Elderflower Cordial
Get the heads from country roadsides and parks around May, June and July time. This recipe will keep for the rest of the year, mix with filtered or sparkling water or use to make elderflower sorbet.
If you don’t want such a long shelf life and want a quicker recipe take out the simmering bottle stage and boil for 5 minutes. For a thicker cordial boil for 10 minutes.
Preparation time: 20 minutes plus infusing time Quantity: Approx. 5 pint mix Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
15-20 large elderflower heads
1 kg/ 2 lb granulated sugar
30g/ 1 oz tartaric acid or 15g citric acid crystals
2 lemons
4 pints/2&1/4 litres boiling water
Method
- In a large bowl add the washed elderflowers
- Sprinkle on the acid and sugar
- Slice the lemon and add
- Pour on the boiling water
- Cover and leave to stand for 24 hours, stirring once or twice
- Strain off the liquid
- Pour in to steralized bottles, 2cm from the top, screw on a lid
- In a pan, cover the bottom with a sheet of cardboard or several layers of newspaper
- Place the bottles in side the pan and fill with water to just under the lids/tops
- Bring to the boil and gently simmer for 30 minutes
- Leave the bottles to cool
- Store in a cool dark place