This cordial was submitted to the InterKingdom Brewer’s Guild at Pennsic in 2010 where it received a score of 96.
Chief among its criticisms were that the pear overwhelmed the blackberry, which was only a small, light note at the end. It was not a cloying thing, but quite light. The pear was hellish to clarify, and eventually I settled for just siphoning carefully. I had a good amount lost because of the pear mung, which hung on the bottom of the bottle like some galactic nebula. All in all, it was a really nice little thing though.
Blackberry Pear Cordial
Recipe:
1 handful blackberries (aprox. 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
4 pears, sliced with cores discarded
750 ml brandy
250 ml simple syrup (2 c. white granulated sugar to 1 c. water, boiled until clear)
Procedure:
I took the berries, which had been frozen, placed them and the four pears in a wide-mouthed
jar, adding 750 ml of brandy. Later in the day I added the cooled symple syrup. I lightly swirled
the bottle every couple of days. It sat on a shelf for about three weeks, before attempting to
strain.
Straining was an utter disaster. The regular strainer took the berries and large chunks, but
there was excessive sediment. I poured the mix through coffee filters, but there was still so
much sediment that it was terrible to behold.
In frustration, I left it in a corner of the kitchen counter for about 18 weeks. When I saw that
the mung had settled, I siphoned what I could from the batch. The result was four small bottles
of this blackberry pear cordial, and one slightly larger bottle of cloudlike mung.
In the future, I would put the pears in cheesecloth or something to start with perhaps. Or get
a chemical-grade filter. Or just make a larger batch knowing I will have to siphon it to clear.
Inspriation:
I made strawberry cordial last year, and found it pleasant. It was based on the recipe ‘Cordial
of Divers Berries,’ based on 1655 (?) recipe of ‘A cordial water of Sir Walter Raleigh’ (the latter
shown on reverse). However, I am not partial to strawberries, especially. I am however excessively
pleased with blackberries, so I used commercially frozen blackberries (which always tasted
like good blackberries to me, flavorful) and then decided that the bosc pears I had worked
nicely boiled in wine, so why not toss them into the cordial. I’ve seen other parings of blackberry
and pair in deserts, so it seemed like a good idea.
The recipe was rougly inspired by the basic cordials in ‘A Queen’s Delight’ (see the pdf documentation)
and these recipes below.
Pear Cordial
deltafoxtrot:
Cut unpeeled pears in quarters, and add them to a large glass
jar. Fill the the jar with brandy, to cover the fruit. Make sure
it’s completely covered.- no pieces floating on top.
Allow it to macerate (sit) for two weeks, shaking it up each
day. Press in usual manner then sweeten if desired with a
simple syrup or jazz it up with a vanilla or ginger syrup.
Syrup is 2 parts water to 1 part sugar. For vanilla syrup add
one split vanilla bean to syrup as you make it. For ginger
syrup, add sliced, peeled fresh ginger to taste. depending on
how hot you like it, anywhere from a two inch piece sliced to
up to a cup. Your choice.
Simmer/boil for 15 minutes or so til it thickens up, let it cool
with the vanilla or ginger in it, then strain and add it to the
pear brandy. Decant to smaller bottles.
I’m so making this! DF always has the best recipes for
yummy drinks.
Lady Aneleda Falconbridge
Shire of Endewearde
mka Monique Bouchard
207-852-9030
Pear Cordial
Gode Cookery
PERIOD: Modern | SOURCE: Contemporary Recipe |
CLASS: Not Authentic
DESCRIPTION: A cordial of pears and spices
3 fresh pears (or 6 dried pears)
2 cups sugar, dissolved in 1/2 cup water
1 orange
3 whole cloves
1/2 tsp. whole coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 whole peppercorn
2 cups 80-proof vodka
Remove seeds and dice pears. Put in a glass jar along with
spices and peel from 1 orange (avoid the white pith). Add
vodka, cover, and leave for 2 weeks. Strain through cheese
cloth and add sugar solution. Leave until clear.
