This home-made cordial can be made with equal quantities of lemon and lime, all lemon, all lime, or any combination of citrus that you might have. It makes about 1.25 litres.
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lime zest
¾ cup lemon juice
¾ cup lime juice
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 teaspoon citric acid*
1 teaspoon tartaric acid*
3 cups boiling water
Place lemon and lime rind, lemon and lime juice, citric acid, tartaric acid and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Add boiling water. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Strain into a heatproof jug (or leave zest in if preferred). Pour into hot sterilised bottles and seal.
Use 1/3 cordial to 2/3 plain or sparkling water – or to taste.
* Note: citric and tartaric acids might sound nasty but both are natural products commonly found at the supermarket. Citric acid is a natural preservative that also enhances citrus flavour. Tartaric acid is used to give a sour taste and is also an antioxidant.
Leave a Reply