Fill a clean mason jar with the herbs and fruit.
Pour the brandy over the herbs and fruit, filling the jar to the top.
Put a lid on the jar and label the jar with the date and contents.
Store it in a dark place for 1 month. Make sure your fruit and herbs stay covered with brandy by about 2 inches. Occasionally check to see if you need to add more brandy, as some of it may have been soaked up by the plant material.
Place a funnel into the mouth of a clean, sterilized jar and lay muslin on top of the funnel.
Carefully pour the brandy through the muslin and funnel. Allow all the liquid to strain through the cloth into the jar. If you are using dried fruit, squeeze the rest of the liquid out of the dried plant material through the cloth into the jar. If you are using fresh fruit, do not squeeze, or you will end up with a cloudy extract.
Discard the herbs and fruit. Add it to your compost or just put it on the dirt in your garden.
Sweeten the liquid to taste with black cherry concentrate or honey. Traditionally, one-half part sweetener is added. Pour the liquid into a measuring cup to see how much you have. Divide that number in half, and that is the measurement for your sweetener. However, this is just a suggestion; adjust things to your taste.
Cordials made with fresh fruit will last about 1 year, while cordials made with dried fruit will last a couple of years.
