Make your own elderflower cordial
1st Jan 2015 Drinks
Some people look out for snowdrops, bluebells, cherry blossom, or the first cuckoo of spring, but I chronicle the seasons with a bout of elderflower-making instead. Here's my recipe for a traditional elderflower cordial.
Ingredients:
- 1.5l water
- 1.5kg sugar
- 75g citric acid (available behind the counter at pharmacists)
- 30 elderflower heads, rinsed
- 2 lemons, thickly sliced
Method:
- Bring the water to a boil in the biggest pan you have. Add the sugar and stir until it has all dissolved and thickened into a sugar syrup.
- Remove the sugar syrup from the heat, then stir in the citric acid, elderflower heads and lemons (if your pan isn’t big enough, you may have to transfer everything to a large sealable container).
- Leave it outside or in a cool place for 24–48 hours. The syrup will darken and become loaded with elderflower aromas.
- Double-strain and use a funnel to fill plastic water bottles with the home-made cordial. Label and then freeze until needed.
