Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Homebrew => Topic started by: keepers_cottage on May 21, 2012, 12:47

Title: Home brews of the none alcoholic type!
Post by: keepers_cottage on May 21, 2012, 12:47

Hi all,

I am wondering what hedgerow brews/cordials I can make for my family this year.

All very new to me so rather than recipies, I am after ideas of what fruits and when etc.

Many thanks

Title: Re: Home brews of the none alcoholic type!
Post by: azubah on May 29, 2012, 08:42

I made red currant cordial once. I hate all those little seeds, so it was a good way to use up all the berries. Blackberry would be nice, and freely available soon.

Title: Re: Home brews of the none alcoholic type!
Post by: compostqueen on May 29, 2012, 09:12

Elderflower is a good one to start as there's usually a lot of it about  :)

Title: Re: Home brews of the none alcoholic type!
Post by: GrannieAnnie on May 29, 2012, 10:14

I've made blackcurrant cordial, that was nice!

Title: Re: Home brews of the none alcoholic type!
Post by: Alastair-I on May 29, 2012, 10:15

We've made elderberry cordial the last two years, it's very nice diluted as a drink or as a syrup over yoghurt, etc.  I use the recipe from Darina Allen's book Forgotten Skills of Cooking (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1856267881/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=saltg-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1856267881).  Our favourite spot for picking them is also good for blackberries and rosehips, both of which can also made into cordials and syrups.

It is a non-alcoholic cordial.. but I must admit that I made too much last year and the extra has been diluted with supermarket grape juice, sugar and yeast added, and is in the process of maturing into a heavy red wine!