Recipes – Beverages

Ingredients

• 500g blackcurrants (fresh or frozen)
• 300ml water
• 250g sugar
• juice of 2 lemons

Method

1. Wash the fruit and remove woody stems (doesn’t matter if they are not all removed as they will be filtered out later).
2. Warm the water in a pan, stirring in the sugar until dissolved.
3. Add the fruit, bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Simmer for about 10 minutes mashing the fruit with a potato masher to extract the juice.
5. Add the lemon juice and simmer for another minute.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to stand for an hour or so, infusing the flavours.
7. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve lined with a muslin cloth into a clean jug. Press the fruit lightly to extract the juice.
8. Optional – filter a second time through a coffee filter for a clearer cordial.
9. Pour the cordial into sterilised bottles, leaving a small gap, seal the bottle.
10. When cool store in the refrigerator for up to a month or freeze in a suitable container (not glass bottles).
11. Dilute one part cordial to three or four parts still or sparkling water, according to taste.

Quantity

• Approx. 500ml cordial

Variations

• Soft berries – raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, currants etc. Use similar quantities. Raspberries and strawberries are generally sweeter so you may want to reduce the sugar slightly.
• Stone fruits – plums, cherries, peaches etc. Halve the fruit to help extract the flavour. No need to remove all of the pits as these will be strained out anyway. These fruits contain more water so you may need to reduce the amount of water in this recipe.
• Rhubarb – requires chopping into chunks. It Pairs well with strawberries to balance it’s tartness.
• Gooseberries are quite sharp and will benefit from more sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 litre water
• 1.2 kg caster sugar
• 4 oranges (unwaxed is best), finely grated zest and juice
• 2 lemons (unwaxed is best), finely grated zest and juice

Method

1. Combine the water, sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, orange juice and lemon juice in a large, non-reactive saucepan.
2. Heat gently over a medium heat, stirring continuously until all the sugar has completely dissolved. Avoid boiling the mixture at this stage.
3. Remove from heat, cover the saucepan with a lid, allow to infuse at room temperature for 3 hours or, ideally, overnight. This resting period allows the flavours to meld and mature.
4. Strain the mixture the next day through a fine-mesh sieve or a cheesecloth to remove all the zest and any pulp. Discard the solids.
5. Bottle the strained liquid immediately. Pour the cordial into pre-sterilised glass bottles, seal them tightly, and invert them briefly to ensure a good seal.
6. Store the sealed bottles in the fridge for up to a few weeks.

Quantity

• Approx. 1.5 litres

Ingredients

• 2 litres filtered water
• 100g granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger (adjust this to taste)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast

Method

1. In a small saucepan, combine about 1 cup of the water with the sugar and the grated ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Remove from the heat, cover, and let the mixture sit for at least one hour to allow the ginger to steep and infuse its flavour.
3. Strain the ginger syrup through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a large bowl or pitcher to remove the ginger solids. Press down on the ginger pulp to extract maximum flavour.
4. Add the remaining water and the lemon juice.
5. Allow to cool to room temperature before proceeding, as hot water will kill the yeast.
6. Pour the liquid mixture into a clean 2 litre plastic bottle with the yeast. Cap the bottle tightly and shake well until the yeast is completely dissolved.
7. To Ferment – store the bottle in a warm place out of direct sunlight for approximately 48 hours, or until it is hard to compress when you squeeze it. Release the cap very slowly once or twice a day while fermenting to prevent it from over expanding or exploding.
8. Once the bottle is very firm to the touch, place it in the refrigerator immediately to stop the fermentation process.
9. Serve chilled over ice, within 1 to 2 weeks.

Quantity

• Approx. 2 litres

Ingredients

• 2 cups full fat milk
• 1 tsp ground turmeric (or 1 tbsp freshly grated root)
• ½ tsp ground ginger (or 1 inch fresh, grated)
• ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
• A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 tsp honey or maple syrup, to taste (add after heating)
• Optional: ½ tsp coconut oil or ghee

Method

1. Combine the milk, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper in a small saucepan. If using a fat like coconut oil or ghee, add it now.
2. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally, until it is hot but not boiling. Gentle simmering for about 5-10 minutes helps infuse the flavours, but avoid a rolling boil, which can create a skin on top of the milk.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in your preferred sweetener (honey or maple syrup) to taste. If using honey, let the milk cool slightly before adding it to preserve its properties.
4. Strain the golden milk through a fine-mesh sieve into two mugs to remove any spice residue (especially if using fresh, grated ingredients or whole peppercorns).
5. Serve warm

Quantity

• 2 servings

Ingredients

• 350ml cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (or raw cacao powder)
• 2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (not artificial flavouring)
• Pinch of sea salt

Method

1. Gently heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent it from burning on the bottom of the pot; do not let it boil.
2. Whisk the cocoa powder, sweetener, vanilla extract, and salt into the warming milk until all ingredients are well combined and the mixture is smooth.
3. Continue to heat and whisk the mixture until it reaches your desired temperature.
4. Remove from the heat and carefully pour into mugs.
5. Serve immediately

Quantity

• Two small or one large mug.

