How to Make Lemon Cordial

The word "cordial" is synonymous with "liqueur" in the United States. In the United Kingdom a cordial may refer to a nonalcoholic drink made with sugar syrup. Making your own lemon cordial at home will result in a slightly less flavorful version of the popular drink, but it is less expensive and enjoyable to create. This recipe yields approximately one quart, or four cups, of lemon cordial, which can also be made without alcohol, if desired.

Things You'll Need

• 9 fresh lemons
• Cheese grater
• 1 quart-sized glass jar
• 3¾ cups 190-proof alcohol
• Medium saucepan
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• Fine mesh sieve
• Glass jars or bottles
• Cordial glasses
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Instructions

1. Grate the outer rinds of the lemons with a cheese grater to remove the zest. Use the finest grater available, and avoid the bitter white parts of the rind as much as possible. Allow the zest to fall into the quart-sized glass jar, and then set aside.

2. Pour the alcohol into the jar, over the lemon zest. Place the lid on the jar tightly, and then set in a cool, dark place for at least 48 hours. Store the mixture for up to one week, if desired. The longer it is allowed to steep, the stronger the flavor of the lemon cordial will become.

3. Bring 2¾ cups of water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add the granulated sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, which should result in a thick syrupy texture. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.

4. Stir the lemon-zest-and-alcohol mixture into the sugar syrup. Place the resulting lemon cordial mixture into the refrigerator and allow it to chill for at least 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve to remove the lemon zest.

5. Transfer the lemon cordial to glass jars or bottles and store in the freezer for up to six months. Serve in chilled cordial glasses garnished with lemon wedges, if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• If 190-proof alcohol is not available in your area, use 7½ cups of 100-proof vodka to extract the lemon zest. A larger jar will be necessary, but make sure it is made of glass and has a tight-fitting lid for the best results. For a non-alcoholic lemon cordial, replace the lemon-zest-and-alcohol mixture with two cups fresh or bottled lemon juice. Add the juice to the sugar syrup and serve over ice. There is no need for extracting unless alcohol is used.

References

• Alcohol Problems and Solutions: Beverages: Ales to Zombies
• The Farm Kitchen; Colette Comins, Russell Wasserfall; 2006
• Maths in the Making 3; Suzanne Peterson; 2006