When I was a kid, my step-grandma bought me a set of books by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Toots (that’s her nickname) was born in Canada, and these books had been her favorite as a child—the “Anne of Green Gables” series. I was around 9 or 10 years old, and they looked incredibly boring to me. I loved books, but at that time I was into “Encyclopedia Brown” and “Nancy Drew” and “The Babysitter’s Club.” These “Anne” books sounded dated and old fashioned and slow. I thanked her politely and put the paperbacks on my bookshelf, where they gathered dust for a couple of years.
One summer afternoon when I was 12, I found myself with nothing to do. I’d already read all of the books on my shelf (many of them twice), and nobody was around to give me a ride to the library. The only thing I hadn’t tackled yet was “Anne of Green Gables.” With a reluctant sigh, I picked up the first book and started reading.
That summer day, my whole world changed. I don’t think it’s overstating things to say that “Anne of Green Gables” helped to shape the person I am today. As a young child, my grandparents had exposed me to historical films and classical music. I had an appreciation for history, but I had never read a classic novel outside of school. Through this book, I found myself transported to Edwardian era Canada, following the life of a little orphan girl—Anne Shirley, Anne “spelled with an e.” Though her character was created over 70 years before I was born, this little girl living on Prince Edward Island had so much in common with me. She was creative with a wild imagination. She was misunderstood by her peers, and even by most adults. She loved to speak in flowery prose. She enjoyed reading poetry and had a flair for the dramatic. But for all of her outward confidence and fiery spirit, inside she was a sensitive creature… a fragile soul, who felt every happiness and disappointment deep within in her core.
I identified with Anne on many levels… in fact, I still do. I always dream big, and I remain optimistic to the very end, even when the odds are not in my favor. In this passage from “Anne of Avonlea,” the sequel to “Anne of Green Gables,” Marilla tries to comfort Anne through a difficult time. Anne’s response is pretty much the way I live my life, for better or worse.
“You’ll probably have a good many more and worse disappointments than that before you get through life,” said Marilla, who honestly thought she was making a comforting speech. “It seems to me, Anne, that you are never going to outgrow your fashion of setting your heart so on things and then crashing down into despair because you don’t get them.”
“I know I’m too much inclined that way,” agreed Anne ruefully. “When I think something nice is going to happen I seem to fly right up on the wings of anticipation; and then the first thing I realize I drop down to earth with a thud. But really, Marilla, the flying part IS glorious as long as it lasts. . .it’s like soaring through a sunset. I think it almost pays for the thud.” –Anne of Avonlea, Chapter XVII
Like many young girls who have discovered Anne over the years, I devoured the entire book series with unbridled enthusiasm. There are 8 books in all, following Anne’s life from a wiry 11 year-old misfit to a happily married mother of six. The last two books focus on Anne’s children, with Anne in a supporting role. After reading the books, I was delighted to discover a beautifully produced miniseries by Sullivan Films– you can buy the Anne of Green Gables DVD’s here and the sequel, Anne of Avonlea, here. This miniseries comes remarkably close to capturing the magic of the original books. Sometimes, when I’m in bed with a cold or feeling blue, I’ll turn on the “Anne of Green Gables” DVD. It always brings a smile to my face.
Of all the food scenes in the Anne series (and there are many), the raspberry cordial scene is probably the most memorable… tied, perhaps, with the mouse pudding scene. When I considered doing an Anne of Green Gables post, raspberry cordial was the first recipe that came to mind. The scene appears in a chapter titled, “Diana is Invited to Tea with Tragic Results.”
One autumn afternoon, Anne’s adoptive mother Marilla leaves town for a meeting of the Aid Society at Carmody. She allows Anne to invite her “bosom friend,” Diana, over to Green Gables for tea while she is gone. Anne is thrilled at the prospect of preparing afternoon tea for her friend, and Diana is equally excited—they both feel like very mature young ladies.
When Diana arrives for tea, Anne gushes about the spread she’s prepared, hinting at a very special drink in the pantry…
“Marilla is a very generous woman. She said we could have fruit cake and cherry preserves for tea. But it isn’t good manners to tell your company what you are going to give them to eat, so I won’t tell you what she said we could have to drink. Only it begins with an R and a C and it’s bright red color. I love bright red drinks, don’t you? They taste twice as good as any other color.” Anne of Green Gables, Chapter XVI
The drink is raspberry cordial, a sweet concoction made from fresh raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Marilla has allowed Anne to use a half bottle left over from a church social, a very special treat.
When it comes time to serve the drink, Anne presents the bottle to Diana with a tumbler, but doesn’t take a drink herself…
“Now, please help yourself, Diana,” she said politely. “I don’t believe I’ll have any just now. I don’t feel as if I wanted any after all those apples.”
Diana poured herself out a tumblerful, looked at its bright-red hue admiringly, and then sipped it daintily.
“That’s awfully nice raspberry cordial, Anne,” she said. “I didn’t know raspberry cordial was so nice.”
