Last Updated on August 11, 2025 by Nico
This simple strawberry cordial recipe is a delicious way to enjoy and preserve fresh berries. Learn how to make it at home using just a few ingredients and basic kitchen tools.
Homemade strawberry cordial is one of my favourite summer drinks to make. It’s sweet, tart, and smells like summer. It’s a great way to use wild foraged strawberries, but you can easily use berries from a farmer’s market or supermarket as well.
The final product is a vibrant, pink syrup that can be diluted with cold filtered water, sparkling water, or even tonic water for a super refreshing drink. It also makes a lovely gift and is endlessly customisable!
Fresh or frozen berries
You can use either fresh or frozen berries. Fresh berries will make a clearer, cleaner-looking cordial. Frozen berries tend to release more pulp, which can make the finished product cloudier unless you’re super careful with straining.
How to make strawberry cordial
Tools
Large saucepan
Fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth – I like this unbleached cheesecloth
Wooden spoon (to smoosh the berries)
Measuring jar
Funnel
Glass storage bottle
Ingredients
Fresh strawberries (washed, hulled, and halved if large)
Water
Sugar (you can adjust to taste)
Lemon juice or lime juice
Citric acid (for longer shelf life and tartness)
Optional: a strip of lemon zest or a star anise pod for flavour
Instructions
Wash your strawberries and remove the hull (the green part). Cut the clean berries in half.
Add the strawberries to a large saucepan with the water. Heat gently over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, until the berries soften and release their juice. Stir occasionally, using the back of a wooden spoon to mash the strawberries gently against the side of the pan.
After about 20 minutes, pour the contents through a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or jelly bag into a clean bowl. Let it drip through without squeezing to keep the liquid clear. I like to tie a string around the cheesecloth and hang it on a cupboard handle to let the juice drip through for 30 minutes or so.
You’ll be left with bright strawberry water and a soft pulp. You can use the pulp in baking (I like to freeze it and add it to muffins), or it can be used in jam making.
Add the strained juice back to the pan. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and citric acid. Heat again over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. This should only take a few minutes.
Pour the hot cordial into sterilised glass bottles using a funnel. Add a lid and seal it right away. Let cool at room temperature and then store in a dark place for up to 3 months. It’s best to store it in the refrigerator after opening it.
How to use strawberry cordial
- Add a splash to cold water or sparkling water
- Mix with tonic water
- Drizzle over ice cream or sponge cake
- Stir into hot water or herbal tea for a cozy drink in the winter months
Variation ideas
Strawberry-Lemon Cordial: Use both lemon juice and lemon zest for a brighter, zesty flavour.
Strawberry-Orange Cordial: Replace half the water with fresh orange juice and add orange zest for a sweeter citrus flavour.
Strawberry-Lime Cordial: Sub in lime juice for lemon and add lime zest for extra tartness.
Strawberry + Basil or Mint: Add a handful of fresh basil or mint during the initial simmer, then strain. This gives more of a subtle herbal flavour.
Strawberry + Elderflower: Stir in a few fresh elderflower heads or a splash of elderflower cordial to infuse the syrup with the lovely light sweetness of the flowers.
Strawberry + Star Anise: This gives a gentle licorice flavour, which I like to have in the winter.
Strawberry-Blackberry Cordial: Great for late summer with foraged blackberries!
Wild Berry Cordial: Combine foraged strawberries, bilberries, and wild raspberries.
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Easy Homemade Strawberry Cordial Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash your strawberries and remove the hull (the green part). Cut the clean berries in half.
- Add the strawberries to a large saucepan with the water. Heat gently over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, until the berries soften and release their juice. Stir occasionally, using the back of a wooden spoon to mash the strawberries gently against the side of the pan.
- After about 20 minutes, pour the contents through a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or jelly bag into a clean bowl. Let it drip through without squeezing to keep the liquid clear. I like to tie a string around the cheesecloth and hang it on a cupboard handle to let the juice drip through for 30 minutes or so.
- You’ll be left with bright strawberry water and a soft pulp. You can use the pulp in baking (I like to freeze it and add it to muffins), or it can be used in jam making.
- Add the strained juice back to the pan. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and citric acid. Heat again over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. This should only take a few minutes.
- Pour the hot cordial into sterilised glass bottles using a funnel. Add a lid and seal it right away. Let cool at room temperature and then store in a dark place for up to 3 months. It’s best to store it in the refrigerator after opening it.
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