Nothing really compares to home made lemon cordial, it’s so real in comparison to many shop bought varieties and very refreshing. It is the perfect thing to make if you have a glut of lemons. Lemon cordial is fantastic on a hot day, we love to mix ours with soda water to turn it into lemonade.

It only takes 15 minutes maximum to make the cordial. It’s best to let it cool a bit before adding water so you don’t end up with a warm drink, but a few ice cubes would fix that quick smart.

If you’re looking at making a home made basket to gift, this lemon cordial, lemon curd and bacon jam would be great additions.

Notes: This is a base recipe and should be tweaked for your preferences. There are many different types of lemons and they all have varying degrees of sourness. In my opinion, it is best to add more or less sugar depending on your tastes.

If you love all things lemon flavoured, you could try making some lemon meringue cupcakes, lemon curd or lemon delicious slice. Don’t forget to keep your peels to make some citrus cleaner.

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 0 mins

Makes: Approx 1.2 litres

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups lemon juice
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 750 ml boiling water
• 1 tsp citric acid

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a large heatproof jug or bowl, stir until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Ladle the cordial into hot, sterilised bottles and seal.
3. Refrigerate until chilled.
4. To serve,  mix 1/3 cup of cordial with 2/3 cup of water. Add ice cubes, lemon slices, mint or basil leaves if desired.