If you are not a dedicated and confident pickler and preserver it can seem daunting to have a go at home. This recipe is a great entry point as it takes 20 minutes from start to finish and does not include a conserving or preserving ingredient, just fresh fruit, water and sugar. The flavour of home made strawberry cordial is absolutely wonderful and epitomises summer. Made this way the cordial won’t keep for very long and should be kept in the fridge. Serve diluted 1/4 over lots of ice and with a sprig of fresh mint. Or use it for a pretty and delicious summer cocktail mixing it with chilled Prosecco and a little lemon juice.

Simmer 2 litres of cleaned, ripe berries and 400ml water  for 8-10 minutes, then sieve them through muslin. Return the juices to the pan and add 425g sugar per litre of sieved juice. Simmer for another 10 minutes and  the cordial is ready to be poured into clean glass bottles just out of a hot cycle in the dish washer.