I don’t know whether it’s the Britishness (is that even a word?!) in me but I love making summer drinks. You know, the English kind, such as my Homemade Cloudy Lemonade which is gorgeous on a hot day. I’ve even been known to brew my own ginger beer in the past which is much easier than it sounds and very Swallows and Amazons. Anyway, this Rose and Raspberry Cordial is another summer drink I love to make when the days are long and oh so warm.
While developing this recipe I tried a number of different ways of making raspberry cordial but this method, originally used by BBC Good Food, gives the best colour and flavour by far. The raspberries, one of my favourite summer fruits, shine through, and it would be incredibly easy to finish off the whole bottle of cordial in one sitting!
The rose water is a later addition for me. Rose as a flavour is gaining in popularity and I figured it would go really well with the raspberries used here. It adds a lovely subtle background note which is almost indistinguishable but takes the cordial to the next level. However, feel free to leave it out if you wish to. I’m all for making a recipe work for yourself. And if you do decide to add the rose water then make sure you buy a good brand. There are some really ropey ones out there. I bought mine from M&S and it’s great, but that’s no good if you don’t live in the U.K. So if you want to order one, this one from Amazon is good.
I usually dilute my drink 1 part cordial to 5 parts water but it’s also great with prosecco. Preferably in the garden, on a warm summer evening. Best served with friends.
Rose and Raspberry Cordial
Rose and Raspberry Cordial. A gorgeous summer drink. Dilute with flat or sparkling water or prosecco. Perfect to cool you down on a warm summer evening.
Ingredients
- 200 g (2 cups) raspberries fresh or frozen
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon rose water
Instructions
Place the raspberries, sugar and white wine vinegar into a small pan and place over a very low heat, stirring occasionally. When the berries begin to release their juice, turn the heat up slightly, allowing the sugar to dissolve, then bring the fruit to a gentle simmer.
Allow to simmer for five minutes until the berries pulp down. Sieve into a bowl, pressing the pulp through the sieve with the back of a spoon.
- Return the pips to the pan with 200ml cold water. Bring the water to a gentle simmer and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Sieve the resulting liquid into the previously sieved pulp and stir. Allow to cool.
- Add the rose water and stir. Pour into a glass bottle and store in the fridge.
- Dilute to taste.
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Ooohhhh I love the idea of making my own cordial and I keep meaning to it’s just the fruit vanishes before I get a chance!
We have that problem too – especially with fruit as gorgeous as raspberries!
Im with you love making my own fruit drinks so much better than anything you can buy not least because you know it is not full of artificial sweetener and preservatives. This year I made rhubarb cordial Seriulsy good use of rhubarb and blackcurrant cordial. Ive not tried raspberry yet but now I will as this sound delicious. Thank you for sharing on #CookBlogShare.