Ingredients

• 200g granulated sugar
• 250ml water
• 250ml lemon juice (approx. 4 to 6 large lemons)

Method

1. Heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is clear.
2. Allow the syrup to cool.
3. Combine the lemon juice with the syrup and use as required, 1 part syrup to 4 parts water.
4. The syrup will store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Quantity

• Will make about 1.5 litres of still lemonade

Ingredients

• Mixed fruit – for example strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, cooking apples, rhubarb.
• Lemon juice
• Sugar – approx. 350g per 600ml juice

Method

1. Wash and roughly chop your fruits.
2. Place the chopped fruits in a pan with a small amount of water (approx. 140ml per 450g fruit) and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes until soft.
3. Strain the cooked fruit through a muslin bag into a jug. Let it drip, do not squeeze too hard.
4. Optional – filter a second time through a coffee filter for a clearer cordial.
5. For every 600ml of juice add about 350g of sugar and a dash of lemon juice.
6. Gently heat the mix stirring until the sugar is dissolved; avoid rapid boiling as this will affect the flavour.
7. Carefully pour the hot syrup into warmed glass bottles leaving a gap of about an inch at the top of the bottle, then seal.
8. When cool, store in the refrigerator for up to a month.
9. Dilute one part cordial to three or four parts still or sparkling water according to taste.

Ingredients

• 100 g pearl barley
• 1.5 litres filtered water
• optional flavourings – zest and juice of 1 lemon or orange, honey/sugar to taste

Method

1. Rinse the barley under running water until the water runs clear.
2. Optional – soaking the barley for 15 mins to an hour first will reduce the cooking time.
3. Combine the water, barley and zest if using, in a large pan bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes to an hour until the barley grains are very soft and expanded, and the liquid has turned a creamy white or pale caramel colour.
4. Strain the liquid into a clean jug, the barley can be used in soups, stews or discarded.
5. While still hot stir in any sugar or honey required.
6. When cool, add the lemon / orange juice if required.
7. Chill and serve.
8. Will store in the refrigerator for several days.

Quantity

• Approx. 1.5 litres

Ideas for leftover fruit pulp

1. Quick Jam or Compote – Since the fruit is already soft and sweet, you can quickly turn the pulp into a loose jam or compote. Simply reheat it in a small pan, adding a little more sugar or lemon juice if needed. This is excellent on toast, swirled into oatmeal, or dolloped over yoghurt.
2. Smoothie Booster – Freeze the pulp in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop a cube or two into your smoothie for a burst of extra fruit flavour and fibre.
3. Baking Ingredient – Mix the pulp into muffin or cake batter. The moisture and flavour work perfectly in recipes like berry muffins, allowing you to potentially reduce the amount of other fats or sugars in the recipe.
4. Layered Dessert – Layer the fruit pulp with Greek yoghurt, whipped cream, or a dairy-free alternative, and some crushed biscuits or granola for a simple, healthy dessert.
5. Pancake or Waffle Topping – Warm the pulp slightly and serve it as a healthy, chunky topping for pancakes, waffles, or French toast instead of maple syrup.
6. Fruit Leather – Spread the pulp thinly on a silicone mat or baking paper sheet. Bake at a very low temperature (around 60°C or 140°F) for several hours until it is dry and pliable. Cut into strips for homemade fruit roll-ups.
7. Crackers – Dehydrate the pulp to create healthy, crunchy crackers. Spread the pulp thinly on a lined baking sheet and bake in a very low oven or dehydrator until crispy.
8. Fruit Tea – Boil the fruit pulp with water and add spices like cinnamon or ginger for a naturally flavoured, nutrient-dense tea. Strain the liquid before drinking.
9. DIY Beauty Products – The pulp can be repurposed into natural skincare items like exfoliating body scrubs or face masks due to its texture and nutrients. For example, you could mix berry pulp with a little sugar or bentonite clay to create a scrub.
10. Add to compost bin