Homemade lemon cordial

A versatile homemade lemon cordial made in three phases: creating an oleo-saccharum, boiling a simple syrup, and combining with fresh lemon juice. It can be used for lemonades, cocktails, and culinary applications.

Equipment

• microplane or fine zester
• medium-sized, non-reactive bowl
• clean kitchen towel
• fine-mesh sieve
• medium, non-reactive saucepan
• large, heat-proof bowl
• large measuring jug
• sterilized glass bottles or jars

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• Zest of 4-6 large lemons (ensure you get only the yellow part, avoid the bitter white pith)
• 2 cups (480ml) filtered water
• Reserved oleo-saccharum mixture from Phase 1
• 1 cup (240ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (strained to remove pulp and seeds)
• Warm simple syrup (from Phase 2)
• 1 cup (240ml) strained fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Wash and thoroughly dry your lemons.
2. Using a microplane or fine zester, zest the lemons directly into a medium-sized, non-reactive bowl (glass or ceramic is best).
3. Add the sugar to the bowl with the zest.
4. Using your fingertips, massage the sugar and zest together. Rub them vigorously for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes damp and fragrant.
5. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour (up to 4 hours for more intense flavor).
6. While the sugar and zest are macerating, juice your lemons and strain the juice through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any pulp and seeds. Set this aside.
7. In a medium, non-reactive saucepan, combine the water and your prepared oleo-saccharum mixture.
8. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar has completely dissolved.
9. Once the sugar is dissolved, increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
10. Let it boil for exactly 2 minutes, then remove it from the heat.
11. Pour the hot syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a large, heat-proof bowl, pressing on the zest to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the spent zest.
12. Allow the syrup to cool for 15-20 minutes until it is just warm to the touch.
13. Pour the cooled (but still warm) simple syrup into a large measuring jug.
14. Add the strained lemon juice and stir well to combine.
15. Pour the finished cordial into sterilized glass bottles or jars.
16. Seal the bottles and allow the cordial to cool completely to room temperature.
17. Once cool, store the cordial in the refrigerator.

Notes

To sterilize bottles, wash with hot soapy water and rinse, then place in a preheated oven at 140°C/275°F for 10-15 minutes or run through a hot dishwasher cycle. The cordial keeps for up to 3 months in the refrigerator or up to a year if frozen in ice cube trays. Standard dilution for lemonade is 1 part cordial to 4 parts water.

Nutrition

Calories: 45 kcal · Total Fat: 0g · Saturated Fat: 0g · Trans Fat: 0g · Cholesterol: 0mg · Sodium: 1mg · Total Carbohydrate: 11.5g · Dietary Fiber: 0g · Total Sugars: 11.5g · Includes Added Sugars: 11.5g · Protein: 0g · Vitamin C: 4.5mg