Elderflower Cordial
Let the cocktail making begin…. Well, you don’t need to make a cocktail with homemade elderflower cordial, but summer days like these sort of demand one, don’t they?!
You will need some citric acid, so now is the time to pop to your local chemist or order some online. Once you have the citric acid, and have found your nearest elder bush, you are ready to begin…
Ingredients
2 kg white sugar
50g citric acid
2 litres hot water
3 large lemons
24 large heads of elderflower in full bloom
Top tip 1: Gather your elderflower on a warm and sunny day if possible - when the flowers are smelling fragrant and summery. Don’t wash the flower heads, just shake them gently as you pick to encourage any bugs to stay in the hedgerows.
Method
Take a large bowl and combine the sugar, citric acid, sliced lemons and hot water and stir to dissolve.
When the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is no warmer than tepid, stir in the elderflower heads. You can add them sooner although the flowers tend to discolour and you lose some of that heady fragrance. Stir to combine and leave in a cool place covered with a tea towel for 48 hours.
Strain through a damp clean tea towel or damp muslin into clean bottles. Use the cordial immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.
Top tip 2: To preserve the cordial, you can freeze it in plastic bottles (but don’t fill them completely, as it expands when frozen).
Our favourite serving suggestions…
in a high-ball glass with plenty of ice, sparkling water and a sprig of mint or basil
to sweeten iced tea made with rooibos tea, sliced peach & lemon and sprigs of mint
add a dash to your favourite gin or vodka and tonic. Our favourite local gin, Trevethan, uses elderflower as one of their key botanicals, so this is a particularly fine match.
use to macerate Tamar Valley strawberries and serve with clotted cream and a grinding of black pepper
