Cordial recipe

Friends from the quilting forum were more interested in the cordial recipe than making the cording for the labels!  LOL!

So here is the recipe:

Honey Peach Cordial

8-10 pounds fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, diced (about 6 quarts)

6 cups water

5 cups honey

2 pieces cinnamon stick (3 inches each)

1 whole nutmeg

2 tablespoons juniper berries

2 teaspoon whole cloves

2 teaspoons whole allspice

* 8 cups Scotch whisky

* Brandy, rum, or whiskey other than Scotch can be substituted.

1. Heat peaches and water in large saucepan to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 1 hour. Strain through fine mesh sieve, pressing with back of spoon to extract liquid. (About 8 cups nectar.)

2. Return nectar to saucepan. Stir in honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, juniper berries, cloves, and allspice. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer covered, 30 minutes. Strain, discard spices. Stir in scotch.

3. Pour into sterilized clear glass bottles. Cover tightly. Let stand in cool, dark, dry area 2 weeks. Sediment will sink to bottoms of bottles. Decant clear liquid, discard sediment. (I use the “sludge” to brush on cakes or cook down to make a filling.) Clean bottles. (I use Grolsch bottles with new rubber rings which you can get in a beer making equipment store.) Fill with cordial. Cordial can be used immediately but improves in clarity and flavor if stored 2 months before using.

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I've more frequently made it with apricots rather than peaches, and some have substituted mango for the peaches.  My personal preference is to use Seagram's Seven which makes a very smooth tasting cordial.

One time I processed the fruit by cooking it and running it through a food processor for cordial making later--was up my daughter's in Colorado with the fruit and brought that home to finish making it.  BIG MISTAKE.  I never was able to strain out the fruit, and even after several years, I still have a gallon bottle of mostly "sludge" that I use to soak other fruit in or brush on cakes.  It was very disappointing to waste all that liquor!

 I finished up two quilts for Tove and got them sent off on Saturday.  

She is a prolific quilter.  I have one of my own that needs finishing this week!