Easy Old Fashioned Orange Cordial Recipe

in #food6 years ago (edited)


Orange cordial is a sweet, tart orange concentrate that you can mix with just about anything for a refreshing drink.


I like it with a bit of fizzy water, it reminds me a bit of Orangina. When I was a kid we called it orange squash but regardless of what you want to call it, this is a fabulous drink.


This cordial is a perfect beginner recipe, that delivers delicious results. If you are in a hurry you can use a carton of fresh orange juice from the store to save a bit of time. I rather enjoy reaming oranges. It reminds me of childhood and makes me feel a bit nostalgic. I've noticed that orange reamers are making a comeback!

Directions for canning (bottling) are also listed in the recipe notes so that you can store the bottles in a cupboard rather than refrigerating. This also makes them ideal for gift giving! We really like the Italian made Luigi Bormioli Lock Eat Glass Juice Jar Carafe which can be used for canning!! If you are new to canning we've written an easy to follow guide.

I love how certain flavours can transport you to another time and place. This orange cordial does that for me. When I was a kid, my Grandad would immediately start fussing over me the moment I walked into his flat.
He would head over to the cupboard and pull down a bottle of orange squash concentrate that he kept tucked away for his grandchildren. He would swiftly mix up a glass of this sweet, tart beverage and plunk it down in front of me. If I didn't drink it fast enough he would lovingly say "git it daern yer lass, get it daern yer" in his broad Yorkshire accent. For my grandparents, nourishment was a big expression of love and that's what I felt during this exchange of ours.

Today, I did just that, whilst hearing his voice and remembering the love. Cheers Grandad!

Old Fashioned Orange Cordial Recipe

Ingredients

  • 6 cups sugar
  • 4 cups water
  • 6 cups orange juice with pulp (10-15 oranges)
  • Juice of two lemons
  • Zest of two oranges (careful to remove the white pith as this will make the cordial overly bitter)

Instructions

  • Make a sugar syrup. In a big pot, add the water and sugar and simmer for ten minutes, stirring often.
  • Add the orange juice and lemon juice and simmer for ten more minutes
  • optional: carefully pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. This is optional. If you would like a pulpier cordial then you can leave it in.
  • Wash your bottles or jars with hot soapy water, rinse well and set them on a clean dish cloth.
  • Ladle the cordial into the bottles, wipe the rims thoroughly with a clean cloth and affix the lids. At this stage you can allow the cordial to cool and then refrigerate and use within two weeks. Optionally you can bottle (can) it for long term storage.

CANNING INSTRUCTIONS

Following your canners instructions process the jars for ten minutes. Turn off the heat and carefully remove the lid. Let the jars cool for 10 minutes and then using a jar lifter carefully lift them and place them on a cutting board or towel to cool completely.

If you are new to canning, we’ve written step by step instruction in our Beginner Jam Makers Guide!

Once the jars have cooled for 24 hours, check their seal. You should hear the occasional pinging sound as they are cooling that gives you an auditory confirmation that your jars have sealed. If you look at the lid of the jar, you should notice that there is a small bump in the lids. This bump depresses as the jars seal “sucking it down”. All of the lids should be sucked down. If you press on the center of the lid and that bump pops up, they are not sealed properly. If you should have an issue with a jar not sealing, refrigerate it and eat within a few weeks.

Remove the metal rings and wipe the lids and jars with a damp clean cloth. Store the jars without the rings in a cool dark place.

Notes: do not juice your oranges in the juicer unless you peel them first. You’ll end up with a terribly bitter product. We use a steam canner which is a time saving and convenient way to preserve jams, jellies and pickles. You can learn more about them here.


Posted with love from my blog walkerland.ca with SteemPress : https://www.walkerland.ca/easy-old-fashioned-orange-cordial-recipe/
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I love this as it reminds me of the time spent with my grandmother. We had such fun in the kitchen, such fond memories. She taught me so much, and I'm sure that's why cooking is my love language today. I can somehow picture your grandfather, with a twinkle in his eye, watching you drink his special drink. :) and here you are today, the memory lives on!

oh I have so many oranges on the land at the moment it is amazing and I will have to try this out, will have to try and find a substitute for the sugar though, thank you for this xx

You could just sweeten it to taste with honey. It would not be quite as concentrated but still very good. When I finally get bees we'll be doing most things with honey.

Wonderful! I love this idea and will be storing it im the mental files for the next time i have oranges to process. Tis the season for processing oranges. They are a treat for us up here!

They are a treat here as well, we are too cold for growing oranges. We've been eating a lot of them the past few weeks. I found a big sale that was impossible to pass up. We've got to get them while we can!

Wonderful! Sales and bulk buying can be such blessings for things like this. I find it's the same with bananas...another treat around here :)

Gosh, I did a bit of a double take there! In New Zealand, we would call that a juicer. Reaming would be something that I couldn't describe here without it being NSFW.

My Granddad was from Yorkshire too. Hull and later Halifax, before emigrating to NZ in the 1950s.

well forsure I could see why that could have developed into a rather rude slang considering the dictionary Definition of reamer - a tool for widening or finishing drilled holes., a utensil with a ridged, conical projection which is pressed and twisted against.


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Lovely
Toasted bread with Orange cordial in a cold morning in front of the fireplace with a Cup of the. It is already Christmas time!!!
Congratulations and thanks to you to share this post with us.

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I love your memories of this drink! The recipe sounds perfectly simple and your instructions are great!