I tend to drink more cold drinks than hot (which is partly down to living in a hot climate). I also don’t tend to drink caffeine after lunchtime – I’m not sure if it makes any difference, but it’s a habit I’ve been in for years now. So, I’m always looking for refreshing cold drinks to add a bit of variety to the various ‘flavoured waters’ that I concoct. Homemade strawberry cordial sounded like the perfect idea to me!
I do drink quite a lot of cordial. It’s a bit of a guilty pleasure. I don’t think it’s really as acceptable to drink cordial in your 30’s as it is when you are a child! I decided that having a go at making homemade cordials might give it a bit of a more ‘bohemian’, grown up edge. Do you think it does? I’m not so sure, but it’s so delicious I don’t really care!
On the note of hot vs cold drinks – this actually goes really well with hot water so you could definitely make it if you are looking for a warm, cozy drink!
How to make homemade strawberry cordial
Making strawberry cordial really couldn’t be easier! It’s simply strawberry, sugar and lemon juice. You simply heat the ingredients in a saucepan and then leave to infuse. Then mash and strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve.
Simple, and with less than 10 minutes of ‘hands-on’ time and you have a cordial mix to enjoy when you want, made from fresh fruit.
How long will it last in the fridge?
Homemade strawberry cordial will last for a week in the fridge. Make sure you store it in sterilised jars which are well sealed.
You can also freeze it really easily! Portion into ice cube trays and then remove as you want. Just bear in mind that you’ll need to melt the ice cubes and mix properly into the water for the full flavour – otherwise you’ll have plain water with strong strawberry flavoured ice cubes!
Recipe alternatives
There are so many different tweaks you can make to this recipe. Here are some of the ones I’ve found success with so far:
- Strawberry mint cordial – simply add a few leaves of mint to the cordial when you store in the fridge and make sure it has at least a day to infuse into the flavour. The longer you leave them in the stronger the mint flavour. Make sure to wash the mint leaves well first.
- Strawberry lime cordial. Perfect if want to remove a little more of the sweetness of the cordial (while adding some lovely lime flavour). Simply stir some freshly squeezed lime juice into the cordial when you make it. Alternatively you can add before storing in the fridge (but it will be trickier to get the right amount to taste when adding to the undiluted cordial)
- Strawberry & blackcurrant cordial. Replace half the strawberries with fresh blackcurrants (by weight) and follow the recipe as below.
Do you make cordial at home? I’d love to hear any of your favourite recipes – or if you try any variations of this! Leave a comment below
Products that work well for this recipe
3 Pack Professional Fine Mesh Strainer
Biodegradable Paper Straws – Durable & Eco-Friendly
Mason Jar Drinking Mugs
Homemade Strawberry Cordial
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
Description
A super fresh homemade strawberry cordial, made with fresh fruit. Serve with cold or hot water for the ultimate fruity & refreshing drink!Β
Ingredients
- 300g strawberries
- 150g sugar
- 1 lemon – juice only
- 200ml water
Instructions
1. Slice the top off the strawberries and slice into quarters. Place in a large pan with the water, lemon juice and sugar and bring to the boil.
2. When the water reaches a boil remove the pan from the heat and cover. Leave for at least one hour.
3. Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries into a pulp.
4. Strain the strawberries through a fine mesh sieve. Press the pulp to release all the juices and flavour.
Β
5. Store in a sterilized and sealed container in the fridge for up to 7 days. See note 3. To serve, mix 3 tbsp of the cordial with 200ml of water.
Notes
- Use around 3 tbsp of cordial per 200ml of water
- This is totally delicious as a cold or a hot drink!Β
- To sterilise a glass jar, wash and then place in a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes (including the lid). Carefully remove and then air dry.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 (3 tbsp)
- Calories: 60
- Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Protein: 0g
Easy and refreshing. A nice treat.
★★★★★
Great recipe! πβ€οΈ
★★★★★
Thanks Erin! π