Marilla's Raspberry Cordial

Do you remember when Anne Shirley invited her bosom friend, Diana Barry, over for tea?  With Marilla's permission, she laid out a spread of fruitcake, cookies, cherry preserves--and what Anne thought was the leftover raspberry cordial from the church social.  Unfortunately, Anne had grabbed the wrong bottle from the pantry, and poor Diana had to go home early after drinking three tumblerfulls of currant wine.

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Questions

What is a cordial?

Cordial is essential a fruit and sugar syrup, often diluted with water to make it less sweet.

Is it alcoholic?

It is not alcoholic, although many people do mix it with alcohol.

Is drinking it bad for you?

Cordial is not unhealthy in small quantities, but since it is high in sugar, it's best to dilute it or have it in small amounts.

How to Make

Start by measuring the ingredients: raspberries, lemon juice, sugar, and water.

Toss the raspberries in the lemon juice.

Stir the sugar and water together over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the raspberries.  Let the mixture cool, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours.  Mine sat for 48 hours.

Strain out the raspberries and seeds with a strainer.

Gently squeeze the berries with a spoon to release more juices.

Mix the cordial with a little sparkling water, then sit back and enjoy!

Pro Tips

• Use either fresh or frozen raspberries for this recipe.
• Keep the strained out raspberries and use as a fruit spread on toast or ice cream.
• To mix up a pitcher instead of an individual glass, blend 1 cup of sparkling water with the 6 ⅔ cups of cordial.
• You may preserve it by canning it in sterilized jars.  It will keep for a whole year.
• You can keep it refrigerated for up to 5 days, but it probably won't last that long!

Recommended Tools

• Dutch Oven: this heavy-bottomed pot is our favorite!
• Mesh Sieves: effortlessly strain out seeds and fruit with these strainers.
• Citrus Reamer: this sharp bamboo tool will easily extract juice from citrus.
• Measuring Cup: this large cup has a convenient pouring spout.

Other Special Non-Alcoholic Drinks to Enjoy

• Cinderella Mocktail
• Grapefruit and Ginger Fizz
• Strawberry Citrus Blush
• Hurricane Mocktail
• Candy Cane Mocktail

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Recipe

Marilla's Raspberry Cordial

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5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Emma
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 26 hours 40 minutes
• Yield: 9 servings 1x

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Description

This easy recipe for raspberry cordial will add old fashioned flair to an Anne of Green Gables wedding or party.  Use fresh or frozen raspberries to make this refreshing non alcoholic drink.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 5 ½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries, slightly thawed (24 ounces or 680g)
• ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (94 ml)
• 6 cups filtered water (1.4 liters)
• 2 cups granulated sugar (396g)
• Sparkling mineral water, for serving

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Instructions

Making the Cordial (25 minutes + at least 24 hours steeping)

1. Stir together the frozen raspberries and freshly squeezed lemon juice until blended.
2. Pour the water and sugar into a large Dutch oven and stir over medium-high heat until all the sugar has dissolved.  Cover and bring to a boil.
3. Once the sugar syrup is boiling, remove it from the heat and stir in the raspberry mixture.  Allow to cool on the counter for 1-2 hours, until it's no longer really hot, then cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.  This steeping time will infuse the raspberry flavor into the syrup.

Straining & Serving (10 minutes)

1. Place a large, fine mesh sieve over a large bowl.  Pour the raspberry syrup into the sieve to separate the seeds and berries.  Gently push down the berries with a large spoon to squeeze out the remaining juices.
2. Pour the cordial into a large jug and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Mix the cordial with the sparkling water to taste, preferably with an 80-20 ratio of cordial to water.  For a small 8 ounce glass, mix ¾ cup cordial with ⅛ cup sparkling water, and for a large 11 ounce glass, mix 1 cup cordial with ¼ cup sparkling water.  Serve immediately.

Notes

• Use fresh or frozen berries, whichever you have available.
• To mix up a pitcher, blend 1 cup of sparkling water with the 6 ⅔ cups of cordial.
• Keep the strained out raspberries and use as a fruit spread on toast or ice cream.
• For an old-fashioned twist, use plain filtered water instead of sparkling water.
• This should keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.

• Category: Beverage
• Method: Chilled
• Cuisine: Canadian

Keywords: anne of green gables, non alcoholic