“I can’t drink green tea straight, it’s so bitter, but Thorncroft’s Ginkgo Green Tea Cordial is delicious and so easy to drink, so I can get all the benefits and enjoy the flavour at the same time.” Collette, Hexham “Fabulous on a hot day” Nigel, Essex

Gingko Green Tea 250g Green Tea 1 litre Water Ginkgo extract 1.2 kg Sugar Chinese green tea is the most aromatic, which is why we use it at Thorncroft, although many prefer Japanese varieties such as Sencha, which generally have higher antioxidant capacity. The tea is brewed at about fifteen times the normal strength, by pouring over water that has been left to stand for five minutes after boiling, and is steeped for five minutes, no more, before straining of the liquor. Add sugar and a commercially prepared Ginkgo extract to get about 15 grams of dry herb equivalent per litre of concentrate, and stir until all sugar is dissolved. The syrup should be almost saturated – keep adding sugar until it becomes hard to dissolve any more. Because of low acidity this cordial will grow moulds on the surface rather easily, and for the same reason preservatives will not be effective, so it is essential to pasteurise the syrup and to keep it in the fridge.