Christmas Cranberry Cordial

You can, of course, buy cranberry juice everywhere, but this has a much more intense flavour and a vivid scarlet colour that will make you feel

fabulously festive. You can save the strained-off fruit and use it as a topping for muesli, stir it into porridge or add it to a fruit loaf or teabread.

MAKES ABOUT 600ML

(20FL OZ)

250g (9oz) granulated sugar

400ml (14fl oz) water

200g (7oz) cranberries,

rinsed

2 finely pared strips of

unwaxed orange or

clementine rind

piece of cinnamon stick

30ml (2 tablespoons) freshly

squeezed orange or

clementine juice, strained

soda or sparkling

Put the sugar in a saucepan and add the measured water. Heat over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to the boil and add the cranberries, orange or clementine rind and cinnamon. Simmer for 5 minutes until the skins of the cranberries have split but the berries are still holding their shape. Take off the heat, add the orange or clementine juice and leave to cool.

Strain the contents of the pan through a fine sieve into a wide-necked jug or bowl, then pour the liquid through a funnel into a sterilized bottle or other airtight container, seal and leave in the refrigerator for 24–48 hours before using; it will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

To serve, dilute 4:1 or 5:1 with soda or sparkling water.

This recipe is from How to Drink Without Drinking by Fiona Beckett