Palmers Garden to Kitchen with Emma Galloway: Emma’s Basil & Lime Cordial
As part of my Garden to Kitchen series with @palmersnz I wanted to share a beautiful herbaceous drink we’ve been enjoying lately. I’ve taken one of my childhood favourites -homemade cordial- and boosted it with limes and basil from the garden. With the rain, then sunshine and warm weather all my herbs are looking super lush, and while I love using them in savoury dishes, they also add a lovely touch to sweet treats too.
Basil + Lime Cordial
Makes approx. 1 litre syrup.
350g raw sugar
600ml water (filtered is best)
4-6 limes
1 1/2 teaspoons citric acid, optional
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest off the limes and add to the pot. Bring to the boil and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside 5 minutes to infuse. Juice limes, you should end up with around 1 cup, and add this to the pan along with the citric acid, if using. Strain and set aside until completely cold. Place syrup into a blender, add basil leaves and blend on high until smooth. Strain again if needed (if you have a high-powered blender you won’t need to). Pour into a large glass bottle and refrigerate until needed.
To serve, add 2-4 tablespoons syrup to a glass and top up with still or sparkling water.
NB: Lemons can be used instead of limes if preferred. You don’t need to add the citric acid if you don’t have any. It acts as a natural preservative, so if you don’t use it, simply use the cordial within 7-10 days.
#gardentokitchen #palmersnz