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Citrus Cordial January 9, 2008 About 18 months ago I bought myself a Kenwood FP920 food processor. I've used the basic machine a lot, but the many gadgets that came with it have largely been ignored. Over on my blog, as one of my New Year's resolutions to sharpen up my kitchen act, I am working my way through the extras, and today's recipe was the one I used to test the citrus press. This is an adaptation of an old family favourite. When we were first married the Spouse returned from visiting his grandmother with a recipe for lemon cordial. It was the days when most gardens boasted a lemon tree and you could either pick a few when you needed them, or you had a neighbour or relative who would hand you over some of their excess produce. Try as I might, I've never had any success growing lemons so I have to source mine from the local farmers' market or a green grocer's. Commercially grown lemons are usually waxed so need a bit of a scrub with hot water before you remove the zest. I used a couple of oranges in this batch of cordial but they are optional. Use all lemons if you prefer. You can up the sugar to 2kg though I prefer cordial on the zingy side. I also like to add a dash of bitters when I make a drink. You can use well-washed plastic softdrink bottles or screwtop wine bottles to contain your cordial, or invest in two or three bottles with rubber seals, such as the one show here.
6 juicy lemons Scrub the fruit with hot water to remove any wax. Thinly pare the zest off the oranges and four of the lemons. Avoid the pith. Place the sugar in a large stainless steel pot (I use my pasta pot) and pour over the boiling water. Add the citrus peel and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the citric acid and tartaric acid. Set aside to cool down a little. Meanwhile halve and squeeze the oranges and lemons. Add to the syrup mix and stir well. Allow to sit, covered, for about four hours. Strain through a sieve to remove the peel and any citrus pulp. Pour into clean, dry bottles and refrigerate. Pour over ice and mix with iced water or sparkling mineral water, about one part cordial to three parts water.
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