Raspberry-Lemon Cordial Syrup

Add a touch of ruby sweetness to your sunny-day drinks
with this effortless syrup

Prep & Cooking: 25 minutes (plus cooling time)
Makes: 1 cup of syrup
*Does one cup of sugar sound a bit over the top? It certainly does to me at first glance. But, consider this; the recipe can create up to 16 individual servings, that means just over 3.75 liters of homemade raspberry-lemon "soda". Remember, if you have a sugar stand-in that you swear by, give it a try!

Main Ingredients:
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest

Method:
In a medium sized pot over medium heat, combine all ingredients except the lemon zest, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to encourage berries to breakdown and to avoid burning. You may need to use the back of a wooden spoon to crush berries that remain whole.

Remove from heat and add lemon zest, allow to infuse for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the berry, lemon and sugar mixture, pushing the liquid through the remaining seeds with a rubber spatula or back of a wooden spoon, and into a heat proof glass jar or container. Allow to cool completely before refrigerating.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of syrup to a glass filled with ice, top with 1 cup (250ml) of soda or tonic and stir.

Tips & Variations:

• Freeze additional raspberries and use with or in place of ice cubes in your finished drink
• Garnish with a lemon wedge for an extra tart twist
• Double Duty – drizzle this syrup over a frozen dessert for a sweet fruity topping – a little goes a long way!