I love elderflowers. I love the creamy white floatiness of the flowers, their incredible scent and most of all I love the flavour. I’ve made a few batches of cordial this year so it was time to try this one.
I believe the best time to collect the elderflowers is first thing in the morning on a dry, sunny day. I know when I collected the flowers for my first batch the scent hit me before I got close to the tree. Pick the freshest looking heads.
I select trees away from traffic and only take from above “dog height” for obvious reasons. I also don’t collect too many flowers from individual trees.
| 2 1/2 kg sugar |
| 2 unwaxed lemons |
| 25 fresh elderflower heads |
| 85 gms citric acid |
- In a very large pan gently dissolve the sugar in 1.5 litres of water. Do not allow to boil
- Remove zest from lemons and cut the fruit into rounds. I removed the pith but you don’t have to
- Once the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil then remove from the heat. Add lemons, next & citric acid.
- Gently swish elderflower heads in a bowl of cold water, shake off excess water and add to pan. The flowerheads will turn brown due to the hot water, this is nothing to worry about.
- Cover and allow to infuse for 24 hours
- Strain liquid through a cheesecloth, I used a double thickness.
- Then either pour into sterilised bottles or freeze in plastic containers.
Bottled cordial should last in the fridge for up to 6 weeks. It lasts longer as a cordial and because of the high sugar content you can simply scoop out the amount you need before topping up with water etc.
