Recipe: plum cordial
16/08/2017 at 9:25 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 CommentsTags: differently abled, nature recipe, oxygen therapy, special needs
The branch might seem like the fruit’s origin: In fact, the branch exists because of the fruit. ~ Rumi
This is the first year in a long time that I’m not making plum cordial myself. Instead, my 21-year-old son and his carers are taking over the role. (My son, Tim, has carers because he is differently abled. He has physical and learning disabilities, and oxygen therapy). I am writing down the recipe so that others can follow it. In fact, it’s very similar to Elderberry cordial. But there are some differences.
The method is easy
1. Gather ripe, healthy plums. It’s fun to pick them from the tree, then throw them into a bowl which someone else is holding (Tim’s method). Or better yet, throw them randomly around and thus give the bowl holder some exercise.
2. Wash, chop roughly (don’t bother removing stones) and place in a large pan. Add just enough water to cover comfortably. Bring slowly to the boil, then simmer gently for 15 minutes. Stir from time to time.
3. When cool enough to handle, strain into a large bowl through a colander with a muslin cloth draped over it. Press the cloth with the back of a large spoon or your hands to get as much of the juice out as possible. (Alternatively, for a clearer cordial, leave the juice to strain naturally through the muslin cloth, overnight if necessary.)
4. Measure the amount of liquid you have and put it back in the rinsed-out pan. Add half a kilo (1 lb) granulated sugar for each litre (1.5 pints) of liquid.
5. Add a couple of cinnamon sticks and approx 4 cm (1.5 inches) of root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped per litre (1.5 pints) of liquid. Heat gently until all the sugar is dissolved. Add a little more sugar to taste if required. Leave mixture to infuse for half an hour over a very low heat, or off the heat.
6. Sieve the liquid to remove the cinnamon and ginger. Pour the liquid into sterilized bottles (putting them through the dishwasher beforehand is fine).
7. Put caps on the bottles, making sure they are well sealed. Store in fridge where it should keep for several months. You can also store this cordial in plastic bottles in the freezer, being sure not to fill them completely to take into account the expansion of the water as it turns to ice. In the freezer it will keep easily until the festive season.
To drink, dilute to taste (roughly 1 measure of cordial to 5 or 6 measures of water. Tastes delicious with sparkling water, and a slice of lemon or orange.
The benefits are great
Plums are rich in anti-oxidants to help to keep cells healthy, and a host of vitamins (in particular Vitamin C) which assist the healthy functioning of the body in myriad ways. There are also good amounts of bioflavonoids to help absorb and utilise all the lovely Vitamin C. One of the earliest of fruits to be cultivated by humans, there’s something innately nourishing about plums. Be sure to include the skins when preparing a recipe, as much of the goodness is contained there.
With thanks to Julie and Suzie for helping Tim to make plum cordial this year.
Recipe: sugar-free elderflower and rose cordial
20/06/2017 at 1:36 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 3 CommentsTags: elderflowers, honey, nature, nature recipe, roses, sugar-free, summer cordial, summer recipe, summer solstice, wildcrafting
Through May to June I make elderflower and rose cordial. It seems like the perfect way to capture the magic of this fragrant time of year. I walk the fields, most often with my daughter, and we collect elderflowers and wild roses, wild strawberries and sometimes even little field pansies, or more often we pluck a few pansies and lavender sprigs from the plants that bask in sunshine by the kitchen door.
However, this year something has changed. I gave up sugar last Lent, and the habit has stuck. Now I’d rather my cordials were not super-sweet. True, sugar is an effective, traditional preservative for drinks and jams. Looking at it logically, however, sugar is not essential. Fridges and freezers do a pretty good job of preservation!
So in recent years I’ve adapted my old recipe. This version is sugar-free. Instead, it contains a relatively small amount of honey. Ideally, a good, local, liquid honey.
The difference in flavour? Truthfully, I prefer this version. It seems to me that the honey, which itself it made from the nectar of countless flowers, brings out the fragrant, nectar-rich scent of the early summer blooms.
You can adapt the flowers according to what’s available. Right now, roses are everywhere, so they’re the main ingredient in the cordial illustrated here. The roses can be wild ones from the hedgerows, though it’s best to include plenty of fragrant garden ones too. Later in the season, you could probably add meadowsweet. I haven’t tried that yet.
The key is that the flowers are not heated, so they keep their amazingly delicate flavour. I hope you agree the recipe captures the refreshing, uplifting essence of summer.
For this healthier recipe I often add raspberries and wild strawberries.
Ingredients:
2.5 litres water
3/8 cup/100 g honey
1 bowl/60 g mixed elderflowers (thick stalks removed), fragrant rose petals (unsprayed & from a garden or hedgerow, not a shop); a few pansies are an optional extra
5 sprigs lavender (optional)
3 generous sprigs lemon verbena leaves (optional)
1 scant cup/120 g strawberries or raspberries, or a mix of both (optional)
1 lemon or other citrus fruit
Method:
Boil water and let it cool for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the flowers and fruit. Check flowers over and remove any discolourations or bugs. Wash fruit and drain. Slice lemon. Place all flowers and fruit in a large bowl. Add lemon verbena leaves if using.
Add the honey to the cooled water and stir to dissolve.
Pour the honey water over all other ingredients in bowl, cover with a clean muslin or cotton cloth and leave in a room where it won’t be disturbed for 14 to 24 hours, stirring once or twice during that time. You can check the flavour is to your liking by dipping a clean spoon in and tasting the liquid neat. Broadly, you want to infuse it just long enough to capture the delicate flower flavour.
Strain mixture through muslin or cotton cloth, or a fine sieve. Squeeze well to extract the juice. Pour the fragrant cordial into bottles. Refrigerate. Can be stored for up to a week in the fridge. You can also freeze in a plastic container (leave room for expansion) for six or seven months.
To serve: dilute 1:5 with cold still or sparkling water. Garnish with mint sprigs if liked.
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Suzanne Askham 