The Recipe for Raspberry Cordial from Anne of Green Gables
The raspberry cordial recipe that I am making is a basic simple syrup infused with juices from fresh raspberries.
Adding some fresh lemon juice to the mixture to give it a bit of a tart flavor.
Welcome to the April Edition of the Virtual Book Club.
I along with three other bloggers will be sharing our interpretation of a different book each book on the fourth week of each month.
On Thursday we will be sharing something home decor related and on the following Saturday a culinary treat inspired by our book
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Anne & Diana’s Tea Party
In the book, Anne Shirley invites her best friend Diana to her house for afternoon tea. She has permission to serve raspberry cordial with a fruit cake but mistakenly serves a currant wine to Diana Barry who becomes drunk.
What was supposed to be a rite of passage of sorts; they are able to have a tea party alone in the house; becomes a debacle. Poor Anne is forbidden to ever see her friend again and is banned from the upcoming church social.
You can certainly understand the mix-up as both the homemade raspberry cordial and the bottle of currant wine would have had a ruby-red appearance.
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My Raspberry Cordial
My recipe for raspberry cordial is basically a simple syrup infused with raspberries and turned into raspberry syrup. This is a very sweet concoction so I’ve added lemon juice to my recipe to produce a little bit of a tart drink.
Place 2 cups of water in a large pot and then add equal parts sugar (2 cups) and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. To this mixture add 4 cups of fresh berries and once it returned to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and let it cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl (I put it in my sink) and slowly pour the raspberry syrup into the strainer. Using a potato masher (I used a muddler) work the raspberries into the strainer so that all of the juice is in the bowl.
The leftover raspberry mixture still in the strainer is thick and sweet. I’m saving it as it would be perfect as a jam or a raspberry topping for ice cream.
Raspberry Cordial
Equipment
- Large Sauce Pan
- measuring cups
- Lemon Juicer
- fine mesh strainer
- potato masher
- muddler
- flip-top bottle or other air-tight container
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 lemon Juiced
- 4 cups fresh raspberries 3 – 6 oz packages
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Then add the sugar to the boiling water and stir until dissolved and becomes sugar water.
- Add the raspberries and stir in. Bring back to a boil and then turn the heat to low or simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat off and stir in the lemon juice.
Making the Syrup
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and slowly pour into the strainer. I do this in my sink as the mixture can splash and it's extremely sticky
- Shake the strainer until most of the juice has dripped into the bowl, then using a potato masher, muddler, or wooden spoon, work the berries into the strainer until almost all of the juice has gone into the bowl.
- At this point, you can discard the remains of the berries or use them for another recipe.
- Let the mixture cool completely, then careful pour the syrup into an airtight container (I used a flip top bottle)
- Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Raspberry Cordial Drinks
Raspberry Cordial Soda
I poured 1-1/2 oz of the raspberry juice over ice and then filled the glass with club soda for a refreshing non-alcoholic drink.
Raspberry Cordial Cocktail
Another drink that I concocted was 1-1/2 oz. of the homemade cordial with 1-1/2 oz of Vodka and then add ice and soda water to fille.
You can also fille with champagne or Processco for a very fun refreshing cocktail. Adding champagne elevates this cocktail and makes this a perfect drink for special occasions.
Raspberry Lemonade
Add 2 oz of the syrup, juice from 2 fresh lemons, and fill to the top with water or soda water. Add ice.
You can add vodka, gin, or tequila to this to make it a fun spring/summer cocktail.
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of making a homemade cordial, you could purchase a raspberry cordial in both the non-alcohol or alcohol form at either your local grocery store or at liquor stores.
“I never thought raspberry cordial would set people drunk, Marilla–not even if they drank three big tumblerfuls as Diana did. Oh, it sounds so–so–like Mrs. Thomas’s husband! But I didn’t mean to set her drunk.”
Garnishing Your Drinks
There are so many things you could garnish these drinks with.
- wedge of lemon
- orange peel
- slice of lime
- sprig of mint
I made some fun ice cubes with raspberries and ice. I also tried making ice cubes out of the raspberry cordial but it really didn’t freeze. According to everything I’ve read it can be done and frozen for up to 3 months but I didn’t have any luck.
Maybe I didn’t let it freeze long enough.
If you want some more ideas of the things that I preserve by freezing them into cubes, you can find them HERE.
Drink Glassware
Fruit on Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is 43% agricultural and has a diverse range of fruits that are grown on the Island. They include blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, grapes, apples, and of course raspberries.
So it’s no surprise that L.M. Montgomery used this familiar fruit in her tales as an old-fashioned raspberry cordial was obviously something she was familiar with.
Now that it’s starting to warm up, I love having a new refreshing drink to serve to friends and family. Thank you, Anne!
Peace & Love,
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All of the drinks using the raspberry cordial sound fun and refreshing! They look pretty, too!
They were very fun!
These all look and sound delicious! and your photography was fabulous.
Thank you my friend!
These recipes look delicious. I think I’ll have to surprise my middle daughter and make the raspberry cordial soda!
It was fun to make and it was really tasty!
All of the drinks you made look wonderful and refreshing. I cannot choose which one would be my favorite. Love the photo of the raspberry lemonade outside. I strained my raspberries too! Anne of Green Gables was so fun to interpret!
This was such a fun book! So many inspiring ideas.
Lynn, your cordial not only sounds delicious but refreshing as well. I’m always looking for a new summer beverage. Thank you for sharing!
It is so good! The cordial with ice and sparkling water with a lemon slice was so refreshing. I also made a cocktail with the cordial. So yummy. Now if our weather would just cooperate for outdoor beverages 🙂