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Akajiso juice (red shiso cordial)
赤しそジュース: red shiso leaves simmered and sweetened, then flashed magenta with rice vinegar, a tart summer cordial to dilute with ice
Bunches of red shiso fill Japanese greengrocers for a few weeks in June and July, mostly bought to colour umeboshi. Gardeners from Kyoto's Ohara valley to Kantō boil the surplus into this cordial and keep it in the fridge for hot afternoons. Simmering pulls a murky purple-brown liquid from the leaves; the magic is the moment the vinegar goes in and the whole pan flushes a brilliant clear magenta. Diluted with ice water or soda water it tastes sweet-sour and herbal, like a cross between blackcurrant, mint and cinnamon. The most common mistake is simmering the leaves too long or with the stems: it turns grassy and bitter. Strip the leaves, boil them for five minutes only, until they have turned green and limp, then lift them out. The cordial is ready when it is jewel-bright and clear. Bottle it in a clean, sterilised bottle and keep it in the fridge for up to three weeks; discard if it fizzes, clouds or grows mould. No fresh red shiso nearby? Japanese and Korean shops sometimes sell it in summer, and it grows easily from seed. Chef's tip: freeze some as ice cubes to drop into sparkling water.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the cordial
- 10 ½ oz red shiso leaves (akajiso)picked from about 2 large bunches, stems discarded; no real substitute
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 14 oz sugar
- ¾ cup rice vinegaror 15 g citric acid dissolved in a little water
To serve
- 15 cups cold still or sparkling waterabout 180 ml per glass
- 40 ice cubes (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Sterilise a 2-litre bottle or two smaller ones and their lids: wash in hot soapy water, rinse, then dry in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes (lids boiled for 5 minutes). Let cool.
15 minStep 2: Wash 10 ½ oz red shiso leaves (akajiso) in several changes of water until no grit settles, and drain.
5 minStep 3: Bring 6 ¼ cups water to the boil in a large non-reactive pan, add the leaves, press them under and boil for 5 minutes, until the leaves turn green and the liquid is deep purple-brown.
7 minStep 4: Lift out the leaves with a slotted spoon into a sieve over the pan and press gently to release their liquid; discard the leaves.
2 minStep 5: Add 14 oz sugar and simmer over medium heat, stirring, for 3–4 minutes, until fully dissolved and the liquid looks clear. Skim any foam.
4 minStep 6: Take off the heat and stir in ¾ cup rice vinegar. The liquid turns bright magenta at once. Cool to room temperature.
30 minStep 7: Pour into the sterilised bottles, close and refrigerate. Keep up to 3 weeks; use a clean measure each time.
2 minStep 8: To serve, mix 60 ml cordial with 180 ml of 15 cups cold still or sparkling water in a glass over 40 ice cubes. Taste and add more cordial if you like it stronger.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 85 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does akajiso juice (red shiso cordial) take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
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