With the fruiting trees of Summer staging their last bursts of colour for the season, this post pays tribute to their exotic flavours and unveils the secret to keeping them around through the less vibrant months of Winter.
Always having been mesmerised at the thought of making magic potions, concocting summer-time fruit cordials seemed the perfect way to 'get my witch on'. With a tad of inspirtation from my garden as well as research into the pre-existing exotic cordial brand Alchemy, the three flavour combinations I originally planned to produce were - Blueberry and Lavender; Cherry, Rose, and LillyPilly; and Lime and French Vanilla.
Having recently whipped up some (and indulged in a little bit more than some) homemade Lavender and Honey Icecream, my tolerance for the sometimes soapy essence of Lavender seems to have dramtically declined. Lavender in this instance was therefore replaced with Violets which are naturally sweet and make for a beautiful floating garnish in the finished cordial beverage. The forementioned native flora- Lillypillys, were hard to come by, being a December through to early February bloomer. This left cordial number two as a simple yet classic dual-flavour combination of Cherry and Rose. However, also a summer-time flourisher, Cherries were potentially problematic to purchase. Fortunately, I was able to get my hands on some plump, glossy red ones in my local supermarket. The remaining ingredients - Rose, Lime, and Vanilla, are available all year round in non-perishable packaging, making my ingredient hunt that little bit less exhausting.
Being somewhat of an expose' of luscious and therapeautic ingredients, featuring both antioxidants and aphrodisiacs, the only appropriate diluting substance, radiating class and sophistication, was Sanpellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water.
Corked tightly in fancy glass bottles, cordials make a colourful gift, table centrepiece, or can even be disguised as household decore'. A word from the wise, if planning to keep bottled for an extended time (say, more than 3 days), about a teaspoon of lemon juice (or powdered/soluble Ascorbic Acid) is a neccessary ingredient in the syrup to act as a natural preservative, and a good rinse of the bottles with boiling water to sterlise the glass is dire to preventing bacterial growth.
The below photos (click to enlarge) depict the cooking process and the finished products. For the recipes, follow the link here.
Always having been mesmerised at the thought of making magic potions, concocting summer-time fruit cordials seemed the perfect way to 'get my witch on'. With a tad of inspirtation from my garden as well as research into the pre-existing exotic cordial brand Alchemy, the three flavour combinations I originally planned to produce were - Blueberry and Lavender; Cherry, Rose, and LillyPilly; and Lime and French Vanilla.
Having recently whipped up some (and indulged in a little bit more than some) homemade Lavender and Honey Icecream, my tolerance for the sometimes soapy essence of Lavender seems to have dramtically declined. Lavender in this instance was therefore replaced with Violets which are naturally sweet and make for a beautiful floating garnish in the finished cordial beverage. The forementioned native flora- Lillypillys, were hard to come by, being a December through to early February bloomer. This left cordial number two as a simple yet classic dual-flavour combination of Cherry and Rose. However, also a summer-time flourisher, Cherries were potentially problematic to purchase. Fortunately, I was able to get my hands on some plump, glossy red ones in my local supermarket. The remaining ingredients - Rose, Lime, and Vanilla, are available all year round in non-perishable packaging, making my ingredient hunt that little bit less exhausting.
Being somewhat of an expose' of luscious and therapeautic ingredients, featuring both antioxidants and aphrodisiacs, the only appropriate diluting substance, radiating class and sophistication, was Sanpellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water.
Corked tightly in fancy glass bottles, cordials make a colourful gift, table centrepiece, or can even be disguised as household decore'. A word from the wise, if planning to keep bottled for an extended time (say, more than 3 days), about a teaspoon of lemon juice (or powdered/soluble Ascorbic Acid) is a neccessary ingredient in the syrup to act as a natural preservative, and a good rinse of the bottles with boiling water to sterlise the glass is dire to preventing bacterial growth.
The below photos (click to enlarge) depict the cooking process and the finished products. For the recipes, follow the link here.
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