Prelude To Summer - Old Fashioned English Elderflower Cordial
- 15 large elderberry flowers, shaken to get rid of dust and insects and fertiliser free (umbels, heads)
- 900 g white sugar
- 1 lemon, wiped clean and thinly sliced
- 40 g citric acid
- 500 ml boiling water
- Place the freshly picked elderflowers in a large heatproof bowl or pan (that can be covered or has a lid). Add the sliced lemons. Then add the sugar.
- Pour the boiling water over and add the citric acid - stir all the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved.
- Make sure the lemon slices and most of the elderflower heads are under the sugar water. Cover and leave in a cool place for 4 days.
- Every day, remove the lid and stir the mixture - pressing the lemon slices gently to extract the juice.
- You should be able to smell the beautiful floral fragrance of the elderflowers after only one day -- if after 4 days you feel there is not enough "floral" flavour to the cordial, leave for a further day.Remember, that this will be diluted to drink or added to other ingredients, so it should be as strong as possible in smell and flavour!
- When you are ready to bottle the cordial, strain through a non-metallic FINE sieve (lined with muslin if necessary - if the sieve is not fine enough) into a large pouring jug or bowl.
- Then pour the cordial into clean and sterile bottles. Seal the bottles and store the cordial in a cool, dark, dry place. This cordial is ready to use/drink now, and it will keep for a very long time if stored in the right conditions. (I have some from 4 years ago and it is still as fragrant and floral as the day I made it!).
- NB: Citric acid can be found in chemists or pharmacists, or in special brewing and wine-making shops/departments. If you cannot source citric acid, use an extra lemon instead.
flowers, lemon, citric acid
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/prelude-to-summer-old-fashioned-english-elderflower-cordial-414594 (may not work)