Gooseberry cordial

 

I like my drink so decided to use some of my harvested gooseberries as a cordial. A quick google led me to a recipe on the Islington Tribune site. I don't have lemon verbena but plenty of not so fresh lemons needing to be used up. I adapted the recipe to this:

Gooseberry and lemon cordial
Makes about one litre.
Ingredients
500g gooseberries, washed
200g caster sugar
1 litre water
1 lemon, halved and squeezed

Method
Bring to the boil the gooseberries, sugar, water, lemon juice and lemon halves in a large saucepan. Simmer until gooseberries are soft, about 10 minutes. I then left it to cool overnight. I strained the mix through a cheap jelly bag into a bottle. Shake the bottle before use. 

I actually used the juice of two lemons but one is more than enough. The cordial, when diluted, is a very refreshing slightly tart drink. My boys are not keen on it which is a bonus for me! When making cordial I usually freeze half and keep half in the fridge.