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Lingondricka (lingonberry cordial)
Lingondricka: tart lingonberries cooked with sugar into a ruby cordial, diluted with cold water at the Swedish dinner table
In Sweden the jug of red lingondricka sits on the table at weekday dinners, in school canteens and at the julbord, poured beside meatballs, pyttipanna or a Saturday pea soup. Lingonberries grow wild in the forests of Norrland and Dalarna, and in late August families pick them by the bucket with a wooden berry rake. Cooked with sugar and strained, they become a cordial that is both sweet and sharp, with a slight bitter-almond edge from the skins, bright enough to cut through rich, creamy food. The common mistake is boiling the berries hard for a long time: the cordial turns jammy and brownish, and the pectin can make it set in the bottle. Bring it just to the boil, crush, then simmer only briefly. The syrup is ready when it is clear ruby, flows like a thin syrup and tastes tart then sweet. Lingonberries are sold frozen in Nordic and Eastern European shops; cranberries work as a substitute, with a little more sugar. Bottled hot into sterilised bottles it keeps 2 months in the fridge, or 6 months frozen. Throw it out if you see mould or it fizzes. Chef's tip: mix one part cordial to five of chilled sparkling water for a party version.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the cordial
- 1 ⅛ lb lingonberriesfresh or frozen; or cranberries plus 50 g extra sugar
- 2 cups water
- 10 ½ oz sugar
- 1 tsp citric acidhelps it keep; or 2 tbsp lemon juice
To serve
- 8 ¼ cups cold waterfor diluting
- 12 ice cubes (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Sterilise two 500 ml glass bottles and their caps: wash in hot soapy water, rinse, then put the bottles in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes, and boil the caps for 5 minutes. Keep them hot.
15 minStep 2: Put 1 ⅛ lb lingonberries and 2 cups water in a pot and bring just to the boil over medium heat; crush the berries against the side with a potato masher.
6 minStep 3: Simmer gently for 5 minutes, until the berries have collapsed and the liquid is deep red.
5 minStep 4: Pour through a sieve lined with a damp clean cloth or jelly bag and let it drip for 10 minutes; press lightly but don't force the pulp through or the cordial clouds.
10 minStep 5: Return the juice to the clean pot with 10 ½ oz sugar and 1 tsp citric acid and heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the cordial just reaches a boil; skim off any foam.
4 minStep 6: Pour the hot cordial into the hot bottles with a funnel, cap at once and cool. Store in the fridge and use a clean measure each time.
3 minStep 7: To serve, mix 1 part cordial with about 5 parts 8 ¼ cups cold water in a jug, add 12 ice cubes and taste; it should be clearly tart and only mildly sweet.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lingondricka (lingonberry cordial) take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of citric acid?
- Juice of 1 lemon or 1 tbsp white vinegar per tsp (for curdling milk).
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