Homemade Lime Cordial

Now that limes are well in season and don’t cost almost $30 a kilo, as they did before Christmas, it’s worth buying them in quantity and making some cordial or even lime curd. For the lime curd, you can use my Microwave Lemon Curd recipe and just substitute the lemon juice for lime juice.

The cordial can be diluted with water, sparkling water or soda, add a dash of gin or Vodka or whatever else takes your fancy, top with a sprig of mint - a really refreshing summer drink.

Ingredients

• 1kg white sugar
• 2 litres boiling water
• 2 tsp citric acid
• 2 tsp tartaric acid
• 2 tbs epsom salts
• 800ml fresh lime juice, strained
• zest 4 limes
• 2 double leaves kaffir lime leaves (optional)

Method

1. Sterilize the bottles by washing in warm soapy water and rinse clean. Place in 100C oven for about 20 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan, dissolve the sugar, citric acid, tartaric acid and epsom salts in boiling water. Add the lime zest and lime leaves. Bring to the boil over medium/high. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then add the lime juice.
4. Stand, covered, until the mixture is cool enough to bottle. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve (line the sieve with muslin if desired).
5. Pour into sterilized bottles and seal.
6. When labelling the bottles, make sure to note that the cordial needs to be refrigerated after opening.

To Serve

7. Pour about 30mls of lime cordial into a tall glass filled with ice and top off with water, soda water or ginger beer.

Notes

You can buy citric and tartaric acids in your supermarket’s bakery aisle, next to the bicarb soda.