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.

Is cordial alcoholic?

Cordial itself is not alcoholic; it’s simply a syrup-like blend of fruit juice, water, and sugar.  Since cordial can be sweet, many people use them to make other drinks, or simply dilute it with water and drink it on its own.

How do you make raspberry cordial?

Start by measuring the ingredients: raspberries, lemon juice, sugar, and water.  Make sure you have some sparkling water ready for serving.

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 of cordial instead of an individual glass, blend 1 cup of sparkling water with the 6 2/3 cups of cordial.
• Marilla Cuthbert, in Anne of Green Gables, would have used plain water instead of sparkling water in her cordial.
• You may preserve the cordial by canning it in sterilized jars.  It will keep for a whole year.
• Keep the raspberry cordial refrigerated for up to 5 days, but it probably won’t last that long.

Feel like you’re at the White Sands Hotel with one of these special drinks.

• Cinderella Mocktail: three fruit juices blended together with grenadine, Angostura bitters, and sparkling water.
• Sparkling Grapefruit and Ginger Fizz: refreshing citrus and ginger make this elegant drink a real treat.
• Non Alcoholic Strawberry Citrus Blush: this easy drink recipe makes enough for the whole family to enjoy.

Did you make Marilla’s raspberry cordial?  Please share how you enjoyed it in the comments below.

Marilla’s Raspberry Cordial

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• Author: Emma
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 26 hours 40 minutes
• Yield: 9 servings
• Category: Beverage
• Method: Chilled
• Cuisine: Canadian

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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

• 5 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, slightly thawed (24 ounces or 680g)
• 1/3 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 the Cordial (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 from the cordial.  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.

Serving the Cordial (5 minutes)

1. 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 3/4 cup cordial with 1/8 cup sparkling water, and for a large 11 ounce glass, mix 1 cup cordial with 1/4 cup sparkling water.  Serve immediately.

Notes

• To mix up a pitcher of raspberry cordial, blend 1 cup of sparkling water with the 6 2/3 cups of raspberry 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.
• Want to preserve your cordial to enjoy later?  Can it in sterilized jars, and you’ll be able to enjoy it anytime you like.
• Raspberry cordial should keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Keywords: anne of green gables, non alcoholic