Raspberry Cordial

Raspberries, those tartly sweet little gems, fairly sing of dappled sunshine and the ripe tang of August, what I always think of as the Sunday of summer. This recipe for raspberry cordial captures that sweetness, and makes an admirable addition to a picnic, glowing like jewels and tasting like youth. If, like me, you are several long weeks away from the delights of summer and require this cordial to sustain you until summer does arrive, then frozen raspberries will absolutely do the job here. Make this in advance to let the flavours mingle, pack it away in a picnic basket, and enjoy, heartened by the knowledge that this cordial will not set you drunk - even after three glasses! Sippity sip!

Ingredients
10 oz (568) unsweetened raspberries
1 1/4 c (250 g) sugar
3 lemons, divided
4 c (950 ml) water

Instructions:
Put the unthawed raspberries into a large saucepan, and add the sugar.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occaisionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the sugar has dissolved.
With a potato masher or the back of a spoon, mash the raspberries and syrup thoroughly.
Pour the mixture through a strainer, making sure you extract all of the juice. Discard the pulp.*
Juice two of the lemons and add their juice to the raspberry liquid.
Bring the water to a boil, then add the boiling water to the raspberry liquid.
Let the raspberry cordial cool, and then chill it in the refridgerator.

When the cordial is ready to serve, cut the remaining lemon into thin slices and garnish your glass with a lemon slice - so fancy. This cordial makes a welcome addition to tea parties, picnics, and summer afternoons. If you are so inclined, it can be added to sparkling water for an extra-refreshing kick, although I understand that not everyone likes their water to be fizzy - I have heard sparkling water likened to drinking bees, which feels like a pretty apt description.

*The original recipe calls for discarding the raspberry pulp, and you certainly can, but I hate the thought of so much food waste. I recommend saving the remaining raspberry pulp to spread on toast for breakfast, spoon over yogurt or ice cream, or pair with pound cake (the recipe for which you will find in a coming post!), a bit like coulis or jam. I’ve also had success with adding it to muffins or loaf cake, but do be aware that you may need to adjust your liquid and sugar measurements if you take this route. No matter how you choose to use the pulp, if you do keep it for future use, it must be refrigerated. Enjoy!

Jennifer