Ingredients

The following ingredients have 24 Servings
  • 48 ounces raspberries, fresh or frozen ((4 pints))
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 12 cups water

Instruction

  • Clean and rinse the raspberries, then place them in a very large bowl.
  • Pour the lemon juice over the berries. Use a large spoon to stir the juice into the berries.
  • On the stovetop, heat 12 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar to a boil. Stir till the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
  • Pour the boiling water over the raspberries. Allow the water to cool for 1-2 hours to room temperature.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel that you don't mind staining. Place in the refrigerator to steep for 24 hours.
  • Pour the cordial through a fine mesh sieve to strain.
  • Push gently on the solids with the back of a spoon, if you wish, to extract more juice. This will produce a slightly cloudy effect in the cordial, which will settle at the bottom of the storage bottle, but it won't change the flavor. If you'd prefer a clearer cordial, do not press down on the solids-- just strain them.
  • Once you've strained the juice from the berries, you will find that the leftover berries are mushy and quite sweet. Save them in the fridge, they are terrific served as a topping for ice cream.
  • This recipe makes a large batch of cordial, which will store very well in the refrigerator if you use a clean gallon jug. You can easily halve the recipe if you don't need quite so much cordial.
  • To serve, mix 1 part cordial with 1 part water or seltzer water. If you prefer a less sweet drink, dilute the cordial to taste. Serve cold.