In this blog I'm sharing how to make easy homemade cordial with freshly squeezed lime juice. If you have an abundance of limes, it can be hard to know what to do with them all! This delicious homemade lime juice cordial recipe uses up a lot of limes and makes a refreshing cold drink to enjoy.
My parents own a 25 acre property with a citrus orchard. They have an abundant supply of limes, lemons, cumquats, oranges and mandarins.
To keep up with the overwhelming supply they've been busy in the kitchen dehydrating slices of lemons and limes and making marmalades. We decided to make lime juice cordial as another way to preserve the harvest.
I found a recipe online and the first attempt was an epic fail! It was so bitter it tasted like poison and promptly ended up down the sink. Luckily we still had lots of lime, so I made a second attempt with a few tweaks to the first recipe. Success! It was perfect, and I'm excited to share my recipe with you in this blog.
Now, after a day working on the farm, mum and dad can enjoy a refreshing cold lime juice cordial from their own orchard.
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Lime Juice Cordial Ingredients
- 2 cups lime juice (freshly squeezed, seeds removed)
- 1 tablespoon citric acid
- 1.5 kg white sugar
- 4 cups boiling water
Note: All measurements are Australian metric. Please refer to the recipe card below for conversions.
Easy Homemade Cordial Instructions
Combine citric acid, sugar and boiling water in a large bowl. Mix well to dissolve the sugar.
Add the lime juice and stir to combine.
Cover with cling film and set in the fridge to cool overnight.
Strain mixture through a muslin cloth or a fine sieve.
Using a funnel, pour the cordial into sterilised bottles and seal. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Tip: I like to use glass flip-top bottles to store cordial. To sterilise these, first separate the lids from the bottles and wash all the parts in hot soapy water. Then rinse well and shake the bottles to drain excess water.
Allow the lids to air dry on clean paper towel.
Next, lay the glass bottles only on a baking tray, place them in the oven and turn the oven on to 110 degrees Celsius (230 Fahrenheit). Once the temperature is reached heat the bottles for 10 mins. After 10 minutes, turn the oven off and open the door, allowing the bottles to cool before removing them.
Note: Sterilising bottles with heat is only recommended for high-quality thermal glass bottles.
Substitutions
- Citric acid - instead of citric acid, you can use tartaric acid. Do not use lime or lemon peel as this will add a bitter taste to the cordial.
- Lemon - simply substitute the lime juice with freshly squeezed lemon juice to make homemade lemon cordial.
Lime Juice Cordial Storage
Store the cordial in an airtight bottle in the fridge for up to 3 months.
For more delicious homemade preserves check out my strawberry jam and mango chutney recipes.
Recipe
Easy Homemade Lime Juice Cordial
Equipment
- Citrus juicer
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Large glass mixing bowl
- Wooden mixing spoon
- Cling film
- Fine sieve or muslin cloth
- Funnel
- 3x 750 ml Flip-top glass bottle
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon citric acid
- 1.5 kg white sugar
- 4 cups boiling water
- 2 cups lime juice freshly squeezed, seeds removed
Instructions
- Combine citric acid, sugar and boiling water in a large bowl. Mix well to dissolve sugar.
- Add lime juice and stir to combine.
- Cover with cling film and set in the fridge to cool overnight.
- Strain mixture through muslin cloth or a fine sieve.
- Using a funnel, pour cordial into sterilised bottles and seal. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
No, unlike plain lime juice, lime cordial is a combination of sugar, citric acid, boiled water and lime juice. The addition of sugar and citric acid helps to preserve the cordial for up to 3 months when refrigerated, where as fresh lime juice can only be kept for a few days.
It depends. Drunk in moderation homemade lime juice cordial is much better for you than store-bought cordial since it contains no artificial sweeteners, colours or flavours.
Lime juice is high in vitamin C, antioxidants and other nutrients but cordial contains a high level of refined sugar, so it should be consumed in moderation, as part of a healthy diet.
Citric acid can be used as a substitute for tartaric acid in cordial. Do not use cream of tartar.
When refrigerated, many homemade cordials last up to three months. Sterilise the bottles thoroughly and follow the recipe closely to prevent early spoilage.
Freeze excess lime juice for up to 12 months.
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