A Look At Some Plastic Free Cordials!
If you go down the fruit squash, cordial aisle you can’t fail to notice the rows upon rows of plastics. It can be soul destroying to see. With the plastic tax now taking effect in the UK I would say that more manufacturers will come on board to include recycled content in their bottles.
Meanwhile, if you do look around you may see some lovely UK made products also available in glass. Glass is heavier to transport sadly but on the flip side, it is one of the most recycled products out there. Plus we love to keep ours going even longer by making our own cordials (see recipe near bottom of page).
In this article we have a look at some of the products you can buy and also how to make your own (really easy) if you choose to do so. Some products in glass bottles can be pricey so look out for special offers to keep your pennies lasting longer.
Belvoir – Belvoir Farm lies in the Vale of Belvoir in Leicestershire. The first cordial was made in the farmhouse kitchen by Peverel Manners, utilising wild elderflower that were spilling into the family’s garden. No artificial preservatives, additives or sweeteners are used. The team now owns 60 acres of organic elderflower which are harvested in June.
Blossom Cottage – Made in the Cotswolds with hand picked fruits added to spring water. You can buy morello cherry or elderflower flavours with no artificial colours or sweeteners.
Bottlegreen – This company was founded by husband & wife team Kit & Shireen in 1989. They use their own spring water at a mill in the Cotswolds with filtering techniques for their elderflowers, similar to the process used in wine making. They do an interesting array of flavours including pomegranate & elderflower, blackberry, apple & sloe, lime & mint, apple & plum, winter berry & more.
Robinson – Robinson’s history goes back to 1823 where Matthias Robinson patented Robinson Barley to make Barley Groats (Barley in powder form in tins). Later, Mr Smedley Hodgson combined it with lemon & sugar. This became a refreshing drink for Wimbledon tennis players since the 1930s.
In 2017 Robinson’s launched Fruit Creations making cordials with fruit & botanicals. Available in glass bottles the range includes Raspberry, Rhubarb & Orange, Lime & Mint Cordial, Blackberry, Cranberry & Sloe plus Pear & Elderflower.
They do include sweeteners as well as sugar but steviol glycosides are used (which in my opinion are far better than other sweeteners on the market). They also contain some preservatives too.
Rocks – the family farm in Devon was founded by Hugh Rock who sought to make refreshing, natural fruit drinks without additives, colours or sweeteners. Hugh has since retired but the company still continues to this day making squash from whole fruit, sugar & water. The range includes orange, blackcurrant & lemon squash.
Summary - Here we’ve just focused on cordial (or squash) – those where you add your own water. You can also look out for pressés if you want a pre-made drink. Some of the brands above have fizzy drinks pre-made you can buy.
See below on how you can save money by making your own!
Homemade Lime & Mint Cordial
Step One: You need 2 limes, 160ml mint leaves (about 2/3 cup), 225g caster sugar + 250ml water
Step Two: Grate limes & extract juice. Dissolve sugar in water & add mint leaves & grated lime.
Step Three: Simmer for 20 mins. Remove from heat & add juice of the limes.
Step Four: Stir & then allow to cool. Place in bottle via a sieve. Store in fridge.
Can be diluted with water to make a refreshing cordial or why not add a splash of cordial to a homemade mojito*?
The run down - Cost wise I estimate just over £1.00 for the ingredients. I haven’t estimated cost of elec/gas to simmer the sugar water nor the cost of the water (which will have some cost if you’re water metered), but just a little over £1 a bottle is a good half of what you normally pay for a bought item.
If you have the time it’s worth giving it a try & so super easy to do! I like to use an old glass bottle from a cordial I tried in the past.
My husband loves to make his own fizzy drinks too using a ginger beer plant, some apple juice or fresh fruits such as strawberries plus sugar & water. It makes for a refreshing alcoholic drink. We don’t use glass as the fizzy product means it may need room to expand while it’s brewing, so for that we use old plastic bottles that we re-use time & time again.
I may start experimenting with other fruits too as I’ve only tried the lime & mint so far. It’s blackberry picking time soon so you never know what may unfold!
My husband loves to make his own fizzy drinks too using a ginger beer plant, some apple juice or fresh fruits such as strawberries plus sugar & water. It makes for a refreshing alcoholic drink. We don’t use glass as the fizzy product means it may need room to expand while it’s brewing, so for that we use old plastic bottles that we re-use time & time again.
I may start experimenting with other fruits too as I’ve only tried the lime & mint so far. It’s blackberry picking time soon so you never know what may unfold!
Last year I made some rosehip syrup from locally foraged rosehips & hedgerow jam from local sloe, rosehips, blackberries, apple & left over frozen fruit we had in the freezer. Utilising old jars & bottles is a great way to keep containers going until you’re ready to recycle them.
Lovely too eating/drinking your own home made products!
Enjoy ya refreshing drinks but do keep an eye out for special offers in the stores to keep the costs down, as some of the brands can be quite pricey, or why not have a go at making your own?
*NB: To make homemade mojito add white rum to lemonade with splash of your lime & mint cordial, add sprig of mint, piece of lime & several ice cubes.
🍸 Sit back & enjoy! 🍸
