Calabria / Cosenza
Cedrata
Italian citron cordial served with cold water
This is a homemade citrus cordial: citron peel and juice made into a syrup, then poured over cold water.
Tested and written by Erika A. Cochran
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Prep
25 minutes, plus 24 hours infusing
Cook
15 minutes
Serves
About 1 litre of syrup
Difficulty
Easy
Region
Calabria
What you’ll need
Ingredients
Written for About 1 litre of syrup.
Showing quantities at 1× the original recipe.
- 2 citrons (cedri), unwaxed
- 3½ cups sugar
- 2⅞ cups water
- Juice of 1 lemon
At the stove
Instructions
Peel the citrons thinly, avoiding as much white pith as you can. Reserve the flesh.
Steep the peel in the water for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Strain, add the sugar, and heat gently until fully dissolved. Simmer 10 minutes.
Squeeze in whatever juice the citron flesh gives, plus the lemon juice, and take it off the heat.
Cool, then bottle and refrigerate.
Serve one part syrup to five parts cold water or soda.
Recipe notes
Citron is mostly peel and pith; expect very little juice.
Keeps about three weeks refrigerated.
Context
Citron has been cultivated on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria for centuries, and citron cordials and preserves are documented uses of the fruit.
Sources: Editorial adaptation of documented Calabrian citrus traditions, Casa Magnelli Kitchen
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