I found these wonderful recipes in the Herb Mentor website.
Check them out You will find many good tips about Herbs over there!There are three main steps to making cordials.
Steeping - in this step, the ingredients are steeped in the alcohol (usually vodka or brandy, but you can try anything you like).
Sweetening - typically a
sugar syrup is used, but maple syrup is a great substitute. Honey can also be used.
Aging - The flavors all improve tremendously with age. Generally 2 to 4 weeks is good. I like to leave mine longer, if possible.
Here are some recipes to get you going:
Wild Blackberry Cordial- Christy Sarles (radicalweeds.com)
Pick
enough berries to fill a clean glass jar in the size of your choice at
least a third, and up to a half, full. I use about two quarts of
berries for a gallon of cordial. If those lovely wild blackberries
don't grow in your neighborhood, you can substitute raspberries or
blueberries. The little wild blueberries will give your cordial a more
intense flavor than the larger cultivated ones, but either way
blueberries are relatively tough-skinned and you will need to macerate
them - crush or grind coarsely - before adding the other ingredients.
Fill
the jar to the top with equal parts of maple syrup and brandy. I
usually use E&J brandy, but any decent variety of 80 proof brandy
will do fine. As for the maple syrup, I like the dark, late-season
Grade B syrup because it has the strongest maple taste and contains
more minerals than the three lighter Grade A syrups produced earlier in
the sugaring season. You can use whatever grade of maple syrup you
prefer, but please make it real. Don't use the artificial stuff!!
Put
the cover on the jar and shake to mix. Label, date, and leave the
fruit to infuse for at least 10 days, and up to 6 weeks. Shake
occasionally when you think of it. Strain out the fruit (marvelous over
ice cream) and decant the cordial into glass jars or bottles. Keeps
for years without refrigeration - but I guarantee it won't last that
long!
Peach Cordial, Christy Sarles
Cut unpeeled peaches
in quarters, and add them to a wide-mouth glass jar. Pits optional.
Fill the the jar with brandy, to cover the fruit. (I use E&J
brandy, which has no preservatives,although as a child of the 60s it
still galls me to buy Gallo...). Anyway, let it sit, shaking it up
occasionally, until the peaches lose their color and start looking
mushy. Then, depending on where you are in the season, you can either
proceed to the sweetening stage or strain and pour the brandy over a new
batch of fresh peaches (and pits) for a more intense peach flavor.
When
you're ready to sweeten and bottle, strain out the fruit and add the
ginger syrup -- a quart per gallon, or more to taste. Start with a basic
simple syrup recipe -- 2 parts water to 1 part sugar (demerara is my preference). Add sliced, unpeeled ginger to taste. I like it
HOT, so I use LOTS of fresh ginger -- at the very least a cup.
Simmer/boil for 15 minutes or so til it thickens up, let it cool with the ginger in it, then strain and add to the
peach brandy. Decant to smaller bottles as needed.
Pear Cordial, Christy Sarles
Use
the basic fruit/brandy/maple syrup cordial recipe with either peaches
or pears (or any other fruit), using 1/2 fruit and the rest equal
portions of brandy and maple syrup -- or more or less of either one
depending on how sweet you like it. I always look out at yard sales for
pretty little bottles to fill up with summer cordials for winter
solstice gifts -- a little bit of midsummer in midwinter!
Kahlua Recipe, Susanna Reppert (therosemaryhouse.com)
- 2 C water
- 2 C sugar
- 1/2 C dry instant coffee (a dark roast is best)
- 1 fresh vanilla bean, chopped
- 1-1/2 C vodka
Slice
open and scrape the vanilla bean into the water. The more you
scrape/chop the bean the more flavor you will release. Boil the water,
sugar and vanilla bean together for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and slowly
add the instant coffee and keep stirring.
Allow to cool and combine
this sugar/coffee/vanilla syrup with the vodka. It tastes yummy right
away but improves and mellows as it ages. If you want a cleaner product
strain out the vanilla particles. If you want an even smoother taste
add 1 t glycerin to the finished blend. Yield: about 4 cups.
Tip: Drizzle over ice cream. Oh my goodness....
Tea Liqueur, Susanna Reppert
- 1 T good quality tea leaves, we like earl grey or darjeeling
- 1 ½ C vodka
- ½ C sugar syrup
- Steep the leaves in the vodka for 24 hours only.
- Strain, filter, and add sugar syrup. Ready in 24 hours!
It's Berry Good, Susanna Reppert
- 10 oz package of berries, strawberry, raspberry or any berry (fresh or frozen)
- 1 ½ C Vodka
- ¼ C sugar syrup
- Steep berries and the juice in the vodka for one week.
- Strain and filter.
- Taste and add sugar syrup as needed.
Note: Many frozen berries are pre-sugared. And some of my own personal favorites:Elderberry Cordial
- 1pint fresh elderberries OR 1 cup dried berries
- 1 pint 80 proof brandy
- 1 pint Maple syrup
- 3-5 cinnamon sticks
- a few slices of fresh ginger
- 2 cardamom pods
- the zest of one lemon
Put elderberries in a quart jar & muddle well. Add cinnamon
sticks. Then add equal parts brandy & maple syrup until the jar is
full. Cover tightly. Macerate for 6 to 8 weeks, shaking gently every
few days. Strain & bottle.Chocolate Cherry Cordial
- 2 pints pitted sour cherries
- 1/2 cup cacao nibs
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 qt brandy
- 1 qt maple syrup
Muddle cherries in 1/2 gallon wide-mouth jar. Add cacao chips, brandy
& maple syrup. Stir well. Put on the lid and wait. This needs to
age for 6 weeks.Nectar of Venus CordialThis
beverage needs to be made up early in January for use mid- February,
but it will be worthwhile. The flowers give it a beautiful deep pink
color, and can be served with ginger ale and lime slices.
The
following ingredients should be placed in a ½ gallon jar with a tight
fitting lid that allows for shaking. Be sure to label and date the jar.
Put out of sunlight while it sits for 1-6 weeks. Shake occasionally.
All herbs and flowers are dry.
- 1 fifth of good quality vodka ½ c red rose petals
- ½ c hibiscus flowers ½ c rose hips
- ½ c spearmint ¼ c granulated orange peel
- ¼ c cinnamon bark chips
After sitting this mixture is ready to decant. Strain through fine
cheesecloth or muslin into a pitcher large enough to also hold the
additional 5 cups of Grand Marnier and simple syrup (below).
- 1 c Grand Marnier
- 4 c simple syrup made from 2 c water, 2 c sugar.
- 1 T either rose water or orange blossom water.
Add these ingredients to the vodka mixture and blend well. Allow this
to rest for a couple of weeks so that the flavors can become well
acquainted. Pour into beautiful bottles, cork, label, and enjoy.Lavender Limoncello
- Zest from 10 lemons
- 1 fifth vodka
- 1 cup lavender buds
- 3 cups sugar
- 4 cups water
-
First infuse the lavender in the vodka for 24 hours. Strain. If you
leave the lavender longer, it gets too medicinal for my tastes.
- Next, infuse the lemon zest in the vodka for one week, and strain.
- Make
a simple syrup with the sugar and water, boiling gently for 15 minutes
without stirring. Cool well, and add the infused vodka. Allow this
mixture to steep together for at least 2 weeks. Serve ice cold.
- Substitute rose geranium leaves for lavender buds for a real treat!