Salute spring with a batch of lemon cordial
One of the most wonderful things about spring is that fresh produce is in abundance – whether at your local farmers market or in your humble backyard veggie patch. It is heartbreaking, however, when you can’t eat your way through your fresh goodies before they go bad. Here to make sure nothing ever goes to waste are Meredith Kirton and Mandy Sinclair with their book The Produce Companion. Divided into two parts, the book guides you through cultivating your own home garden, then gives you creative ideas for how to turn it into something delicious. The Garden section provides handy hints on when to harvest and pick produce and the correct way to store it, while The Recipes section features more than 100 recipes for your bounty of goods, including pickles, chutneys, vinegars, jams and drinks, such as this recipe for lemon cordial.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups caster sugar
2 cups water
juice of 4 lemons
1 tablespoon tartaric acid
TO MAKE
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and place over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil for ten minutes. Add the lemon juice and boil for another five minutes, until syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir through the tartaric acid.
Pour the hot cordial into warm sterilised bottles and seal immediately. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 12 months. Refrigerate after opening.
Makes 875 ml.
COOK’S NOTE
For a quick and easy lemonade, combine four chopped lemons, two cups of caster sugar and one-and-a-half cups of water in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through muslin (cheesecloth) into a bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Mix with mineral or soda water to make lemonade. Makes 750 ml of syrup.
This is an edited extract and images from The Produce Companion by Merdith Kirton and Mandy Sincliar, published by Hardie Grant Books. Available in stores nationally.
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