a much healthier alternative and you avoid added preservatives and artificial colourings. Homemade cordial also allows you to control the sugar level to the desired sweetness or tartness required and you can actually taste the fruit.

The following recipe is for orange cordial but you can use any fruit or mixtures of fruits you desire. Try orange and lemon which produces a lovely taste.

1. Squeeze enough oranges to provide one litre of juice.
2. Finely grate the zest of two oranges.
3. Add 1kg of sugar to 1 litre of water and bring to the boil whilst stirring till all the sugar is dissolved.
4. Mix the juice and zest into the sugar syrup.

Once fully cooled it will keep in the fridge for a month, if it lasts that long.

If you have a glut of any particular fruit  your homemade cordial can be frozen.