Homemade Berry Cordial Recipes

BERRY CORDIAL

Steps:

• Pour the sugar into a 1 quart jar. Fill the remaining space with berries, but do not pack down. Fill the jar with vodka so that the berries are completely covered. Seal the jar. Let the jar stand for 2 months, shaking the jar every week. The sugar should dissolve, and the vodka will become colored.
• Strain the liquid through a metal sieve, and then through a coffee filter to remove the fruit. Pour into pretty bottles. Drink as a cordial, or use it to flavor lemonade or iced tea.

HOMEMADE BERRY CORDIAL RECIPE

Steps:

• Wash the berries, no need to remove all leaves and vines. Discard rotten and bruised berries.
• In the casserole that fits the cordial steamer snuggly, fill with water, leaving 2.5in (3cm) at the top. Top with the cordial steamer and pin the tube so the juice doesn't come out.
• In the cordial steamer, layer berries and sugar. Place the lid on and place something heavy on top. Do not open the lid during the steaming process.
• How long it will steam depends on your berries, but my red currant cordial needs about 80-90 minutes. It's usually not less than an hour, although raspberries, plums and pears need less, about 45 minutes.
• When it's done, take the pin off the tube and fill your sterilized glass bottles. Keep in a cool and dark place.
• Add the washed berries and water to a large casserole. Let it boil (covered with a lid) until the berries are pale and have released most of their juices. Make sure the berries don't break, as this will make your cordial cloudy.
• Add a damp old kitchen towel or cheesecloth to a large colander and the colander over a new casserole or big bowl. Pour the berry water in. Let this drip for at least one hour, do not help it as this will also make the cordial cloudy.
• Once it's done, pour the berry water back into a large saucepan along with sugar (and spices if using). Bring this up to a boil, remove foam with a spoon and once the foam is gone, pour into sterilized glass bottles. Keep in a cool and dark place.
• This method retains the most amount of nutrients in the berries, but it is also the one that keeps the worst. Plus, it needs more sugar to help preserve the cordial.
• Add washed berries to a blender or mash in a large bowl. You may need some water to help mash it. Pour over water and lemon juice (or citric acid/tartaric acid). Let this mixture sit overnight.
• Strain it through a sieve covered in a cheesecloth or damp old kitchen towel - remember to keep a bowl underneath. Combine with sugar. Pour into sterilized glass bottles.
• This will keep for up to 3 weeks in the fridge, but the best way to preserve it is to freeze it! To freeze: pour into smaller bottles, leaving some room as the liquid expands once frozen.
• When ready to serve, add 1 part cordial with 4 parts water to a glass. You may want more or less water depending on your own preference. Delicious both warm and cold, in a gløgg for Christmas or in this blackberry martini!

BLACKBERRY CORDIAL

Steps:

• Fill quart jars with blackberries. Pour vodka in to cover berries. Put on the lids and put jars in a cool, dark place and forget about them for 2 to 4 weeks. Then, pour contents through a strainer and reserve liquid. In a heavy saucepan combine sugar and water and bring to boil, long enough to dissolve sugar. When this syrup cools a bit, add to blackberry liquid and stir. Pour liquid into container of choice and put in freezer. When chilled, it's good as is or, as we tried it, in a juice glass with ginger ale. It's indescribably good.

BERRY CORDIAL

Steps:

• Put berries in a 6-8qt pot and add water; bring to rolling boil. Reduce to bare simmer and cover for 20 minutes, or until berries lose their shape.
• Drain and strain through cheesecloth, squeezing out as much juice as possible. Allow to cool to room temperature. Measure quantity of juice.
• Wash out pot and return juice to pot. Add 1- 1 1/2 cup sugar per quart of juice. Return to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-20 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature again.
• Add 1 cup alcohol (vodka or white brandy) per quart of sweetened juice. (I personally like a mixture of the two, in a 2:1 ratio, as I find this smooths out any imperfections in either alcohol.).
• Allow to sit for at least 2 weeks before bottling. Can be drunk immediately or allowed to age - it is distinctly better with 4-6 weeks of aging. For longer aging, make sure it is TIGHTLY sealed.

BLUEBERRY CORDIAL

Steps:

• Rinse a heat-proof 2-quart jar with boiling water, drain it, and combine sugar, blueberries and vodka in it. Seal jar tightly and let cordial stand in a cool, dark place, shaking the jar occasionally, for two months.
• Strain the cordial through a very fine sieve, lined with a triple thickness of rinsed and squeezed cheesecloth, into a bowl and transfer it to a decanter. Serve the cordial as an after-dinner drink or with tonic over ice as a cocktail.

HOMEMADE BLACKBERRY CORDIAL

Steps:

• 1. Combine berries with 2 c. brandy, steep for 1 week. strain through jelly bag. Add remaining brandy and honey, bottle. (The longer you can let this sit, the better. You might want to have several thicknesses of cheesecloth and some disposable coffee filters around to strain this, and wear rubber gloves -- blackberries will stain your hands, but the resulting beverage is a favorite in our home, poured into a brandy snifter for after dinner enjoyment with some Earl Grey tea. It's also the best thing for an upset stomach.)