“I’m real glad you like it. Take as much as you want. I’m going to run out and stir the fire up. There are so many responsibilities on a person’s mind when they’re keeping house, isn’t there?”
When Anne came back from the kitchen Diana was drinking her second glassful of cordial; and, being entreated thereto by Anne, she offered no particular objection to the drinking of a third. The tumblerfuls were generous ones and the raspberry cordial was certainly very nice.
“The nicest I ever drank,” said Diana. “It’s ever so much nicer than Mrs. Lynde’s, although she brags of hers so much. It doesn’t taste a bit like hers.” – Anne of Green Gables, Chapter XVI
Of course, there was a reason the cordial didn’t taste a bit like Mrs. Lynde’s… it wasn’t raspberry cordial. Anne mistook a bottle of currant wine for cordial, which led to Diana becoming hopelessly drunk. Months of drama ensued, with Anne being labeled a troublemaker and a misfit by Diana’s family. Poor Anne… always so misunderstood.
I began to research the history of cordial—or “squash,” as it’s called in some parts of the world. The word cordial can refer to a variety of drinks, including alcoholic liqueurs made with fruit and other sweet ingredients. In Anne’s case, the Raspberry Cordial that she meant to serve to Diana was non-alcoholic, meaning it was a “squash”-style beverage. Squash cordials are concentrated syrups made from sugar, fruit, and water. The syrup is diluted with water or seltzer before serving. In Anne’s case, the Raspberry Cordial she meant to serve was likely a sugary homemade raspberry concentrate thinned with water. Lemon juice was often added as a preservative. In the Edwardian era, this drink would have been made with fresh raspberries. Frozen berries can be used just as easily. I used fresh, because our local farmer’s market is teeming with beautiful berries this time of year.
If you’d like to make your own batch of raspberry cordial, my recipe appears below. Keep in mind that this is a traditional cordial, which means it is very sugary and should be thinned with water or seltzer before serving.
In a future blog, perhaps I will tackle the currant wine recipe that made Diana so drunk… or maybe the pudding with the infamous “mouse sauce.” Till then, I’ll leave you with a few words of wisdom from Anne:
“Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive–it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There’d be no scope for imagination then, would there?”
Recommended Products:
Anne of Green Gables DVD Series
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Anne of Green Gables Raspberry Cordial
Ingredients
- 48 ounces raspberries, fresh or frozen (4 pints)
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 cups sugar
- 12 cups water
NOTES
Instructions
- Clean and rinse the raspberries, then place them in a very large bowl.
- Pour the lemon juice over the berries. Use a large spoon to stir the juice into the berries.
- On the stovetop, heat 12 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar to a boil. Stir till the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
- Pour the boiling water over the raspberries. Allow the water to cool for 1-2 hours to room temperature.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel that you don't mind staining. Place in the refrigerator to steep for 24 hours.
- Pour the cordial through a fine mesh sieve to strain.
- Push gently on the solids with the back of a spoon, if you wish, to extract more juice. This will produce a slightly cloudy effect in the cordial, which will settle at the bottom of the storage bottle, but it won't change the flavor. If you'd prefer a clearer cordial, do not press down on the solids-- just strain them.
- Once you've strained the juice from the berries, you will find that the leftover berries are mushy and quite sweet. Save them in the fridge, they are terrific served as a topping for ice cream.
- This recipe makes a large batch of cordial, which will store very well in the refrigerator if you use a clean gallon jug. You can easily halve the recipe if you don't need quite so much cordial.
- To serve, mix 1 part cordial with 1 part water or seltzer water. If you prefer a less sweet drink, dilute the cordial to taste. Serve cold.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
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QNPoohBear says
I’ve been obsessed with Anne since I was about 8 when I saw the mini-series when it first aired on PBS. My mom had tried to interest me in the books, being among her childhood favorites, but I was too young. After the mini-series, I devoured the novels. We went on a family vacation to PEI when I was 12. You need a copy of the Anne of Green Gables Cookbook. It has the recipe for Raspberry Cordial, the recipe for Plum Pudding and sauce (mouse optional), Anne’s Liniment Cake and everything else!
Catherine Jacobsen says
Hello, I am a 51 year old woman who has recently been reading the Anne Of Green Gables Series. I have found them to be most delightful! They have brought me great joy, laughter and tears and I find them to be very charming. I think if given the chance any young lady would enjoy them tremendously!
Ann says
Would it be OK to sterilise bottles in the normal way (either in the oven or boiling water) and then store in a cupboard. I live alone and even 2 bottles would last a while.
Tori Avey says
Hi Ann– if you are familiar with sterile canning processes, then yes, absolutely!
Alexis Elizabeth Drob says
Well I have made 2 more cordials as I promised. I made some using blackberries. It turned out delicious and delighful. And the third time just a week ago, I made it with strawberries, ahhhh it is wonderful. My next will be black cherries. 🙂
Everyone should try these experiments. It’s alot of fun.
