Selfsufficientish.com

Hi,

Does anyone ever make cordials/ fruit squashes? Hubby and I are thinking of growing soft fruit on our allotment, but if we get a glut of berries then jam isn't something we would want much of. However, we do drink a lot of fruit squash (non-alcoholic).

I assume it's a process similar to making jam, but I haven't done that either so I wouldn't know where to start. Any thoughts?

Thanks
Muppet

The elderflower cordial recipe might be a place to get a general idea

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/elderflowercordial.htm

I would have thought you could substitute the elderflower for another fruit although never tried it myself.

I'm thinking of getting some blackcurrant bushes so that I can grow my own Ribena! Actually I want sugar free squash which I can't buy in France so thought I could make some then add hermesetas! I assume you just boil them up with a bit of water, strain then freeze the juice, which would have to be diluted with water to drink. Then if I can find some lolly sticks I can make it into ice lollies too!

Cordials/squashes are quite easy to do. Put your chosen fruit into a largeish pan, cover with water and leave to simmer for a while - thi siwll amke the juices run from the fruit. Strain while warm, and add sugar to taste. Blackcurrant will need 10 - 12o sugar per pint, other fruits a bit less, in my experience; just add, stir to dissolve and taste. Store in the fridge, or freeze, or bottle in Kilner jars/bottles using the hot water bath method.
Dilute with hot or cold water for drinking as you would bought cordials/squashes.

Hope this helps.

That's great, thanks everyone! 8)

My father-in-law is daibetic so I've been experimenting with no added sugar recipes for cordials and suchlike. I found replacing the water and sugar with apple juice worked well.

Just cover your berries with juice, add a small handful of cloves or cinnamon (they act as preservative) simmer for around ten minutes, press through a sieve to remove the solids and boil for 10 minutes before bottling.

Not sure they'll keep as long as the sugared version but they taste good and are easy enough to make fairly regularly, especially if you freeze stewed fruit so you've always got the raw materials.

Carol

I liquidised some blackcurrants, seived them and then froze them in an ice cube tray. 1 cube of defrosted blackcurrant puree to 1 litre of shop-bought apple juice and 1 litre of water makes a very nice no-added-sugar no-colours-flavours-or-preservatives apple and blackcurrant drink. It's even nicer hot.

I made blackberry squash and froze it in small quantities. I just dilute it and add a sweetener or two. No calories and it is delicious.

ooh chickpea, that sounds delicious

*goes blackcurrant hunting*

Does the elderberry cordial have to stay in the fridge or freezer - can it not just be in a bottle in the cupboard? I am so short of space in fridge/freezer!!
Like the ice-cube idea - suppose I could do that with the elderberries too?

Me again!!

Can I use elderberries to dye clothes and if so, how do I go about fixing the dye?

2 day old urine is an excellent mordant, but it does ming a bit!!!

Oh, well thanks but not sure I will bother with that

For keeping in the cupboard, the elderberry would need to be processed by hot water bath.

For dyeing, elderberries will give a very pretty blue/grey/lavender colour; I've dyed quite a lot of knitting wool with it, using allum as mordant - get allum from the chemist. Any dye left over can be frozen for use another time.

Or without a fixing agent you get a sort of washed out grey/purple colour. Actually I'm not sure if it was the blackberries or elderberries or just a bit of both that did that. It's my muslin for straining that is now that colour!