A few years ago, I remember visiting Marrakech (Morocco) and seeing a lot of pomegranates sold on wooden tables on the sides of the roads or beside gardens and other beautiful places to visit. They were cut in half and carefully wrapped in clingfilm so you could take one away to eat while walking the streets of this busy North African city. I also remember not buying any as it was very hot (despite the fact it was Winter there) and I could imagine the mess it would create trying to scoop out the juicy little seeds with my fingers in the middle of a crowded street.
But once you get to have it in your own kitchen and can use a spoon, what a wonderful fruit it is! I love eating pomegranate seeds in salads, they are so perfect for it with their tangy and sweet flavour. They are also wonderful with desserts or just plain and coated in dark chocolate.
And now, imagine how refreshing it is in a lovely soft drink when Ireland is giving us amazing days of heat and sunshine!
But once you get to have it in your own kitchen and can use a spoon, what a wonderful fruit it is! I love eating pomegranate seeds in salads, they are so perfect for it with their tangy and sweet flavour. They are also wonderful with desserts or just plain and coated in dark chocolate.
And now, imagine how refreshing it is in a lovely soft drink when Ireland is giving us amazing days of heat and sunshine!
And since it is elderflower season at the moment, I got some gorgeous elderflower cordial to blend with the pomegranate flavour and create a lovely recipe for a Summer drink.
I will not give you here the whole story about elderflower as I think a lot of people have already done so. However, if you wanted to make a cordial or syrup by yourself, here is a good recipe for elderflower syrup.
I think the fragrance of elderflower cordial in a drink is heavenly. At least once a day, I go and open the bottle of cordial, close my eyes and smell the beautiful perfume that escapes from it.
I first tried the recipe for this lovely pomegranate and elderflower soft drink a few weeks ago to bring at this cute little one's first birthday party. I thought it was about time I share it with you all!
And apart from enjoying the beautiful Irish weather and sipping my delicious new drink, here are a few things that have occupied my days recently:
- a beautiful weekend away in County Carlow.
- this video of the Mobile Mini Circus for Children in Afghanistan that moved me but also made me so happy.
- a fantastic Bastille Day picnic in the company of lovely friends, including Ketty of French Foodie in Dublin and Laura of The Dublin Diary. So much amazing French food!
- meeting with Jessica of La Domestique, who recently moved to Ireland from Colorado, have a walk through the streets of Dublin and sample some delicious Irish food together.
- guest posting in the gorgeous lifestyle blog Honeysuckle Life with a recipe for a raspberry and white chocolate clafoutis.
- planning a few visits ideas for when our Australian friends are visiting in less than a month.
Now, let's enjoy the sun and refresh ourselves with a lovely pomegranate and elderflower soft drink!
I will not give you here the whole story about elderflower as I think a lot of people have already done so. However, if you wanted to make a cordial or syrup by yourself, here is a good recipe for elderflower syrup.
I think the fragrance of elderflower cordial in a drink is heavenly. At least once a day, I go and open the bottle of cordial, close my eyes and smell the beautiful perfume that escapes from it.
I first tried the recipe for this lovely pomegranate and elderflower soft drink a few weeks ago to bring at this cute little one's first birthday party. I thought it was about time I share it with you all!
And apart from enjoying the beautiful Irish weather and sipping my delicious new drink, here are a few things that have occupied my days recently:
- a beautiful weekend away in County Carlow.
- this video of the Mobile Mini Circus for Children in Afghanistan that moved me but also made me so happy.
- a fantastic Bastille Day picnic in the company of lovely friends, including Ketty of French Foodie in Dublin and Laura of The Dublin Diary. So much amazing French food!
- meeting with Jessica of La Domestique, who recently moved to Ireland from Colorado, have a walk through the streets of Dublin and sample some delicious Irish food together.
- guest posting in the gorgeous lifestyle blog Honeysuckle Life with a recipe for a raspberry and white chocolate clafoutis.
- planning a few visits ideas for when our Australian friends are visiting in less than a month.
Now, let's enjoy the sun and refresh ourselves with a lovely pomegranate and elderflower soft drink!
Pomegranate Syrup Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy Free)
Ingredients (make about 200g)
4 pomegranates (or 200g pomegranate juice)
100g caster sugar
1. Juice your pomegranates if you have decided to make it yourself (rather than store bought juice). It can be a bit tedious and if you have a garden, I would recommend to do it there (and do not wear white or pale clothes that you love a lot...). There are many ways to do it and they can all be found around this vast world that is the internet.
I decided to cut my pomegranates in halves and squeeze them over a bowl to get the juices out. I scooped the remaining seeds with a spoon and discarded the white membrane. Then, I used my fingers to squeeze the little seeds in the bowl to extract the juices left. It was actually pretty relaxing (less so for the white kitchen walls). You should end up with about 200g of juice.
Obviously, if you have a juicer (lucky you!), use it instead! Your kitchen walls will be forever grateful (little note: my kitchen walls were actually not that bad).
2. Put the pomegranate juice and the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir well. Bring to the boil then reduce down to the lowest heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir the syrup every 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely.
If you juiced the pomegranates yourself, put a muslin cloth (or cheesecloth) in a sieve and strain the syrup into a small bowl.
You can keep the syrup in a sterilised jar for up to two months in the fridge.
Ingredients (make about 200g)
4 pomegranates (or 200g pomegranate juice)
100g caster sugar
1. Juice your pomegranates if you have decided to make it yourself (rather than store bought juice). It can be a bit tedious and if you have a garden, I would recommend to do it there (and do not wear white or pale clothes that you love a lot...). There are many ways to do it and they can all be found around this vast world that is the internet.
I decided to cut my pomegranates in halves and squeeze them over a bowl to get the juices out. I scooped the remaining seeds with a spoon and discarded the white membrane. Then, I used my fingers to squeeze the little seeds in the bowl to extract the juices left. It was actually pretty relaxing (less so for the white kitchen walls). You should end up with about 200g of juice.
Obviously, if you have a juicer (lucky you!), use it instead! Your kitchen walls will be forever grateful (little note: my kitchen walls were actually not that bad).
2. Put the pomegranate juice and the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir well. Bring to the boil then reduce down to the lowest heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir the syrup every 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely.
If you juiced the pomegranates yourself, put a muslin cloth (or cheesecloth) in a sieve and strain the syrup into a small bowl.
You can keep the syrup in a sterilised jar for up to two months in the fridge.
Pomegranate and Elderflower Soft Drink Recipe (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian, Vegan)
Ingredients (make 1.1L)
50ml pomegranate syrup
50ml elderflower cordial
1L sparkling water (or soda water)
Put the pomegranate syrup and elderflower cordial in a large carafe. Pour in the sparkling mineral water and stir well.
Serve straight away with a few ice cubes or keep in your fridge before serving. Use within a day.
You can add some pomegranate seeds, a few small berries or slices of lemon to your drink.
We also tried it here with a measure of gin for an evening cocktail and it worked wonders.
It makes for a lovely Summer refreshment!
Ingredients (make 1.1L)
50ml pomegranate syrup
50ml elderflower cordial
1L sparkling water (or soda water)
Put the pomegranate syrup and elderflower cordial in a large carafe. Pour in the sparkling mineral water and stir well.
Serve straight away with a few ice cubes or keep in your fridge before serving. Use within a day.
You can add some pomegranate seeds, a few small berries or slices of lemon to your drink.
We also tried it here with a measure of gin for an evening cocktail and it worked wonders.
It makes for a lovely Summer refreshment!
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