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Homemade Lemon Cordial (3 Ingredients)

This homemade lemon cordial is an old-fashioned syrup and forms the base of many refreshing summer drinks. Made without citric acid or tartaric acid, this easy lemon concentrate requires only 3 ingredients – lemons, sugar, and water. Perfect for lemonade, cocktails, and mocktails, or as a topping for your favorite dessert.

Two vintage wine glasses with lemonade on a black shingle tile.

Every winter there comes a time when our neighbors, colleagues, and friends are almost begging to take a load of lemons off them when their lemon trees are loaded with the delicious zesty fruit. Homemade lemon cordial is a great way to preserve the abundance of lemons, turning them into delicious drinks or a zesty topping for cakes and desserts.

You’ll only need 3 simple ingredients and 10 minutes of hands-on prep time. No citric or tartaric acid are required for this old-fashioned recipe.

Check out my hibiscus syrup and honey lavender syrup for more delicious drink concentrates.

If you loved this Lemon Cordial Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating below. Thank you!

A glass jar of lemon cordial next to two vintage wine glasses with lemonade on a black shingle tile.

Homemade Lemon Cordial

Caro Jensen
This homemade lemon cordial is an old-fashioned syrup and forms the base of many refreshing drinks.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American, British
Servings 10 servings
Calories 82 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 cup lemon juice 4-5 lemons depending on size
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup filtered water

Instructions
 

  • Sterilize a large glass bottle including the lid with boiling water.
  • Juice lemons and measure out 1 cup of juice. Zest the lemon.
  • In a medium saucepan, bring the filtered water to a simmer. Add the sugar and stir thoroughly until it has fully dissolved.
    1 cup filtered water, 1 cup sugar
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Combine everything thoroughly and let it steep until fully cooled down.
    1 cup lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest
  • Once cool, add it through a sieve into the sterilized bottle using a funnel. Close the bottle and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  • This recipe makes about 2 cups of lemon cordial concentrate. Mixed in a ratio of 1:4 (1 part cordial, 4 parts water (still or carbonated) which makes 2 liters of classic lemonade).

Notes

Remove the syrup from the heat before adding the lemon juice to retain the nutrients.
Make sure to sterilize the jar and the lid before filling it with the lemon cordial.
Safe leftover peels from the remaining lemons to make candied fruit peel or lemon sugar or salt.
Storage: You can store lemon cordial in sterilized glass bottles in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To freeze the cordial, just make sure the cordial has fully cooled down and you leave a generous gap between the cordial and lid of your freezer-proof container for the liquid to be able to expand. Lemon cordial lasts for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 82kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.001gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 26mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.03mg
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Ingredients and substitutions

  • Lemons – You need about 4-5 fresh lemons depending on size for 1 cup of lemon juice and the zest of a lemon. If you’re using store-bought lemons make sure you wash them thoroughly before zesting them. You can substitute some oranges with limes or oranges. Just make sure the juice-to-water and sugar ratio remains the same.
  • Sugar – This recipe works best with white sugar, or mild-flavored honey if you want to avoid a lot of sugar. Raw or brown sugar changes the flavor I don’t recommend using it.
  • Water – I recommend using filtered cold water for the citrus cordial.
  • Other flavors – You can add essential oils or fresh mint, ginger, rosemary, or verbena to your cordial alongside the lemon juice for a more complex flavor.

Ways to use lemon cordial

The easiest way to make a refreshing lemon drink is by mixing 1 part lemon cordial with 4 parts still or carbonated water in a glass. You can add ice cubes and some mint leaves to make it extra refreshing.

Alternatively, you can fill a large pitcher with loads of ice and make a larger batch.

Apart from homemade lemonade, this cordial can also be used in the following lemon drinks and desserts:

  • Hot lemon drinks such as a hot toddy
  • Lemon-based cocktails such as lemon drop, whiskey sour, limoncello mojito, gin fizz, French 75, vodka lemonade, or cosmopolitan
  • Lemon-based mocktails featuring ginger, lime juice, orange juice, mint, or rosemary – perfect on a hot summer’s day
  • Lemon iced tea
  • Pink lemonade or chia lemonade
  • Lemon ice popsicles
  • Use as a lemon syrup for drizzle cakes

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