Alexis Elizabeth Drob says
I made this recipe a few days ago and shared some with a neighbor. She loaned me her strainer…lol!!! I have to say this was fun to make and was delicious. I plan to make more of it and maybe even use blackberries next time.
Alexis says
Thank You again, Tori, much appreciated!!!
Alexis Elizabeth Drob says
Thanks Tori, Does that store have a website/ link where i can visit their site and have a look around?? And again, thanks for replying back, always appreciate folks who actually answer my curious question in spite of me being a nuisance sometimes. 🙂
Tori Avey says
No problem! I found the bottle online, here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/Bormioli-Rocco-Fiaschetta-Glass-Pocket/dp/B0001UZOE6?tag=theshiintheki-20
Alexis Elizabeth Drob says
While the cordial sounds delightful, I am curious about where to find the bottles like the one shown here with the cordial.
Tori Avey says
Hi Alexis, they can be purchased here https://www.amazon.com/Bormioli-Rocco-Fiaschetta-Glass-Pocket/dp/B0001UZOE6?tag=theshiintheki-20
Amanda says
What a sweet post. I was brought here by Pinterest and am so glad. I love Anne and just reading the few quotes you provided in your post brought me back. Of the many things I look forward to when I become a parent, reading the Anne books to my children is one of the biggest.
Amber says
Another Anne lover here! Hope you will do the pudding with mouse sauce (without the mouse of course!).
Sharon and Zoe says
I hope everyone at the cast party will like it, what do you think?
Tori Avey says
They will love it. It is very sweet and strong (a concentrate), so bring water and ice or sparkling water to dilute it according to taste. Enjoy!
Sharon and Zoe says
My daughter and I are playing Minnie May and Mrs. Barry in a local production of “Anne,” and will be making this to bring to our cast party! We were delighted to find the recipe and your blog post, especially since our big scene involves the “raspberry cordial” and my daughter chanting, “Diana’s drunk! Diana’s drunk!” Can’t wait to see how it turns out. Thank you!
Jeny says
I love the Anne of Green Gables books as well. I first read them when I was in High School. I recently found the books in the basement of our house. I am currently re-reading the books and enjoying them all over again. I can’t wait to try this recipe out this weekend.
Josh says
Thank you so much for posting this. I love Anne and she is a continuing source of comfort to me.
Danielle says
Thank you for posting this. It brought an immediate smile to my face. Your feelings about the books are so close to my own. I absolutely love them and may just dig them out again to relive them.
Alison says
Hi! I love this recipe and at school in Food Tech I would love to do an “Anne’s Golden Picnic” hamper (a project, kind of majorish part of the year). For this I’d really like to the raspberry cordial but raspberries, even frozen, are just too expensive. I was thinking then of doing a red currant cordial (not wine, unfortunately, because it is for school). Do you know where I could find a recipe for this?
And I love love love this page! I spent so much time over it and reminiscing!
Tori Avey says
So happy you enjoyed the article Alison! Sorry it took some time to respond. Not sure about the red currant cordial, but I’ll keep my eyes open for it. I checked the “Anne of Green Gables Cookbook” but didn’t find a recipe there. Good luck!
Colleen says
I came here through Pinterest as the picture of the Raspberry Cordial and the Anne of Green Gables tag totally drew me in. I really enjoyed the article and thank you for the recipe. I have to ask if you took the photo of the cordial as I just love the glasses and would like to know where they were purchased. Also would like to ask if you think this recipe would work with lemons or limes? I absolutely love limeade and would love to find a good homemade recipe to make the syrup for it. Thank you.
Tori Avey says
Hi Colleen! I’m not sure about the lemon/limeade idea, it would probably work but I haven’t tried it myself so I can be sure. The glasses came from Anthropologie, I believe… either that or World Market.
susan says
My mother gave me Anne of Green Gables when I was about 12 and have loved the book ever since. I always ask any Ann/Anne if her name is spelled with an “e” and have to admit it influences me a bit. There is just something about that ‘e’!
I always wondered about that cordial and cannot quite believe my good fortune that it is on your History blog – that I just discovered this morning! For a while, without checking the book, I thought the cordial was made with elderberries which seem to have found a new popularity.
I can see you that you have many “kindred spirits”, to quote Anne, who have discovered your lovely blogs. I count myself as one.
Tori Avey says
Welcome Susan, and thank you for your kind words!
Diana says
I love the Anne of Green Gables books. I first read them when I was in about grade5 and not yet living in Canada. Prince Edward Island seemed like a fantasy place. I never knew that someday I’d live in the same country as Anne (although I have yet to go to PEI). The book became a favourite of mine fast and I totally understand what you mean when you say it shaped who you are today. It did for me as well.
I have read it many times over the years and I am so excited to try this recipe and finally know what the girls were supposed to be drinking that day.
Winnie says
This was such a fun post. I love Anne and whenever I am REALLY down, I can always feel better by watching her. I have the books, movies, dolls, tea cup, and even a great paperdoll book that turns into the house when you open it. Thanks for this recipe. It made me smile.
Tori Avey says
So happy you liked it Winnie! 🙂